Back to the Carolinas: What I do When I'm Feeling Down

Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become.

-Heraclitus

from May 2020 hiking trip

Like most people I experience dark moods and moments where I feel down. If I don't do anything about it, it can last for a long time or take me into a dark place that I shouldn't be in.  

Over the years, I've learned a few things in regard to managing my down moments and handling my dark moods.

1. Sometimes you need to go towards the dark moods (as long as its not suicidal thoughts or harmful thoughts). What I mean is when I'm feeling down, sometimes I need to take a break and go towards those feelings because sometimes its telling me something is wrong. For example, If I'm home and I'm feeling down, I will turn off all my lights and lay in my bed until the  feeling pass. If I'm at work, I'll take a break and go walk around the office building while listening to Christian music or praying. 
2. Write down everything you are feeling
3. Exercise
4. Listen to uplifting music
5. talk to someone who you TRUST
6. Don't make permanent decision. Feelings are NOT facts. No matter how long you are feeling down or experiencing dark moods, the truth is it's not facts. 
7. Do things that are mindless. Things that make you not think about your current situation. For me, reading romance novels or watching fairy tales movies. It's so unrealistic that I cannot think of anything else but it.
8. Cry if you must. There's nothing wrong with expressing your emotions.
9. Remind yourself that it's a bad day NOT a bad life.
10. Pray. I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ and I trust Him completely. I believe that He has a purpose for my life and everything that I'm experiencing. So at times when I'm feeling down, I take it to the Cross. If i cannot find words to pray, I write it down on my prayer journals. God is everywhere, so I can pray anywhere and however.

~xoxo