St Jude Children’s Research Hospital was started by a guy named Danny Thomas.
Before Danny Thomas was a rich, successful TV star, he was a struggling comedian. He said a prayer to St. Jude (patron saint of lost causes) to “help him find his way in life.”
He decided one day he would build a shrine to St. Jude. And thus the hospital was the vision of a desperate man with nothing but a prayer in his heart. Kind of fitting, isn’t it?
I was recently walking the halls of St. Jude and I made this observation:
It’s the happiest sad place in the world.
And what I mean by that is this….
Every patient and parent in that place is going through some of the most painful, emotional experiences we could ever imagine. Yet, every employee in that place makes it a point to make you feel calm and taken care of.
My prayer is that I can make my patients feel the same way.
But anyway…..this post wasn’t supposed to be about any of that.
I wanted to share with you 3 practical tips you can do to help lessen depression and anxiety. And if you can do this for yourself, you will be able to help someone else.
Notice I said lessen depression. Not cure it.
Notice it’s 3 tips. Not an all inclusive guide.
This isn’t intended to be medical advice or to replace your doctor. You may need counseling or medications or all of the above.
The main point is…..don’t neglect your mental health.
3 Insanely Practical Tips For Being Less Depressed
1) Turn off the TV and Write
Get a notebook.
When you actually put words on paper, you think about your life differently.
This doesn’t have to be a journal. You don’t have to document your day or your thoughts.
Write down some goals. Then write down your top 5 values.
Write down a direction you want to go.
Write down what it is that’s actually killing you and then write down 3 things you can do to slow it down.
Write down 7 things that you want your kids to know.
Did you experience trauma as a child? Write it down. This act can be cathartic in itself.
Is there something nagging you in the back of your brain? Maybe you can’t quite figure out what it is. If you don’t know, write that you don’t know but that you are going to figure it out.
If you are anxious or have panic attacks, write down the process of having a panic attack. Write down your sensations, your fears, time, place, and what you were wearing when it happened. Then re-write it and change any aspect you want. Write that you ended up calm and feeling good. It’s your story, so make yourself the hero.
Write down 99 things you are thankful for.
It really doesn’t matter what you write. At least not yet. You’re just getting out of your head and getting some things down on paper.
And for goodness sakes….don’t show any one. This is just for you.
When you’re finished writing, you can turn Netflix back on and get back to binge watching Breaking Bad.
2) If APATHY is the poison, then ACTION is the cure
Here’s what happens. A tragedy. Then what?
We feel helpless, angry, scared.
If helplessness takes over, we risk becoming apathetic. If we become apathetic….all is lost.
When tragedy hits, grieve.
But when the grieving period is over, it is time to do something else to gain back a little control. You have to be proactive.
Give to a charity. Volunteer. Help someone else that’s going through a hard time.
Do not let stress overwhelm you to the point of paralysis.
Patients often tell me they do not know what their purpose is in life.
Maybe they are looking for some grand sign from the heavens to show them. But I doubt this will happen. It’s best just to start doing something and see what shakes out.
You probably can’t stop ISIS tomorrow. But you can make sure your family is making your community fun, unique, and safe.
You probably can’t stop kids from getting cancer. But just remember that St. Jude Hospital was started by nothing more than a prayer and a promise.
By doing one small thing a day to make life better, you can make the world an amazing place.
Find something and point your life in that direction.
The world you create does not have to be the world that tried to create you.
3) Embrace what you have
You have issues.
I know you do.
That’s okay.
I do too.
Don’t obsess over what you don’t have. Be grateful for what you have. Whatever unique aspects make YOU. It’s all you need.
Embrace your weirdness. Perfect it. Become the weirdest you that you can be.
We are all created different. My weaknesses are your strengths.
Separate, we can’t do much. But together….
So double down on thankfulness for the things you have. Your family, friends, the time you have left. Your unique quirks. Your shortness or baldness or shyness. Your crooked smile. Your slight limp. Your ability to read other people. Your ability to stay calm when others freak out. These traits are not flaws. They are what makes you unique.
Overwhelm yourself with gratitude. Make it impossible to feel defeated.
One trick that I do…. is prayer.
I clear my mind with deep breathing. I then focus on the people in my house and I say a prayer of gratitude for them. I think of specific things that they do that makes me smile. I then say a prayer of blessing. I pray that they will have peace, wisdom, and love.
So there you have it. My 3 practical tips.
- Write stuff down
- Take some type of small action every day
- Pray
Eazy-Peazy-Lemon-Squeezy
Good luck and God Speed!
p.s.
There are other practical tips I could have listed. Like ride a bike, go mountain climbing, watch comedy. But I think those are less powerful than these. But heck, why not try them all. At least if you feel you need to.
p.p.s.
My book won’t cure depression but you can still pick up a copy here.
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