My dear friend. You do not have to live with depression as a student in college or otherwise.
Some depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and then you’d need to see a doctor; however, 90% of depression stems from the negative thoughts and destructive mindsets that parade around in our head. I know because I’ve been there.
The first step is to notice the negative thoughts you are thinking. Get a piece of paper and for an hour, write down every negative thought you think. Put a check by those you think more than once. Typically, out of the 70K thoughts we think in a day 90% are negative as well as unconscious and repetitive. This is what the research says and this is why so many people are depressed.
I had my teenage daughter, who was a basket case at the time, do this exercise many years ago. At the end of the hour, I read her list and I was flabbergasted. Here are a few things she wrote:
“I’m ugly.”
“I have a bad personality.”
“Nobody likes me.”
And so on! Not ONE positive thought. No wonder her emotions we out of control. As a young person in college, I’m sure you battle with some self-esteem issues as well.
The good news is that once you begin to notice and are aware of your negative thoughts, you can then begin to do something about them. Here are a few suggestions:
- Read my article, Stop negative thoughts by creating a mental gatekeeper. Link: Stop Negative Thoughts By Hiring a Mental Gatekeeper
- Start a daily meditation or mindfulness practice where you will learn how to observe your thoughts and detach from them without allowing them to take you over. I’m sure you can find a group at college as well.
- Listen to affirmations. Just play them in the background. There are many on YouTube. I created my own CD of positive affirmations on a variety of topics that I play for the first hour when I wake up. It’s that first thought in the morning that will set the tone for the rest of your day, so wake up listening to uplifting messages. They will help to override and reprogram the negative ones over time. You can listen on your phone as well, but I try not to take my phone to bed with me. 🙂
- Use the phrase, “I release the need to….(fill in the blank) put myself down, be depressed, feel bad about myself… This phrase alone can help you to cancel out your negative thoughts. You can follow this up by saying something positive about yourself. Don’t worry if you don’t believe it at first. Try to make it into a game you play with yourself.
The key is to be consistent. It will take some mental work on your part to gain control over your mind, but you CAN!
If you’d like a little more guidance, visit my Christian meditation website. You can get my Christian meditation quick start guide and find lots more information. Christian Meditation- What Do You Need to Heal? – The Christian Meditator
