A Lifeline for Marin Families
Raise your Spirits…
During the Downturn
In today’s economy, uncertainty about the future, increased financial stressors,
and job losses have caused rates of depression, anxiety, and even suicide to rise.
That being said…. RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES that adults can cultivate attributes like optimism,
resiliency and a more positive attitude. While our temperaments, current situations, and histories have
a profound effect on our present day lives, they don’t have to be a life sentence.
Even when there appears to be only darkness,
ALL INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES HAVE UNIQUE STRENGTHS UPON WHICH TO BUILD.
Suggestions to improve your emotional wellbeing:
Enhance your feelings of connectedness. Isolation is the enemy of good mental health. Developing
connections with the deeper aspects of yourself, your peers, family members and community will help to create
more vibrant health.
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Consider taking a meditation class or yoga, go to a religious service, or get a regular massage
(research shows that these soul-nurturing activities reduce depression).
Call a volunteer center about volunteer opportunities. In one study, volunteer work generated more joy
than anything except dancing.
Call a friend. Studies show that, due to novelty, spending time with friends tends to lift your mood more
than spending time with family. Be sure you choose good listeners who won’t expect you to “cheer up” immediately.
Remember that you are a survivor. Most likely, you have survived some manner of crisis, loss, trauma,
hardships, and difficult family life. In surviving these experiences you have called upon inner strengths that can
continue to help you in some way.
Watch your thoughts. Most of us say things to ourselves we wouldn’t utter to another. Weed out harsh,
defeating thoughts and replace them with more positive, empowering ones. Learn to recognize negative self-talk and
then interrupt it by saying, “stop.” Lastly, give yourself a positive comment like, “I can do this,” or “I like and accept
myself,” or “I deserve to be happy.”
Master your universe. Increasing a sense of control over your life will improve your health and wellbeing. Studies
show, for example, that prisoners who are allowed to control the lights, TV, and placement of chairs are happier.
Employees who participate in decision-making report higher job satisfaction. Also, research demonstrates that time
that is filled, planned and used to pursue life goals can create a feeling of
confidence and sense of personal control.
Train yourself to recover. Some lucky people are born with
temperaments that are less reactive to stress, but the rest of us can cultivate
resiliency with practice. Work to free yourself from feeling victimized.
You are now, instead, a problem-solver. Just like a world-class athlete you
can train and stretch your comfort zones in order to grow new emotional muscles.
Look for alternative solutions to recurrent problems.
Fake it till you make it. While it’s true that traits and attitudes affect behavior, it is also
true that our traits and attitudes follow our behavior. In other words, we are just as likely to “act”
our way into a new way of thinking as we are of “thinking” our way into a new way of acting.
This is partly because our actions trigger more positive responses from others, which contribute
to our wellbeing.
Nurture self-esteem. Research has shown that one of the best predictors for happiness is not
satisfaction with income levels, friendships or even family life, but rather satisfaction with one’s self.
People feel better about life in general when they are at peace with who they are.
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Make an accurate self-appraisal (be realistic – not too harsh or too easy).
Work on overcoming adversities and bouncing back from failures.
Break difficult tasks into small steps. Your competence will grow as you master each step toward the larger goal.
Assume responsibility for your actions. Look realistically at what you can do to be more successful.
Maintain your integrity by living in accordance with your own values. This will help engender your sense of self-worth.
Keep the faith. Developing optimism will enrich your life and boost your immune system. Optimists don’t see
setbacks as proof of incompetence, but rather the need for a new approach. Research has shown that people who
are depressed blame themselves for failures and attribute successes to circumstances. Learn to take credit for your
successes. Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake, but rather work to correct it.
Get, give and laugh. GET the support you need to begin to feel better. Ask for help from friends, family, or others.
Also, expose yourself to positive stimuli. Research shows that even watching a puppy or the ocean on video can
create a measurable reduction in stress. People also experience elevated feelings of happiness when GIVING to
others. Just witnessing others give, behaving honorably or acting heroically enhances wellbeing. When all else fails,
learn to LAUGH at your foibles. Humor is one of nature’s healthiest mechanisms to help us gain perspective.
Remember you live in a body. Depressed women tend to resort to passive pursuits like ruminating, watching TV
and eating. Depressed men are more likely to reach for alcohol or drugs. All of these behaviors exacerbate
depression. The following will reduce it:
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Exercise builds stronger hearts, physically and emotionally. Study after study proves that regular exercise, especially to
your favorite music, will help you to lower tension, raise your energy and manipulate your mood upward. Research also
shows that activities that combine socializing and physical activity and require moderate skills are the best (skiing, salsa
dancing, biking with friends).
Eat a good breakfast and smaller meals throughout the day. This will help stabilize your blood sugar levels, which can
stabilize your mood.
Limit alcohol consumption! Excessive drinking will only increase feelings of depression.
Get enough sleep.
Find your life’s meaning. This is no easy task, but it is the most fundamental assignment we
face as human beings. Your purpose is about the kind of person you want to be and the things you
want to achieve in your life. What do you love? How do you want to live your life? This might mean
remembering your childhood dreams and sources of pleasure or experimenting with things you’ve
wanted to try but thought you couldn’t.
GET HELP TODAY!
If you find the above suggestions aren’t helping, professional counseling,
possibly coupled with the appropriate medication, can be very useful for depression.
Many insurance plans cover therapy. If finances are tight, FSA offers services on a sliding scale.
Call FSA (415) 491-5700 for more information * wwwfsamarin.org
Whichever path you take, please accept our best wishes on your journey toward good health and happiness.