Your life doesn’t have to be full of anxiety, anger, hate, pain and misery. You can have a great life that you love just like all those “other people”. Here are some thoughts regarding how to get your life back on track the way you would like.

Change your thoughts

From our thoughts our emotions develop. If your thoughts go negative so do your feelings, if they are positive so are your feelings. So if you want to change how your day goes and how you feel change your thoughts.

This may sound harder than it really is, however if you begin by trying to discover your own personal underlying beliefs it will all become clear. Each of us develops beliefs from the experiences we have in life. Sometimes these experiences are very traumatic and we develop very negative limiting beliefs. See if some of the following sound like how you feel, or maybe say about yourself.
I’m a bad person
I’m not worthy of the things I want
I’m dirty
I’m not good enough
Thats the life others are meant to live

If you find yourself agreeing with some of these ideas or perhaps saying “Ya sort of”, then I’d like you to do a little exercise here. Get out a piece of paper and then write down all the experiences that you have had that you felt that way during. Once done with that then ask yourself a few extra questions.

What other beliefs or feelings did this experience make me think?
How did this affect my ability to express myself freely?
How do you now hold yourself back?
What else did I lose because of this experience?

Be nice to yourself

Everyone enjoys hearing a compliment about themselves. Sometimes we can go months maybe years without hearing something nice from another person. Let me ask you how long its been since YOU said something nice to yourself? Probably longer than it has for someone else to be nice.

So lets change this around shall we? Instead of waiting on others around us to boost our mood lets go ahead and do that ourself. Say something nice to yourself right now. If you only say it half heartedly say it again until you feel it deep down and really mean it. Now go out and start complimenting others, just for the fun of it. See how that makes you feel!

Develop a new hobby

I realized recently that the habits you find yourself in that aren’t making you happy are only there because you have created them. Meaning you have spent considerable time doing them over and over again and you now fall back on them simply because they are comfortable. You may not love them but you do know them.

Instead of continuing to do this, start something new. Get youself a guitar, a soccer ball, build a website or something you choose. Whatever it is do it at LEAST once a week. You will find that over the course of months you will remember it more and more. This will help you develop a new talent, or hobby and help you break free from the rut you are in.

So now that you have these ideas in mind its now time for you to put down the “what if” box or the “let me think about it” and start doing. Finding all natural anxiety relief options is no different that finding a way to change your life, or looking for self esteem boosters. It is action that will make the change happen not sitting there!

“One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

“The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious.”

Albert Camus - French author, journalist and key philosopher of the 20th Century

Sisyphus, a Greek Mythology figure, was a King told to have challenged the gods and put Death itself in chains so that no other human would ever need to die. As Death was eventually unchained by the God of War, Ares who was worried as battles had lost all entertainment; it was ordered that it was time for Sisyphus to die.

As he learned his fate, Sisyphus tried to deceit them again and to escape from his prison in the Underworld. When he was captured for the last time, the gods decided on his punishment: Forever, he would have to push a large boulder to the top of a mountain; when the rock the peak, it would roll down again and Sisyphus would have to start over and over again.

Camus thought of Sisyphus as an hero who lived his life to the fullest, hated death and was condemned to a meaningless task for the rest of eternity in punishment and deep depression. Camus thought of the Sisyphus tale as a metaphor for the modern lives of today’s white collar worker spending his life working in meaningless jobs in offices.

Camus thought the magic moment was indeed when the rock was marching down the mountain once again. That was the glimpse of eternity in which the hero had to confront his own misery and his terrible fate. The philosopher claimed that it was only when he accepted the futility of his task and the certainty if his fate that he reached a state of contented acceptance. As that state endowed him with an extraordinary ability to endure his pain, he finally started beating depression, eventually overcoming it.

This means the effort alone should be enough to make the common human content. We must find something to do with our lives that we can live with with and enjoy doing by itself, or the rock will eventually become heavier and heavier and we will eventually lose all strength and let the rock run us over.

The top of the mountain is only the destination, the real pleasure is to be had in the journey there. As much as it may seem terrifically appealing to us, we’ll have waste our life if we have to endure daily hell in trade for a moment of bliss. Beating depression is therefore not so much about changing the world around us, but more about the way we react to it, in a way that what was only yesterday bleak and depressing, now seems colorful and filled with life.

These kind of quotes about depression make us realize we all have to carry some boulders through life, everyone has some luggage to their soul, but we must learn to love the boulders that we’re carrying, for they are the ones that truly shaped our personality and who we are today. When we do learn to love them, they cease to be boulders and become feathers.

Our busy lifestyles often make it difficult for us to make time for ourselves. When we are stressed or anxious, we may feel that working harder and for longer hours is the solution. And when this leads to more stress and anxiety, many often rely on alcohol or prescription medications for anxiety to ease their symptoms.

However, it may surprise you to know that leading a more balanced lifestyle often plays a very big role in keeping away anxiety and negative thoughts. And when it comes to treating the symptoms of anxiety, natural remedies like lifestyle changes are proven to be as effective as prescription medication.

There are a number of ways in which you can develop a healthier, balanced lifestyle for yourself.

Photo by Dave Muckey

Get support. Your anxieties and fear always seem worse when you are alone and there is no one to talk to. Though you may feel hesitant to talk about your problems, you may find that speaking to someone greatly relieves you of your worries. Talk to a friend, family member or join a support group. Just being able to talk about your fears may make them seem less scary.

Eat right. It is very important that you eat the right kind of food at the right times. It is best to start your day with a good breakfast and continue with smaller, more frequent meals. If you go for long periods without eating, your blood sugar levels drop making you even more anxious and irritable. Make sure each meal is balanced with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. These complex carbohydrates help in stabilizing the levels of blood sugar and increase the levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that is believed to have calming effects.

Limit sugar and caffeine. Both caffeine and sugar can increase your anxiety levels, cause sleeplessness and even trigger panic attacks. Limiting the amount of coffee, tea, or soda that you drink, as well as the amount of desserts or sugary snacks that you eat, can dramatically decrease feelings of anxiousness. Try substituting herbal remedies for anxiety for your coffee or tea.

Avoid smoking and alcohol. While alcohol and smoking may give the impression of having the ability to reduce your anxiety or worry, this relief is only temporary. Further, as the initial effects wear off, you may find that your anxiety have only worsened.

Exercise regularly. One of the most effective and yet often overlooked ways of treating anxiety is to exercise regularly. For maximum benefit, do some kind of aerobic activity at least every other day for 30 mintues. Aerobic exercise not only helps increase our physical and mental energy levels, it helps to naturally increase the levels of endorphins, chemicals that stimulate a feeling of well-being in the brain.

Sleep well. It is natural for you to have some sleepless nights when you are under stress but lack of sleep in turn can cause more anxiety. Give yourself enough time to relax and sleep well enough so that your body feels rested. You are then in a better shape to handle your anxiety and stress.

Experiencing anxiety and stress is a natural part of life, but they shouldn’t interfere with your ability to function day-to-day. If you are suffering from debilitating symptoms of anxiety and stress, get help to stop the anxiety and panic attacks. Contact a doctor so that you can begin to live a less stressful, anxious life.

Bipolar disorder is an illness that affects many people, some of which are ashamed or embarrassed to come forward and seek treatment. Someone in your family, your circle of friends, or even yourself may suffer from this disruptive condition and not even be aware of it. It is important to know some of the bipolar disorder symptoms so you can ensure those affected can receive the help they need.

What Is Bipolar Disorder

You may be questioning what is bipolar disorder and how can it affect an individuals daily routine. The disorder is a chronic illness that has relapses and tends to get worse without any form of treatment. It is defined as periods of mania or excitability with alternating periods of severe depression. It also affects roughly the same number as men as women, making it a disease that knows no gender discrimination. I know that we all experience mood swings from time to time, sometimes even a few within the same day. But the mood swings associated with bipolar disorder are so severe that they will interfere with everyday functions. They are also quite abrupt and will occur with little or no warning.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

There are two recognized types of this condition, bipolar I and bipolar II with the first being the more severe of the two. Bipolar I encompasses individuals who have had at least one totally manic episode with relapses of periods of depression. The second type is a classification for people who rarely have full manic episodes, but do experience high energy levels followed by bouts of depression. You should also understand that the disease affects people differently, and some may be more prone to mania outbursts while others exhibit mainly periods of depression. However, there are individuals who will alternate between the two.

Bipolar Disorder Manic Episodes

There are numerous warning signs and symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. I tend to find the lists somewhat overwhelming but breaking them down by category does seem to help. You should evaluate the symptoms during manic episodes and then during the states of depression. The symptoms during the excitability phase include quick agitation or irritability, extreme hyper-activity and uncontrollable temper. You will notice inflated self-esteem of the person; they will commonly claim to have extraordinary abilities. They will have little need for rest,  become overly involved in activities and display risky behavior. An individual experiencing a manic episode will also possess racing, random thoughts and be distracted easily.

Bipolar Disorder Depressive Episodes

The other side of bipolar disorder is severe depression and there are many red flags here as well. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, lack of interest, and listlessness. A person may also have a hard time concentrating, difficulty remembering and even have trouble making decisions. They will seem to have no self-esteem. When communicating, you may hear them speak of persistent sadness, suicidal thoughts or an obsession with death. They will withdraw from family events and many other social activities.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Research has found that using antidepressants alone is not successful in the treatment of the disorder. The condition must be addressed properly with medication, therapy, support systems and even changes in lifestyle. It is vital for you to encourage loved ones who display signs of bipolar disorder to seek help in order to regain control of their lives.