Tap Your Depression Away

Counseling, meditation, yoga and positive visualizations have all received attention as therapies for depression that can nurture, calm and bring a different outlook. Less publicized but just as effective is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). EFT combines positive affirmations with the ancient art of acupuncture to bring about a whole body and mind healing.

What is the Emotional Freedom Technique?

EFT is a type of energy therapy that uses psychology with acupressure, a less invasive needle free form of acupuncture. Instead of needles, which may put some people off the therapy, EFT utilizes simple tapping at chakra energy points to shift energy and move it in a more positive direction. It has a distinct advantage over traditional acupuncture because people wishing to try the technique can do so without going to a practitioner with little to no training and they can perform EFT as many times as they would like, for no cost. As it can be self administered, it is a useful way of dealing with phobias or panic attacks.

How to Do EFT

Identify the Problem

You should start by identifying the problems that are contributing to you feeling depressed, whether it's money worries, pressures at work, arguments with family or marital problems. Be honest with yourself because if you don't confront these issues openly it will be harder to let go of them and the therapy may not be as effective for you.  Be direct and if the problem is with people, don't be afraid to mention their names. If you have physical symptoms of depression such as tension headaches, palpitations or stomach pain you can name those and where you experience the pain in your body. This is because EFT can be used to help heal physical effects too.  Once you have identified the nature of your problems you should think up a short phrase that encompasses that and repeat it a few times to acknowledge and release it.

Rate Your Problem

You should then rate your problem on a scale of 0-10, just like a pain scale. After you have completed the session you can then re-score and see if your numbers have dropped. This will give you an indication of how effective each session has been.

Tap For Freedom

There are several energy points on your face, chest area, under the arms and on the hands.  These are the eye brow, the side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, the chin, the collar bone and under the arm. The points on your hand are the thumb, index finger, middle finger, little finger and the side of your hand - called the 'karate chop' point.  You should tap on this point while acknowledging your problems. Then work through all the energy points in sequence by tapping them all.  

Say a Positive Affirmation

The next step is to be compassionate towards yourself and say a positive affirmation, for instance, "I let my tension headache and depression go and I love and accept myself unconditionally."
The process is designed to be repeated as many times as needed. You may feel uplifted at the first try but if you don't, you can keep doing it until you start to feel better.

Does EFT Really Work?

Everything is composed of energy, including your body. Both physical illness and emotional illness can cause disruptions and blockages in the flow of this energy. By tapping on specific points and simultaneously replacing negative thought with positive ones, you can redirect the energy and help it to flow freely. This can alter your perspective and improve your health.

Is there any scientific evidence for this? Yes! There have been more than 60 research studies in peer reviewed medical journals that show a huge 98% success rate from EFT in treating psychological disorders like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress syndrome. The same outstanding figure was found in these multiple studies for pain conditions, auto-immune disease, seizures and other problems. EFT reduces cortisol, a stress hormone, in patients. This has led some researchers to suggest that nurses use it in their everyday practice when dealing with patients with depression or chronic ill health. The NHS in the UK has already started to offer EFT to patients in some areas of the country and some isolated medical units are using it within the USA.

It has no harmful side-effects, unlike anti-depressant tablets, so even if you find it isn't for you, it's certainly worth a try.

Post Written by Anne Farns 

Have Courage to Overcome and Be all That you Can Be..Motivation to Lift You Up

Take the time to listen to the wonderful and encouraging words by Les Brown in the video below. If you listen to Mr. Brown’s words multiple times daily, I think you will find that it energizes you and will help you accomplish your goals and overcome your obstacles. If you apply the principles he talks about in his speech, I think you will surely begin to see results.

Summary of video:

:15   Are you getting what you want out of life?  You have great music within you, are you sharing it with the world?  If you are not getting what you want out of life, you owe it yourself to get everything your heart desires; It’s your one life to live

1:21  Most people fight, resist change, yet they continue to live with regret.  How can change be any worse than your current situation?  People think that they have to wait for all of the pieces to fit together, before they change.  Life does not work that way.  The universe does not work that way.  Begin to act now, today, without all the pieces in place, and you will begin to see results.

2:08  Whatever you want to accomplish or overcome; you’ve got what it takes to be successful.  The universe is on your side; the stars are aligned for you.  Repeat that to yourself daily and begin to take baby steps towards what your heart desires.  Once you take these measures, you will see how things will begin to change for you.   It will not be easy. Nothing worthwhile is easy.  There will be pain, but life is full of pain; there is no gain without pain.  If you don’t change you feel the pain of regret; If only I would have…If I had to do it all over again… Regret is pain. Regardless, there is going to be pain.  Would you rather have the pain of regret or the temporary pain of change resulting from what your heart desires; which ultimately leads to you being happy and successful! 

4:17 For many of us, our doubt and lack of change is governed by the opinions of others; especially those close to us.  If we have an idea that’s in our hearts and our excited about and those important to us shoot it down, we don’t pursue our hearts desires. We listen to the external factors that do not know what our hearts desires.  Do not let others control you. 

5:31 Be courageous; follow your dreams. The word Courageous is French and means: DO WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART.  It takes courage to live – step out and let go.  Manifest your dreams (those things in your heart) by acting daily in the direction you want to go.  You have nothing to lose.  Live with a sense of urgency as we never know when this could be the end!!  There are no guarantees; what are you waiting for!! 

8:12 Listen to yourself and your hearts desires.  You know what is best for you and exactly what you want.  GO for it!

9:56  Once you start listening to yourself and acting accordingly, things start to open up for you in the direction you want to go.  Focus on what you want, be proactive and act every day in that direction and you will find that the universe is aligned with you; the world will begin to go your way.  For that which we focus on, will begin to multiple and out that begets greatness. 

11:00  A great writer once said; All you can do is all you can do.  And all you can do is good enough to make your dreams come true!!

Inspiring Story...

Some of you may know of Stuart Scott, the famous ESPN analyst who battled cancer for seven years and lost the battle just a few days ago.  He has touched the hearts and souls of many as an analyst and more importantly through the courage and positivity he demonstrated has he battled cancer for seven years. 

He was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer about seven years ago and seemingly always continued to fight with the most positive attitude.  He had some extremely rough times when his body would shut down and he had to be rushed into surgery, or when nothing seemed to work and he had to wait patiently to see if he qualified for experimental medications, many times not qualifying.  As he fought for his life, he remained positive and attacked life with vigor and determination that ultimately stemmed from his thought patterns. 

As you continue to battle depression or any other emotional battle, please remember the power of your thoughts and thought patterns.  And please remember that you can overcome your depression and change your thoughts, behaviors and feelings.  Is it easy, no way?  Is it possible, of course? 

But you are not alone nor should you be alone as you journey to deal with your depression.  As Stuart Scott mentioned in the video below, he would not have made it as long as he did without the help of many.  He had faith in the wonderful abilities of the doctors and nurses who treated him.  He counted on his girlfriend for unwavering support.  And when he wanted to just cry, he knew exactly who he could call so he could just cry without being judged.  When he was too tired to go on, he laid down and rested; just to get up when rested and continue to battle. 

You too need to know who you can count on to help you overcome your depression. There are many great online resources and tools that can help you.    If you feel like you need the assistance of a trained counselor, please seek one out as they can hopefully provide the nonjudgmental, professional abilities you need to move out of your depression.   Lastly, who can you count on to just cry to if needed?   There has to be someone out there, a friend or family member, you can count on to shed your tears to.  If not, seek the help of a trained counselor or psychologist.

Please watch the video below and hopefully you will find some inspiration in Stuart’s story, words and actions.  At the very least, I hope you will be able to shed some tears and know that you too can overcome any obstacle that stands in your way!!

Automatic Negative Thoughts

At the heart of learning how to deal with depression, is learning to recognize those thinking errors, distortions or automatic negative thoughts that ultimately lead to feeling and behaving depressed.  If you want to become your own technician/counselor and effectively cope with and overcome your depression, you need to become aware of the specific thoughts that are causing your depression.  Once you recognize your automatic negative thoughts leading to your depression, you do have the power to replace them with positive, productive thoughts that lead to happy, healthy emotional states of mind. 

One very common automatic negative thought that leads to depression is called Mind Reading.  Mind Reading involves assuming we know what others are thinking.  For example, if I pass my neighbor as we are both strolling through the neighborhood, say “Hello!’ and he does not respond; I may think to myself that I have done something wrong.  Or what have I done to my neighbor for him not to respond? Or what is wrong with me that my neighbor will not say “Hello!” to me?

Many depressed people Mind Read constantly; they attempt to know what others are thinking.  And they nearly always assume the worst or the most negative aspect regarding the situation.  So their negative thoughts about what others are thinking, leads to feelings of depression; which leads to depressed acts such as isolation.  And the depression cycle begins or continues.  How could the above scenario been looked at differently to avoid negative thoughts that ultimately lead to depression?

Scenario	Mind Reading	Healthy Replacements
I passed my neighbor walking through the neighborhood, said “Hi!” but he did not respond.	“I knew it; I knew there was something wrong with me!” “See, no one likes me!” “I must have done something wrong!”	“Maybe there’s something wrong with him and he just did not feel like socializing.” “There are many people who like me.  Plus, I’ve never done anything to him for him to dislike me.” “I can’t think of anything I’ve done to him.  And if I did, I know he would probably approach me” “The next time I see him, I will ask him how he’s doing.  Maybe he needs some support.” “Maybe he did not hear me.”

Now, it’s your turn.  Are you a Mind Reader?  Think about your current situation.  Use the Stop and Go method below to help you begin to think of situations when you Mind Read.  Learn to recognize those situations and think about them in a more positive or neutral situation.  See, no one of us can actually read minds.  And when we do, we are usually wrong and the thoughts we create are usually negative.  So, we walk around with these wrong, negative assumptions and dwell on them, and they lead to depression and other unwanted mental states.   

In order to learn how to deal with depression and ultimately overcome depression, you must learn to recognize when you’re being a Mind Reader, stop in that moment and compose positive, healthy thoughts.  Don’t accept your automatic negative thoughts to be true just because you had that thought.   Learn to question your thoughts.  Ask yourself what would an objective person think; what would a judge and jury think; what are the facts to my thoughts; are my thoughts valid; what can I do right now to validate my thoughts etc.?

Don’t Move!!	Stop Take a Breath. Feel your breath move in and out of your body. Remember to practice your mindful breathing exercises daily!
Wait! Not Yet.	Observe. What are you thinking? What is going on physically? What are you feeling? What are your Surroundings? Pull Back and Put in Perspective. Is it out of my control? Is this a fact or just my perception? What would others say or do? What are my thinking errors or distortions? Is this in my best interest? What is the overall picture?
You’re Ready!	Go With and Practice What Works! Journal, continue with your mindful breathing exercise, get out of bed, go to the store, make that phone call, talk to that person, use your daily thought changing tools etc. challenge your thoughts,

Inspirational Songs for Depression

We all have songs that when we listen to them;  lift our spirits, make us feel positive and thus give us the opportunity to cope with our depression.  Once you find those songs, be sure to access and listen to them daily as you learn how to deal with depression.

When you're feeling depressed, listen to them to change the negative chemical activity in your brain causing you to be negative and thus depressed to a more positive chemical state that will give the opportunity to recognize and deal effectively with your depression or any negative emotional state.  Listen to these inspirational songs even when you are not depressed to maintain the positive level of happiness alive and diminish the opportunity for negative and depressing thoughts to creep in.  Below are six songs that many people find  inspirational.  Go here to find a more complete list of inspirational and motivational songs for you to access when you are depressed.

Inspirational songs for depression:




                        



                        



                        



                        



                        



                        



                        



                        

You are Positive Worksheet

Many people, especially people who suffer from depression, are in a current mental state of negativity.  Their thoughts are constantly negative, which in turn leads to negative feelings, actions and beliefs.  Even if they are in a positive or neutral situation, they turn it into a negative situation through their thoughts about the situation.  They see the class half empty as opposed to half full or they discount the positive. 

Discounting the Positive and Seeing the Glass Half Empty are common cognitive distortions (ANT’s – Automatic Negative Thoughts) that depressed people use that  perpetuate their depression; they only add to the complex depressive cycle they’re in.  Learning to combat and challenge cognitive distortions (ANT’s) is a process that has proven to help depressed people learn to manage and combat depression.  




Using the worksheet below can help you begin to combat and control the ANT’s mentioned above and develop lasting, positive thinking patterns.  Developing enduring, healthy thought patterns is something you can accomplish on you own and will most assuredly help you achieve your goal of learning how to deal with depression and any uncomfortable mental state.

(Please feel free to print as many copies as you need.) Just click on the image below to download, print and begin to change your thought patterns.

Positive Attributes Worksheet

Exercise is Key in Learning to Deal With, Prevent and Overcome Depression

Study after study of depressed people has proven if they infuse exercise into their daily routines; they most assuredly learn how to deal with depression, prevent depression from occurring and even overcome depression. Exercise releases endorphins in our brain that cause physical and mental pleasure, clear and positive thought patterns, and confidence and security.      In fact, the benefits of daily exercise include the following mental and physical benefits:

• Increased feeling of well-being
• Improved mental clarity resulting in positive thoughts
• Improved sleeping patterns
• Diminished symptoms of depression
• Enhanced memory and concentration
• Greater control over thoughts and feelings
• Raised self-esteem and confidence
• Reduced craving to harmful co-dependencies
• Improved eating habits; specifically appetite suppression and weight loss that follows
• Heightened blood flow to the brain causing increased alertness and focus
• Better circulation
• Enhanced digestion
• Diminished cholesterol levels
• Lowered blood pressure
• Better regulation of blood sugar
• Heightened energy levels through production of endorphins, which causes increased happiness
• Diminished skeletal muscle tension
• Discharge of built up frustrations and worries
• Diminished production of too much adrenaline; excess adrenaline keeps us in uncomfortable mental states such has depression, anger and anxiety
• Increased ability to learn how to deal with depression

Wow!! Just look how powerful daily exercise can be to our psychological, physical and physiological well-beings!!

So, the benefits above highlight the importance of all depressed people learning to infuse some form of exercise into their daily routine.  But for many depressed people the thought of exercising, let alone getting out of bed, is too much to bear.  For many, during states of depression, their energy and motivation levels are diminished.  So, how do you garner up the strength during times of depression to learn to incorporate or maintain an exercise regimen that will help you learn to effectively deal with, prevent and combat depression?  We will help you deal with the answer to this answer below.  In the meantime, begin to think about exercises that you've enjoyed or think you would enjoy.  Exercises such as: walking, jogging, yoga, hiking, gardening, biking, skiing, dancing, singing, swimming, roller blading, skate boarding, weight lifting, manual labor, etc.

If you find it difficult to get out of bed or simply motivated to exercise;  simply sit where you are and do neck rolls, leg lifts, bicycle motion with your legs, arm raises, simple yoga poses or just any simple body movements you can do to begin to get your blood flowing and adrenaline pumping to help you get up and move more.  Once you’re up, simply walk through your dwelling space (maybe up the stairs) for 5-10 minutes and possibly venture outside and walk around your yard, garden or take a stroll around the block.  

Begin slow as you learn to include exercise into your daily routine of learning to overcome and prevent depression. 

If you’ve isolated yourself from others, it’s ok to exercise within the confines of your dwelling space.  If you don’t have an exercise bike or treadmill, there are many wonderful exercise free programs you can access via YouTube.  Or if you are willing to purchase some form of exercise DVD, that would be awesome. 

It may  be helpful for you to vary the exercises you complete on a weekly basis.  A variation can help break the monotony and keep you more motivated.    Use the chart below to discover the types of activities you would like to try. 

Exercise	Will Incorporate into Daily Routine Now	Hope to Attempt and Incorporate Later
Biking
Walking
Yoga
Running
Hiking
Gardening
Yoga
Weight Lifting
Aerobic DVD, Class or Program
Dancing
Rock Climbing
Swimming
Manual Labor
Roller Blading
Kayaking
Skiing
Boxing

You may find it more motivating and successful if you exercise in a group or with a good friend.  As we know, being with others is one awesome way to combat and fight depression.  So, check your local gyms or clubs take tours and find one that seems comfortable to you.  Tap into the one non-judgmental, compassionate friend, neighbor or relative to walk with you in the mall or to hike with you in the wilderness etc.

In order for exercise to help you effectively manage your depression, you must do it regularly.  It needs to become a part of your daily routine.  Use the chart below, or here, to keep track of your daily exercise routines. 

Also, your exercise sessions only need to last anywhere from 15 to 60 minute depending on your activity and personal preference.  On some days, just going for a 15 minute walk will lift your depression.  On other days, a 30 minute bike ride will help you sustain your current positive mood for days to come.

Lastly, it’s always more difficult to exercise after a depressive episode or downward shift in mood, but remember that if you force yourself to exercise during these time, you will come out stronger and ready to combat your depression.  And sometimes, you may have to stray from your exercise routine when you get the urge to exercise.  If your body and mind are telling you to exercise now, go for it.  Also, for many it’s best to get up first thing in the morning and exercise.  

Daily Exercise Record Sheet Week (s) of: ____________________
Date	How you feel before exercising on a scale of 1 - 10	Description of Exercise	Length of Exercise Routine	How you feel after exercising