Chase the Blues Away with 10 Powerful Depression-Blasters

by Patricia Wagner

Lots of people have had their battles with depression. Have you? I certainly have. And I can assure you that's it's no fun!

To add to the misery is the alarming damage depression can do to your business success or to relationships. It actually can make you absent-minded and extremely forgetful since it takes so much mental energy. Just trying to survive the battle of the blues is exhausting. It takes a lot away from other important aspects of your life -- like your job and making quality time with friends and family.

So much for the bad news. The good news for me is that I've discovered effective weapons to use when fighting depression. So I'd like to share these helpful tips with you.

Here's my list of 10 powerful weapons that fight depression:

1. Focus on helping others instead of on yourself.

Soon after my 33-year-old husband died of cancer, I was grieving deeply and couldn't seem to stop feeling sorry for myself.

My precious mother-in-law had just lost her husband to cancer and her son too, but she urged me to focus on helping other people instead of dwelling on my pain. At the time I didn't listen to her, but later on I realized just how wise she was.

If you focus on helping others, your own hurts will be eased.

2. Don't forget to take care of your health needs.

If you don't get enough sleep, exercise and healthy foods, your body as well as your emotions will eventually complain.

3. Simplicity of living can be healing.

What I mean is this. When we're striving to keep up with other people's standard of living, it causes needless stress. Instead of concentrating on trying to acquire more and more stuff, appreciate what you already have instead. Don't let the stuff of life be your boss!

4. Turn your back on harmful thinking.

What you're thinking rules your life, so pick your thoughts carefully!
Thomas Jefferson advised that nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

5. Concentrate on building lasting friendships.
Thomas Jefferson also believed that friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life.

6. Try to repair bridges you may have torn down in your haste to climb the ladder to success.
Where possible make things right. Tell those you've wronged that you are sorry and ask for forgiveness.

7. If you need medical help, be sure to get it.BR> Conditions such as low thyroxin levels and hormonal changes can make depression worse.

8. Practice the golden art of forgiveness.
Choose to let go of all grudges against anyone who has ever harmed you. When we don't forgive, we're only hurting ourselves.

9. Be thankful.

Tell the people in your life that you appreciate them and thank them for the many things they do for you.
Here's a verse from a great psalm of thanksgiving:
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:4).

10. Don't neglect the owner's manual

The Bible is the owner's manual for mankind. For example, in the book of Proverbs you'll find a gold mine of inspired advice on how to succeed in life and business written by one of the wisest and richest men who ever lived - King Solomon.

Are you living under gloomy skies of mental misery?

When dark clouds of depression come into your life, blow them away with these 10 powerful depression-blasters.