For many people, anxiety and depression are the main stumbling blocks for their happiness and efforts. Some people avoid depression with quick fixes like partying with others or watching a good movie but eventually they may have to face it again.

While I do not have any chronic depression or anxiety problems, one thing that keeps me worried most of the times is that I feel I am not able to give my best in my work yet. I observed that many people get depressed for various reasons.

Some of the reasons include:

a. Worrying due to the lack of productivity in his/her work

b. Anxiety about the future

c Depressed because he/she is not able to reach his/her goals

d. Worried because he/she has done something in the past that is producing bad results now

e. Feeling incomplete due to the lack of a meaning in life

While the below methods may not help someone who are depressed because of a deadly disease or of huge debts (if it helps, I am glad it did), these methods can help many others.

Let us try to get into some solutions that can help us in overcoming depression, anxiety or from getting worried.

Photo credit: dickuhne

Studies show that about 95% of our emotions result from what we talk to (and with in) ourselves! If we talk good and positive things to ourselves, we will be filled with positive thoughts. Our actions come from our thoughts and hence talking positive will result in constructive and positive actions.

So, when we are filled with negative thoughts, it is better not to take any action on the things we are working on. Instead, we can look for ways to drain our negative thoughts first and fill our mind with positive thoughts.

When I am worried, I say to myself 'Faith is powerful than fear'. Another famous quote that I say to myself is 'Everything is possible for the one who believes'.

2. Who are your buddies?

Research findings show that most of our happiness comes from our close relationships, especially the people whom we interact on regular basis. Check out the influence it is having upon you. May be, you should expand your social circle that consists of more broad-minded and positive-minded people.

Once we know our circle of positive-minded friends, we can keep in touch with them regularly. Even a few minutes on the phone or email every now and then will have a positive impact on all of us. I try to meet with my positive-minded colleagues on teleconferences. I send personally composed emails about positive information to my circle of friends on a regular basis. It also makes me happy to see such emails from my friends.

3. Getting invincible with the help of the invisible

Having a teachable open-mind is a great skill. Unfortunately, it is not being developed by many people. Think about some of the best teachings that inspire or motivate you. Think about someone whom you wish to take as an ideal.

Imagine they are your friends whom you see face to face. Napoleon Hill coined a term for similar purpose - it is called 'Invisible Counselors'. I came to know about this when I was reading his book "Think and Grow Rich" 7 months ago. Coincidentally, I invented this method myself even before I was aware of Napoleon Hill. Thanks to my creativity!

My counselor group consists of:

Mahatma Gandhi, Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Joel Osteen, Napoleon Hill, Sachin Tendulkar, Thomas Edison and the list goes on. Basically, I try to embrace someone as my counselor who is sincere, not ego-centric and dedicated to his/her work, and is contributing to society in a meaningful way.

4. Books and Media

It has become a fashion these days to say things like 'Be free and do whatever you want'. Many times, certain things may have a quick fix in the short run but in the long run, they may bring bad consequences.

Beware of what you take into your head through books and media. I strongly recommend developing a good reading habit. Reading books will help us develop a deep thinking pattern and empathy to others.

Some of the great books that I recommend for a strong foundation of emotional strength are:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

5. Leave a legacy 

One of the great satisfactions that I experience from writing on this website is that I receive positive feedback from many people encouraging me to write more.

Help others who are in need. When we help someone who is in need, this will immediately take away our depression. This can be your family member or a friend or a total stranger.

It is told that having a good purpose will constantly energize us. Most people want to have a good purpose and a meaning in life. When they get busy with their purpose, depression and anxiety fly away!

6. Passion 

Every person is gifted with some creative talent or passion. What is yours? Spend time on honing your creative talents regularly. This will help us in our overall growth. Success from one area of our life can be a good lifting factor for our success in other areas of life.

A good friend of mine is very passionate about outdoor sports. Every time he goes out for these sports on the weekend, he says that he feels rejuvenated for the next week. Another friend of mine has a great passion for cooking and experimenting with new recipes. She tells that she enjoys doing that and it increases her enthusiasm in other things.

7. Eat and play

Our physical body is a medium that we carry into this world. When it is not taken care of properly, it can affect our mind and moods. One of the best investments that I did in my life was to spend about 6 months of focused and dedicated time on nutrition and how to maintain a healthy physique.

Of course, learning always continues but I have learned a lot from the self-study of various nutrition books.

So eat healthy foods like oatmeal, whole grained foods, lean meat, green vegetables and fruits. Try to decrease intake of fried foods, sugars and white rice. Same goes for exercising and playing. When we give a good metabolic activity to our body through exercising or playing, it not only keeps our physical body healthy but it can also relieve us from anxiety and stress.

Nuren ...
		About the author:
		Nuren likes writing, teaching, people, nature and many kinds of creative work such as photography and design. He is positive, dedicated, open-minded and always looking for a way to learn something new.
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written by a guest , November 28, 2008

Nuren, all the methods you mentioned are good. I want to share a method which works for me - that is spending sometime by yourself alone everyday.

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written by Nuren ... , December 05, 2008

I think it happens anyway (that is spending time by yourself). The points I mentioned here will need more proactive action.

However I agree with your point. I will add that to my waiting list of articles. Thanks

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