“Autumn time, the charm of the eyes,” said dear Alexander Sergeevich. But most of us at this time begin to mope, the person’s emotional state is depressed, gloomy. This condition even has an official name – autumn depression. Summer is over and positive emotions have disappeared with it. Autumn is gray, it's a sad time. And in order to find the joy of life again, let's look at the autumn blues from a different perspective.
“One looks into a puddle and sees dirt,
another sees reflected stars,”
Immanuel Kant
The emotional state of a person in the autumn period
You can often come across advice - to fight autumn depression. But struggle is a waste of energy and time. This is unnecessary tension and even a state of war, you are fighting. Therefore, I immediately propose replacing the word struggle with the word harmony. Any knee-deep puddle is in a state of harmony. We will look for her.
Main signs of autumn depression
1. Depressed and melancholy mood, desire to hide from people;
2. Lack of appetite or vice versa – the desire to overeat with high-calorie foods;
3. Decreased activity and drowsiness;
4. Irritability;
5. Vulnerability and touchiness.
If at least one of the listed signs sounds like you, then this article is for you.
It is important to understand that a person’s emotional state depends only on himself. By tuning into dullness and melancholy, we program ourselves for it! Therefore, not a word more about the blues and depression.
The most positive emotions even on the rainiest day
“Nature has no bad weather” is a great quote from a song. Let's look at autumn and winter from a different angle and mood.
Autumn means yellow leaves, nature in all shades of the rainbow, delicious fruits and vegetables. Winter – snow flakes, snowflakes, New Year and gifts. How can you not smile? 🙂
“It’s cold and wet,” you say. “A great reason to organize a warm meeting under blankets with friends,” I’ll say. Delicious tea with ginger, honey and mint, sincere conversations, favorite music - there will be no trace of the melancholy mood!
Do you constantly want to sleep and do nothing? Find a completely new activity for yourself that you didn’t have time for before. A great way to bring back the joy of life is to take a drawing course (it’s not for nothing that artists love autumn), singing, or training.
More active types are dancing and fitness. The main thing is that the activity warms you up and brings variety and positivity into your life.
Be in nature more often. Autumn is truly a golden time. Walking through a quiet, transparent forest, taking a break from the city, breathing in fresh air - this is a fairy tale that can easily be made reality.
Personally proven method: jumping in puddles. Yes, yes. Rubber boots - and go! You are guaranteed: a joyful mood, toned legs, a sincere smile, sparkle in your eyes and relief from dreary thoughts!
How to find joy in life in autumn
Harmony of soul and body: how to achieve them if you want to hide under the blanket, be offended by the whole world and eat it with a kilogram of cakes? Let's make some small adjustments again: replace the cakes with autumn fruits and vegetables - a real gift to people from autumn.
Even the most basic salad is filled with vitamins, vibrant colors and flavors. Here you get both the brightness of the colors and the benefits. Aesthetic pleasure on the one hand, physical pleasure on the other.
Bring beauty outside and at home. Take a shower with aromatic oils and foam, go for a massage, make a mask. Pamper your body - it deserves it.
You can decorate your house with a bouquet made with your own hands. Multi-colored leaves, rowan branches, rose hips, hawthorn, barberry and even apples - give free rein to your imagination. Already in the process of decorating, sadness will disappear without a trace.
The ability to self-heal and bring our body into a healthy state is inherent in us by nature. It’s as if a program for self-healing and restoration is written into our body. We recover if we get sick, a wound on an arm or leg heals over time. Purely reflexively, we put our hand on the sore spot, begin to rub it, or simply hold our hand.
The main thing is to trust your nature and not allow these programs to fail. Failures arise due to the fact that we ourselves block our self-healing abilities. We don't believe in them. Initiation into Reiki enhances your abilities and makes the process of self-healing conscious.
Take five minutes to read and immediately put it into practice.
1. Take a comfortable position (sitting or lying down) and focus on your breathing.
There is no need to change it. Just watch how the air moves: inhale, exhale, exhale, exhale. Don't evaluate or change anything - just observe. This is done so that you can immerse yourself in the present moment and calm the thoughts swarming in your head, at least for a few minutes.
2. Extend your arms in front of you and rub your palms vigorouslyfor 30-60 seconds.
As a result, your palms should become hot. Feel this warmth. Smile while rubbing your palms. A smile itself has healing powers and can change your mood in a matter of seconds.
3. Keep your palms 15-20 cm apart from each otherand feel the energy between them.
This energy always exists. And now you feel it because you consciously set yourself such a task. When you feel this energy, realize that it is part of your being. Keep smiling. It's a nice feeling, isn't it?
4. Close your eyes.
Try moving this energy from your hands to another area of your body. There is no way to do it “wrong.” You awaken your energetic body with the power of intention—the intention to feel and heal.
Try moving this energy to any stressed or unhealthy part of your body. Hold the energy there, knowing that you are sending love and Reiki healing energy there.
If you stop feeling the energy, rub your palms again. You can't do it good, bad or wrong. You can represent the energy the way you think is right. You may just want to feel it, perhaps you will imagine it as white light. Do what is easier for you. While performing this step, be in a playful state and smile.
5. Continue to work with the flow of energy.
Direct it to different parts of the body. Notice the sensations that arise in the places that the flow reaches. Know that this energy can help you heal from pain and feel grateful that you have finally discovered this natural ability within yourself. Feel how this energy relaxes every part of your body that it comes into contact with.
Hello. No joy in life, depression, no mood either at work or at home, tearfulness. There are some joyless thoughts about life in my head. I don’t want to go from home to work and vice versa. Married for 20 years. At home, the desire to do something has long been repulsed, I do it through force. I cannot separate and leave my husband; my conscience does not allow me to leave in a difficult situation; he is sick. Although, when I had a difficult life situation, he was not there. When my parents died one year, strangers supported me. All the time he said that there was no money, I was looking for where to borrow, and he hid and saved for several years... Then he bought a car, no one knows how much nerves this purchase cost me. 2 years ago we had a fight and he beat me, then said a month later that he didn’t remember it. Although all this time I was waiting for an apology. I’ve done a lot for him, now I don’t want anything... Now we live separately financially, we don’t have intimate relationships either, we’ve been sleeping rough on the couch for 5 years... there are no kind words either... BUT! loves children... And I seem to be married... but essentially alone, relying on myself. I want care, love, confidence, support. And there is fear in my soul. Now he is seriously ill and his only hope is in me. I have no joy other than buying myself something, eating or drinking well. I want a normal life and relationships, care and love...
anonymously
Everyone wants us to experience less suffering in our lives and more joy and pleasure. Which in itself is completely normal. Everything that surrounds us strives to move - from discomfort to comfort, from anxiety to calm, from suffering to satisfaction. Therefore, we ask the question “ how to find joy in life?».
The suffering we experience is a signal that something in our life does not suit us or even puts our life in danger. That we are in a state of imbalance and that there is no harmony in our lives. Having received this signal, we can recognize and eliminate the causes that led to the discomfort we feel and restore balance and joy to our lives.
Is it possible to control the amount of happiness? Quite. At the very least, you can “make the most” of what you have and constantly work to improve your quality of life. But the key word here is “work,” which many people forget or don’t want to think about. Well, yes, the word is tedious and boring, what a blessing!…
To the question “how to find joy in life” you want a simple and inspiring answer
But I don’t have such an answer, and so let’s talk about that very work.
First, you will have to learn to observe yourself and your reactions.
Because if you yourself don’t know what situations bring you joy, happiness, calmness, peace, then you are unlikely to be able to repeat them. And you will forever wait for some kind of inspiration or “coincidence of circumstances” like manna from heaven.
Of course, to the question « how to find joy in life» Almost each of us can give an answer in the form of a dream, a big goal, an “image of what we want.” But a big goal, as a rule, may be several years away, and where will you find strength for this long journey if there is no joy in every day?
It is the “little things”, details, small gifts to yourself, special points in living the day when you feel that “the moment is wonderful”, and this minute is worth living - they are what give strength for big goals. As well as the ability to once again not plunge oneself into situations of obvious discomfort.
In general, this observation turns out to be quite painstaking and even somewhat tedious. But without it, it is obvious that if you do not know where and how your happiness “turns on,” you will never get there yourself, and you will only have to rely on the universe, which may someday “take you there” again.
Secondly, you will have to not only learn to observe all, even small shades of states, but also understand what needs are behind the desired situations
Because not every situation can and should be reproduced constantly.
Simple example: Suppose you feel good if you drink alcohol. Does it follow that you need to drink it every day to increase your joy? Hardly. More precisely, you, of course, can try, but most likely this will only lead to an increase in suffering.
Therefore, it remains not only to notice situations in which you feel good, but also to isolate the very need that lies behind it, and then choose methods that are as environmentally friendly as possible for all systems of the body, so that it does not turn out to be “we treat one thing and cripple another.”
There can be many needs behind alcohol - relaxation, calmness, or vice versa - courage, a surge of strength, liberation. Which one is yours? And what other ways can you satisfy her?
Thirdly (and this is even more difficult, but also more interesting) - you will have to figure out whether your suffering is caused by some external situation, or, after all, it is generated by your attitude towards it
There are a lot of nuances here.
For example, if you are bothered by constant noise from your neighbors, can this problem be solved by moving, or by having a serious conversation with your neighbors, or maybe it’s just your increased excitability against the background of some other experiences, fantasies and projections? Maybe this whole story touches on something that was previously painful, but seemed to be forgotten, and now revealed with renewed vigor by the situation? And then you need to deal not with your neighbors, but with your experiences from many years ago, stuck inside and in need of revision?
Anyone can become happy and no circumstances can prevent this. What's the recipe? The tip is simple: look for happiness in yourself!
Try to imbue yourself with one simple thought: “Joy is within us.” Repeat these three words several times to yourself. Do you understand what they mean? What exactly does this mean? And if you responded emotionally to this statement, if it touched your soul, evoking some pleasant memories, then you are able to realize one of the greatest truths: you can be happy. You are given to understand that happiness does not depend on how others treat you, that it does not matter whether your childhood was terrible or wonderful. Career failures, successes of friends and even illnesses will not interfere with happiness.
Now think about the meaning of the word “joy.”
Is it just a pleasant feeling for you or something more? Morning sun, a romantic date, Sunday football with friends, a successful yoga lesson - all these are, of course, important pleasant moments. But if you delve into it, it turns out that they all depend not on you, but on certain events, people or situations that you need in order to rejoice. And it seems to you that you can become happy only if all the circumstances are successful: in the morning the sun was shining in the sky, in the afternoon you successfully negotiated, in the evening you mastered a new asana, and dinner with your loved one was waiting for you at home. So you risk turning into a frantic seeker of pleasant sensations. Believing that you need to create all the conditions for yourself in order to always be in a great mood is one of the most common misconceptions of our time.
But inner joy is of a different nature. There are four words in Sanskrit - sukha, santosha, mudita and ananda - each meaning a different level of happiness. All together they are the path leading to joy that cannot be shaken by anything.
Sukha
Fleeting pleasure
Sukha is the happiness we experience when we are within our comfort zone. The word "sukha" is translated as "ease", "comfort", "pleasure". When we go outside on a warm summer day, we experience an unexpected surge of joy. Sukha - this so-called ordinary happiness - is fleeting in nature. All states that depend on external conditions can disappear at any time.
Sukha is directly related to its opposite, duhkha, or suffering. Like hot and cold, birth and death - sukha and duhkha are always inseparably together: if our well-being depends on external conditions, it will always be precarious.
Santosha
Satisfaction
The Yoga Sutras consider the practice of Santoshi to be extremely important, as it is the fastest way to get rid of worries and restlessness that arise as a result of disappointments and unsatisfied desires.
Santosha is contentment with what you have. To feel happy, you don’t need anything, no special conditions. We can be truly satisfied only if we give up the pursuit of the unattainable and high expectations from life. We must get away from stereotypes and learn not to compare our abilities, character traits, property and even spiritual achievements with what others have.
Mudita
Spiritual happiness
The practice of Santoshi has a calming effect on our consciousness - and without noticing it, we can move to the next level of happiness. Mudita appears spontaneously, out of nowhere, like a message from the depths of consciousness, capable of changing our state in an instant. It evokes different feelings: gratitude, delight, peace, the ability to see beauty where we have never noticed it before, for example, in trash on the sidewalks or hamburgers.
Mudita can be developed in oneself - spiritual practice is mainly aimed at finding joy of precisely this nature in oneself. For example, mudita is caused by spiritual chanting. Practice certain poses and meditate by repeating mantras. Some religious traditions, such as bhakti yoga and Sufism, specialize in the art of developing mudita, which helps us move into more subtle states of our consciousness.
Ananda
Happiness is beyond comprehension
When mudita most fully influences our perception of the world, we comprehend the deepest level of joy - ananda. It is usually translated as “happiness”, “complete bliss”. This is ecstasy, delight, rapture emanating from the very center of the universe. When you come into contact with it, you realize that you have comprehended previously unknown levels of reality.
Some teachers believe that at the moment of such ecstasy, running in waves through our veins, we communicate with God. You will find similar comparisons of joy with touching the divine in Sufi poetry, in Kabbalah and in the works of Christian mystics. Clive Lewis called his spiritual autobiography “Overtaken by Joy” because his entire communication with God was a feeling of absolute happiness. By cultivating joy in ourselves, we pave a direct path to self-knowledge. Start by taking the statements of great gurus seriously and without irony. Try to understand their words about joy, which is material and nearby - inside you and in the world around you. Then find those practices that will help you open up. Joy can come to you unexpectedly. But you yourself can approach it step by step.
From sadness to joy
It is easier to believe that the source of happiness is within us than to know it. You may agree that joy is within yourself, but not feel it. What do you need to do to find the strength to change something in your attitude towards the world? How to choose a practice that can help?
The most important thing is not to be afraid of the fact that you cannot find joy here and now, at your first request. Siddha Gurumayi Chidvilasananda once compared joy to a butterfly, which one day will definitely fly and land on your hand, but it cannot be caught and planted by force, much less held. Instead of trying to get joy, it will be much more effective to find practices that attract it to yourself - mainly those that relate to working with consciousness. Try to cure yourself of the cynicism that inevitably infects any resident of a big city.
Mercy, the ability to be grateful to yourself and others for all the good things that happen to us in life, and even for the problems that befall us, the conscious refusal of offenses - all this helps to break the barrier that forms around the heart and does not allow joy to come to it. And be sure to pay attention to the mental conversation with yourself that you, like all people, constantly conduct. Thought is material.
I want to please myself today
The next step is one of the forms of mudita, such as chanting, prayer, directly speaking to your heart and expanding the energy in it, meditation with visualization, prayer for the well-being of loved ones, or any practice of which there are countless numbers.
One of the very good practices described in tantric texts. Perhaps it underlies all of the above. We will very tentatively call it “In Pursuit.” This simple exercise can be performed at any time - when you are riding public transport, washing dishes, and even while listening to the radio. In a very short time it can change your consciousness.
Close your eyes and remember a time when you were truly happy. Mentally transport yourself to that moment. Remember how you felt then. You can imagine images - remember the scene of the action, what you were wearing, who was present. Ask yourself: “What exactly did I feel then?” After asking yourself this question, wait until the feeling of happiness returns to you again. Try to hold it within yourself, even if it’s only for a few moments.
Then, having removed the place or situation from memory, determine the point on your body where the center of the feeling of happiness is located, and try to expand the feeling of joy until it fills you completely. If you have a well-developed visual memory, then try to imbue the feeling with some warm color, such as gold or pink. You can also work with your breath, expanding the sensation found in the memories as you exhale.
Try to hold onto the feeling of happiness for as long as possible. Try to make it the most important thing, at least for a moment. But this is only a fleeting glimpse of the new reality found - imagine how much happiness actually hides inside you.
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Get answers to your questions from experts!
Joy inspires and gives a feeling of fulfillment in life. But suddenly something breaks and she leaves. Do you know the feeling of hopelessness and apathy? To cope with it, you need to understand its true cause.
Fatigue is the simplest and most common reason that the world around us ceases to be enjoyable. Feelings become dull, everything seems gray and monotonous. And the only recipe in this case is to have a good rest.
Sometimes it seems to us that we live a very boring life. Artists (showmen, politicians, journalists...) have an interesting and rich life, not like mine, we think. The paradox is that writers, artists, performers, and pop stars are all equally tired of what they do every day. No matter who you are, from time to time you need to break out of everyday reality and change the picture. Take a vacation and go further away - to another city, another country. Free yourself from your usual routine. Breathe the air of freedom. Learn new things. Often this step can restore strength and bring back the joy of each day.
The simplest and most common reason that the world around us ceases to be enjoyable is fatigue. Feelings become dull, everything seems gray and monotonous. And the only recipe in this case is to have a good rest.
But it happens that the blues become chronic. Complete disappointment, reluctance to do anything, awareness of the meaninglessness of life - these are the symptoms of this condition. We lose joy in one case: when we cannot use life to satisfy our needs, says psychoanalytic therapist Eduard Livinsky. - A person perceives the world through the prism of what he can influence. And if he satisfies other people’s desires and sacrifices his own, then he feels frustration. But this is exactly how we are raised! You go to work where no one is going to think about your personal needs. You live in a society that is focused on the accumulation of capital, and if you have different values, you have to break yourself. Joy is always the joy of doing your own work, being active for yourself among like-minded people.
6 ways to shake yourself up and want to live
If everyday life has become boring, you need to look for a way to diversify it. Just don’t sit idly by: apathy doesn’t go away on its own!
- Go on a trip. A change of environment and new experiences expand the boundaries of perception. All sensations become several times sharper. And there is time to think about what, in fact, is important to you.
- Get a pet. Caring for a small defenseless creature - even a turtle - gives each of us the necessary feeling of being needed. The animal is entirely dependent on the owner: you will begin to receive joy when you feed it, stroke it, communicate with it.
- Go to church for a service. Even if you are not a religious person, try to attend the service, listen to the prayers and understand yourself better. People often find peace and harmony after attending church. It's not even a matter of ritual, but of returning to oneself.
- Invent a new hobby. Ask yourself: what is important to you, what have you always wanted to do and what have you denied yourself? And take this step: sign up for a dance class or a theater studio, start learning professional photography. There is nowhere to put it off any further.
- Mini home renovation idea. At least rearrange the furniture and redo the wallpaper. Firstly, you will undoubtedly be distracted, and secondly, by transforming and updating your home, you yourself will want to be internally renewed.
- Help those who have a harder time. When we do good, we always feel joy. We are transformed, becoming cleaner and brighter. A visit to a sick friend, help for your mother, a few kind words to your neighbor... And maybe some volunteer work.
Pamper your body - your soul will thaw
Bodily pleasure can be an excellent therapy for apathy. To do this, turn everyday procedures into a pleasant ritual. The simplest things that we often do in a hurry can give moments of genuine joy. For example, peeling: there is so much pampering and sensuality in treating the body with a fragrant scrub! The same can be said about Ayurveda’s favorite ritual of oiling, for which any slightly warmed oil is suitable (you can take olive oil and add a few drops of essential oil to your taste). It makes sense to take a course of oil massage or several sessions of stone therapy - massage with heated stones. During such procedures, we focus on our sensations and learn to enjoy touch and tactile contact. The body relaxes, unnecessary thoughts go away along with tension. We take care of ourselves - and this gives us confidence!
There are times when sadness just rolls in. Psychologists advise not to hide from it under fake fun, but to fully experience the emotions.
- Listen to yourself
If at this moment you feel sadness and melancholy, surrender yourself fully to these difficult feelings. You have a right to them.
- Find a suitable activity
Perhaps it's time to watch a sentimental movie or look through your diary from ten years ago. Or just cry into your pillow. By the way, tears have a cleansing effect.
- Think that this will pass
No matter how bad it gets, you should always look for a thread to cling to. This thread is our hope for tomorrow, that everything will change for the better and we will be in great shape. Think about good things even in the most difficult periods - and they will certainly happen to you!
Take a brush in your hands
Art therapy (healing through art), a method of psychotherapy that has become popular in recent years, allows you to express your experiences through creativity and understand the essence of the problem that worries you. Blues, apathy, lack of interest in life are direct indications of it. The simplest technique is to try to express your emotions in a drawing.
Depict, for example, your melancholy, and then your joy - and compare these two pictures, mentally transferring yourself to a field of joy. If you are overwhelmed with negative emotions, you can even create a sculpture from paper, old newspapers, pieces of wallpaper, and then paint it in sunny colors - try to transform the negative into positive. What is good about art therapy? Firstly, you express your emotions, which means they do not accumulate inside you. Secondly, you pull the problem out and distance yourself from it. And thirdly, the creative process itself is healing and will completely capture you! In addition to isotherapy, there are many other techniques: music, dance, fairy tale, photo, game, drama and even sand therapy.
Where to look for life energy
To bring color back to the world, you need to start doing something. Not for someone - for yourself. Find the area where your efforts will not be fruitful. Seeing the result of your work, you will want to live again!
A job that does not bring joy and serves only to earn money, a relationship in which the intensity of feelings has long been dulled, constant busyness and haste, many small household chores... How to break this vicious circle? You need to find an area where you can fully realize your abilities, and your perception of life will change.
The main task of any of us is to allow our self to do something valuable for itself. Therefore, any activity that brings you pleasure can relieve you of the blues! The most difficult thing remains: finding something for the soul. The trouble is that we often deactivate our own self so much that it loses the ability to create desires. In this case, psychologists recommend remembering what brought you joy in childhood. Sewing outfits for dolls, creating collages, sculpting, drawing - it was sure to be an exciting activity. And then cast aside doubts and false shame (they say, I’m no longer a child) and indulge in what I love! Even if you don't feel inspired at first.
It is very important not to isolate yourself. Find people with similar problems so you have someone to talk to. Look for those who share your hobbies, fortunately now this is easy to do using the Internet. But communication should not be limited to the virtual world: it is imperative to go into reality!
Each of us needs to be appreciated and accepted by others. Therefore, find an opportunity to participate in those collective events where your activity will be welcomed! A lonely person can go on a group tour of the city: a friendly atmosphere, exchange of opinions - and now you are no longer alone! For a young mother who feels like life is passing her by, it is enough to organize a party at home, invite friends with children - and she will perk up, advises Eduard Livinsky. - Life without meaning is a sure road to depression.
Set goals and achieve them, and this activity will bring you out of an emotional stupor. Write down five goals focused on your own needs - what you will do for your soul and good mood.
IMPORTANT! Any communication with children will bring you pleasure and sincere joy if you put aside all matters and devote some time completely to the child. Teach him something, discover a new meaning for his favorite activities. Nothing pleases us more than the success of our children.
Give children joy
The most common cause of apathy and depression is infantility. A person expects life to give him all the joys, not wanting to act on his own. Meanwhile, life requires effort, otherwise it turns into a swamp. Look for new meanings of existence for yourself. One of them may be caring for children who do not have parents. If you're lonely and not too happy right now, give some warmth to those who really need it! Going to the nearest orphanage on the weekend and reading a fairy tale to the kids, talking to older children - this will not require any special expenses. But the impact can be very strong. You will feel that someone needs you, that someone is happy for you, someone is waiting for you. Which means there is meaning to live!
The Art of Gratitude
Any person feels happy when his efforts are accepted - whether at work or in the family. Imagine that you prepared a delicious lunch, having spent the whole day working at the stove, and your relatives ate it with bland expressions and did not even thank you - where can you be happy? Therefore, at home - in our microcosm, where we ourselves establish orders - we need to cultivate a culture of gratitude.
Teach your children, husband and learn to appreciate what they have done for you. Say thank you!, feeling this warm feeling inside yourself. And thank life for what it gives you.
Experience difficulties. And overcome with honor!
Everything is good, but everything is boring - the blues of satiety, there is no other way to put it. She's being treated!
Live in extreme conditions. For example, go camping with tents. The world will turn upside down. You will begin to notice things that you did not pay attention to before. And many problems will turn out to be unimportant.
Learn another language. Communication during courses greatly broadens your horizons. And your head will be busy - not to the point of apathy.
Start running. Minimum 3 km per day. It's not easy to tear yourself away from TV - the favorite pastime of all those who are moping. But what joy you will feel every time you finish your run! Including the fact that endorphins are released into the blood during running.
Life story
My niece brought me out of my apathy
Just two years ago, Poltava resident Diana (26 years old) was seriously depressed. She, pregnant, was left by her loved one. She lost her child from frustration. And these were not all the trials that befell her!
At first everything worked out wonderfully. Having learned that I was expecting a child, Denis proposed to me. We had already invited guests to the wedding, when suddenly at night we quarreled over a trifle. And Denis... disappeared. And I soon ended up in the hospital. The baby was not saved.
I hated men. She lived in chronic apathy. Nothing made me happy. I went to work only because I had to live on something. One day I was walking home tired and thinking: I want to go to the hospital with a sore throat. Our negative attitudes are coming true: I slipped unluckily and ended up in intensive care. I was paralyzed, the doctors said that now I would lie down. But a miracle happened: I got back on my feet. I left the hospital knowing that I couldn’t get pregnant for three years.
My sister just had a daughter. And she invited me to her place in Kyiv.
She offered to change her life and stay with her, help with Karina. At first I refused, but six months later I quit my job and moved in with my sister. At first I was afraid to touch the baby. But soon I could easily change her diapers and could stay with her for the whole day. Communication with this sun charged me with energy. We walked with her for a long time, played, I read books to her. Somehow I caught myself thinking that I want the same miracle! Karina taught me to smile again. The depression has passed. Now I am looking for a job in the capital and hope to arrange my personal life.
By caring, we find harmony
Caring for plants and animals is a guaranteed way to fall back in love with the world. In Haruki Murakami's acclaimed book "Norwegian Wood," the main character, Naoko, years after losing a loved one, ends up in a closed hospital in the mountains. People who have lost their taste for life - people like her - are treated there not with medications, but with simple activities: growing vegetables, floriculture and poultry farming.
Working near the earth, coming into contact with its creations, watching how sprouts emerge, how fruits ripen, a person draws strength and is charged with vital energy, forgetting about his mental traumas. This primitive activity, despite all the achievements of scientific and technological progress, remains the most natural for us. But where should a city dweller look for a garden or a farm? A good solution is to grow flowers. This hobby does not require a lot of money, but allows you to fully experience the joy of communicating with nature. Flowers are beautiful, they awaken a sense of beauty in us. By caring for them, we free our heads from annoying thoughts, relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle.
Your sources of inspiration
We feel sad when we lack something. And we rejoice when we feel connected to the world and other people. And for this you need not to engage in soul-searching, but to strive to learn new things, to see the world in all its colors. And feel that you are alive!
Watching nature brings joy because it is alive. And depression is nothing more than a loss of life dynamics. Therefore, contemplation of nature is restorative. You watch how the trees bloom, the clouds float, the insects swarm, and you understand: life flows regardless of our small everyday adversities. Against this mesmerizing background, your problems seem insignificant. And nature also instills faith that you can do something as important and natural as a flower blooming or a bee carrying nectar.
Art inspires and demonstrates the diversity of life, showing that not everything around us is gray and monotonous. It also allows us to have our own emotions, pushing us to feel, experience, and catch fire. After all, in essence, art is emotions transfused into sounds, colors, movements. Depression always begins with fear of one’s feelings.
Books and films with a positive plot, dedicated to overcoming obstacles, instill confidence in one’s own strength. If the hero coped with difficulties, then you can do it too! Joy goes away because we cannot process the situation, we get stuck in it. And someone else’s example shows: there is a way out, we must look for it! And the only question is how to do it. If you can’t find a way out on your own, you should talk to a friend, a psychologist, or anyone who can help you look at the problem from the outside. And make sure: there is something to be happy about in life!
Beautiful landscapes evoke unconscious joy, so take advantage of every opportunity to be in nature. Alternate active rest with meditation or contemplation of awakening nature. Enjoy spring!
4 books that will put you in a positive mood
- Osho. Hsin-Hsin-ming: A book about nothing
Our mind creates dreams. To wake up and experience true joy, you need to go beyond the mind. Osho tells how to turn off culturally imposed stereotypes, free yourself from the need for choice and begin to live an authentic life.
- Anna Gavalda. Just together
A kind, wise and life-affirming novel about love and how to find joy in everyday life. All the characters, lonely at first, find their happiness at the end of the plot. And one of its important components is to help another in difficult times.
- Sue Townsend. The Diaries of Adrian Mole
An incredibly funny book, never off the bestseller list, about the adventures of an English teenager who is prone to the blues and fancies himself an intellectual and a talented poet. Sparkling!
- Victor Frankl. Man in search of meaning
An Austrian psychiatrist describes his personal experience of surviving in a concentration camp and shows that even if you find yourself in the most terrible conditions, you can find an incentive to continue living. A serious book that can change your worldview.
Photo in text: Depositphotos.com
