How to be Positive When You're Depressed

1. Allow yourself to feel down for a limited amount of time. But give yourself a deadline to pick up your lip regardless of how you feel--a few days to a week works for me. We are human and sadness is good for everyone. It humbles us. It allows us to realize we are not superheroes and most importantly, it forces us to lean on God. For a long time, my favorite bible verse was Ecclesiastics 7:3. "Sadness is better than laughter, it has a refining influence." I also am a strong believer that the depression we feel from hard times allows us to build character--when you reflect on some of the things you've been through it should make you feel proud and strong!

2. Rely on your people! Disclaimer! This is only if you have built your power circle--people who have strengths where you are weak and that love you and hope and pray for your success! Rely on them. Lean on them. That's what they are there for. If you don't have friends and family that you can call on when you are down you may need to reexamine your circle. People who know you know some of your strengths and weaknesses and can remind you of who are. They are there to listen and be a sounding board to redirect your negative thoughts about yourself and your situation. This builds and strengthens relationships. No one wants to feel alone when they are going through and you shouldn't!

3. Draw closer to The Most High God. I cannot stress this enough. Nothing else on this list will work if you skip this step. Just imagine that one person in your life that knows your thoughts, your desires, and not only that, knows the outcome for you. Knows the purpose behind your pain. Knows what the future holds for you. Someone that loves you unconditionally and stands in the gap for you daily to protect you from even worse conditions than the one you're in. Who wouldn't want to seek counsel from that person? Whatever you are going through, self-inflicted or not, He's still got you and will begin to move things around to get you through. Our moments of weakness are a reminder of why we need God.

4. Take a break! For me, when I feel completely overwhelmed I need to get away and be alone. Not to run from the problem, but to get balanced, to have intimate time with my thoughts and to talk to God. Although He's always there He is sometimes waiting for you to tell Him you need his help. I've gone as far as taking a solo road trip a few hundred miles away--I know some that have picked up and moved entirely. But your getaway can be in the local library or spa in the next town. Wherever it is--take that time to leave your routine and be alone even if just for a day. Recharge yourself then come back ready to attack the problem head on!

5. Take a social media break! When I'm down I also tend to be dramatic 🤦🏾‍♀️😂Seeing other people's highlight reel on social media does not help. It makes me feel bad about feeling bad. When feeling down or depressed, the worse thing to do is to get caught up comparing what we see to what we have going on at the time. Of course I'm happy for others. Of course I know that what I'm going through isn't my life. However, social media feeds the irrationality that depression can bring out. Delete it! You can always download the app again.

6. Write. Write down solutions,goals, accomplishments, feelings. Whatever flows from you naturally. Just write. Putting things on paper is powerful. If you're not a writer, express yourself in some other form--sing, paint, run. I had a friend that use to buy glasses from the dollar store and throw them against the back of her house when she was frustrated. Whatever you do to express yourself when you're happy, use it when you're upset or feeling lost.