Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 5, Issue -3, 1 September 2020 | Page 32

In whatever small way you can, be kind to yourself, even if that just means putting
on an extra jumper because you’re cold. Give yourself the permission and space to
live life at your own pace. Do one kind thing for yourself each day.
37. Get some fresh air and sunshine
Sometimes simply going outside and feeling the wind and the sun against your skin
is enough to pull you out of your head. Try going for a short walk. If you have a
pet, take them along with you and notice how happy they are to be with you
walking. Pets have such a wonderful way of grounding us and reminding us of the
little pleasures of life.
38. Allow yourself to feel whatever you’ve locked away
Depression is often the result of shutting away and numbing too many emotions for
too long. Little by little, try to release the emotions buried within you. Express how
you feel through artwork, journaling, sports, dance, or whatever moves you.
Remember to stay connected to your breath as you allow the emotions to bubble up
and release.
39. Accept the inevitability of change
Is resistance to change causing you grief? Sometimes we develop depression
because we are so resistant to the transience of life. We desperately want everything
to stay the same because it provides us with a sense of comfort and safety. But
when things change, we become terrified and numb ourselves to avoid our fear.
Please know that it’s okay to feel scared. We all feel that way. Accepting that
change is inevitable can also be very liberating: how dead and boring would life be
if everything always remained the same forever? Change is what makes life so alive
and vibrant. Sometimes a simple shift in perception is all we need.
40. Name your thoughts
Thoughts are just thoughts: they mean nothing about you until you believe they do.
As mentioned previously in this article, we don’t choose our thoughts: they simply
arise in our heads. The problems only begin when we believe these thoughts instead
of letting go of them (this, by the way, is the purpose of meditation). Each day, try
to name your thoughts that create suffering. You can name your thoughts on paper
or mentally. Different examples of thought types include worry thoughts, fearful
thoughts, future thoughts, past thoughts, expectation thoughts, angry thoughts,
resentful thoughts etc.