Where is your joy? Where is your happiness? Where is the life you thought you would someday live?
Depression and anxiety are a plague on our society. Is there anyone who doesn't seem to suffer from them? Social media has blown that secret door wide open in recent years as we get a peek into the struggles of others we know...
The ones who are always smiling.
The ones who have it all "together."
The ones with the beautiful children and the supportive husbands.
The ones with the cleanest homes...
The best jobs.
The active lifestyles.
The lavish vacations.
The most positive outlook on life.
Yes, those are the ones who are sometimes gripped by crippling darkness and anxiety and who rely on medication, caffeine, alcohol, and various forms of addiction, to keep them going every day.
And maybe that's us.
A friend of mine, who is a personal trainer, told me about some work she was doing at a local club. The ladies she was working with were all between the ages of 40 and 50. And almost without exception, they were medicating daily for anxiety and depression.
Is this really the new normal?
I refuse to believe that the human body has been designed so defectively that most of us cannot function without drugs. Instead of assuming that God messed it all up or that we are total failures as human beings, I can only conclude that...
There must be something wrong with our way of living.
Sometimes people need medical assistance through difficult seasons and health issues. But more commonly, the evidence suggests that the following will do more for us than any drug...
Adequate sleep
Slower lifestyle
Fewer non-essential obligations
Good nutrition
Regular physical activity
Healthy physical environment
Healthy friendships
Strong spiritual life
Less time on social media
Supplements
Essential oils
Acts of service
More Vitamin D
Laughter
That's not the entire list but I think the message is plain: The small decisions made throughout our days and years add up to a significant change in our overall health and happiness.
When confronted with this truth, many of us feel overwhelmed by the changes we wish we could make but feel that cannot. Cannot or will not? That's a tough question!
Are you ready to do something different?
Are you ready to pursue something beautiful for yourself and those you serve?
First, know that your struggle is not uncommon. The anxiety you feel? Many others feel it as well. You are not a horrible failure. You are not broken beyond repair. You simply need a tune-up... and of course, you need the love and hope of a Savior who knows your suffering.
I truly believe that a change in lifestyle will help most of us get over the most difficult mountains in life and that's why this website exists!
If you do need a little more help from a professional, I recommend visiting CatholicTherapists.com and The Raphael Remedy. As the founder says on the website:
"I believe that the Holy Spirit is very active in these times in calling God's children out of the darkness and despair and into the light. Counseling is one of the vehicles He is using." {Allison Ricciardi}
Are you ready to step out into the light?
