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We are caught up in a world of labels and diagnosis. Doctors told me 6 years ago that I had 3 years. They were confident about it. I was misdiagnosed several times. Consultants arguing over what I had. I had 3-4 different labels for illness. That's when I decided to take things into my own hands. Last year I was discharged by 3 hospitals saying there was nothing wrong. I don't want to give you false hopes but encourage an open mind to the possibility there might not be something broken with you. Chemotherapy was being pushed on me for no reason up to my discharge. Ever read a book called Bad Pharma? Read it.
Anyhow since then my journey has led me down the alternative healing routes. I have learned that the body can be repaired but the psychological side of things takes longer. Louise L Hay speaks about emotional healing.
You said sadness but there was only a definition for depression. She defines this as the following:
Depression: Anger you feel you do not have a right to have. Hopelessness.
So when you say you are realistic are you hopeless? Do you feel angry about things? Believe you have no right to be angry? It is something to think about.
This is my list:
Comedy. I need a good laugh. Something to lighten the mood and lift me up.
# Go and see wifey to cure me from stress. Lay my head on her breasts. Sugar dumpling knows best... #
Try to be at peace with nature. Be it by a lake in a forest or on a beach, playing with the sand and, listening to the waves.
Read my gratitude journal. I started one this year. Everyday I write down one thing... something I look forward to, or a past achievement, or a happy memory or, something that was good about my day / made me smile. It is my anti-sadness guidebook because it is full of positivity / neutral factual evidence about me.
Sometimes I give back to the community. Seeing people happy or smile helps me whether I am sad or not. Volunteering in a homeless shelter to helping the elderly with their groceries.
I pray.
I use a Mindfulness mantra. I chant 'thank you' in my head to drown out the sadness. Mooji (a mindfulness teacher) says silence the mind. He talks about how we are hotels. Feelings check in but we shouldn't let them stay. Or sad feelings are like visitors and we need not serve tea to such unwanted guests. It goes a lot deeper and he talks about identity as a mask. The sadness as a mask we wear to label ourselves because we spend too much time in our heads. So he says: get out of your head.
Exercise. Usually boosts my mood.
Diet: I cut out as much sugar and salt as possible. Healthy eating has definitely lifted my mood. There is a strong research base between food and mood.
These are some of my ways. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.
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