5 first steps to overcoming depression

5. Exercise. Exercise right now. 30 crunches isn't hard, just get your body moving. You don't need an overwhelming goal in your head. Grab a protein bar and just start being active. It's such an effective cure for depression.

4. Project the real you. Write down 10 things you wish to be. Write them down as if you are these things already. For example, "I am smart" or "people like to be around me." Even if you don't believe these things yet, you will very soon because they will be at the top of your mind.  

3. Do something nice for other people. Maybe the first person that comes to mind. Write someone a letter, volunteer, do anything positive. Doing nothing creates depression. Doing nothing is not living. Do something to help people.

2. Talk to somebody. If you think about depression, it's a good idea to get other people invested in you. People are out there who can shed light on some natural fixes. Just try it. It might open some new doors.

1. Do what you like to do. This might sound obvious, but when people are depressed, they might be going through a period of self doubt and not know what they enjoy anymore. Don't do things that used to make you happy. You might need to shed your skin and grow. Spend a couple weeks observing how you feel during your free time and focus on the things you enjoy doing. 

Being the change you want to see

I thought I could play games with the idea of karma. I thought karma meant to brainstorm as many good deeds as I could, execute them robotically and then the universe would magically give me a dollar amount equivalent to those deeds. That's the wrong way to think of it.

Bringing positivity into the world is its own reward. That's all there is to it. Use every possible action in your day to make a positive change. You will feel great. If you're thinking something nice about somebody, tell them or write them a letter. Wouldn't you like to hear the same?

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is the most effective use of time during my day. I know this because I stopped meditating last week and then started again on Thursday. You have to catch yourself because it sneaks up slowly, but when you stop meditating the world becomes foggy. It becomes a diffuse and detached experience. That phrase living in the wake never really made sense to me until I started meditating. 

I noticed that my voice became higher pitched again and weaker sounding. I didn't feel confident in saying general hello's.  I began festering over minor directions and feeling like I was beneath people without thinking about simple solutions and coming out on top. I stopped making eye contact with people on the street. One the best benefits of meditation is that I feel this amazing oneness with all people. I'm not afraid to lock eyes with them and smile as I pass by.  

I stopped doing this last week when I stopped meditating and I don't even know where my eyes were focused. That's what I mean by diffuse and foggy. I was unaware. It was more like letting life pass me by rather than living life. I didn't feel like anything was wrong with me, so I didn't feel like I needed to meditate. This is why a lot of people quit meditating after achieving a big goal. Nothing was wrong with me. That's a bad way of putting it. I just wasn't bettering myself those days. I wasn't putting forth the confidence and drive I normally do. I wasn't walking around like I was in control of each moment. These changes are what I noticed when I started meditating and what I lost as soon as I stopped.