Some advice I received once - I give to you

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This would have been way back in 2004 when I was unemployed. I was going to see this psychologist and she gave me the darndest advice. Please note that this psychologist had the best of intentions but the least bit of idea on how to deal with someone like me. (huh, they all have the best intentions )
Funny thing is the suggestion she gave actually works.
So here it is:
If you are feeling sad or blue, get up, outside if possible, and exercise. A 20 min strenuous walk, run or bike ride should do the trick. I know, from being depressed once/still am, that I felt no motivation whatsoever to leave the house. So with that in mind, I picked a destination to walk or ride to, such as a shop or a river or a beach (particulary a shop, buy a drink and reward myself for the physical exertion). Upon my return from such excursion I did notice that I was, well, rather lighter in mood than I was when I left for the walk/run/ride. How does this phenomenon occur you say?.
Its all scientific, When you physically exert yourself and your pulse rises, your pituary gland releases endorphins into the bloodstream, brain and spinal cord and causes what wikipedia refers to as 'runners high'. These endorphins are good for pain relief and such but they do thier best work within the brain, alleviating stress and putting you in a 'good mood'. Its like your getting a high for nothing, and its a natural high too. Getting over the inertia at first is quite hard, but if you do it and see that you feel better afterward, you will have a little incentive to do it again.

I'm only new here so you can take this advice and run with it or you can ignore it and seek some other way to overcome the blues. Please add to it or discourage it if you feel.

maybe we can all post our own little remedies for lifting our moods here on this thread.

Good advice, blue_bean!

The exercise is a good tip, works for me too.

Another tip is to set a small (and I do mean small) goal for yourself, and then achieve it, and repeat this several times. It feels good to achieve goals, even if they are small ones. You could even make it something that is as small as requiring only a few hours of work. Just be sure to set another small goal after that so you can achieve multiple.

I'm just wondering having done 195 posts in a week, have you had a chance to get up from the computer yet, emp?

Also apologies for picking similar username, I usually put a number after mine.

A week? I have only been on this forum for a day. HOLY MOTHER LODE!! ! It's the 23rd of April already!! Great winged rocks in space!! ! I had NO IDEA that it was possible for me to survive that long without eating or drinking. Do you think I might be able to go another week? I could save a lot of money this way.

woo hoo ROTFL

ditto good advice blue bean, it's funny i must be on same wavelength with exercise as you have started walking to shops etc exactly what you said

One of the reasons I was able to get off Paxil was because I started working out more than I previously did. I've been off that medication for nearly 3 years, as the regular excercize is enough to boost my mood on a bad day.

Several years ago I had a huge heart break and that lead me into a long depression. I ended up at the gym several days a week, and running almost every day. When I ran it was my anger and frustration that drove me, and I'd run and run until it was all burnt out. Then I'd hobble home and hit the showers. Somehow, I felt great afterwards. Give credit to the endorphines, or to 'consuming' the depressing thoughts as my driving force, it worked.

Lately I've become fat and lathargic again... why? Hmmm... perhaps its because for the first time in a while I'm truely happy. Looking back, I thrive when I'm miserable.