Soaking for Success, Starting each day with SUCCESS!
As an elementary school teacher, I was determined that children would achieve success whether they were the smartest kid in the class or not.
Whether that success was just managing to get out a notebook and a pencil and write the date, or memorize a long scripture passage, success was the goal and I made sure that I structured lessons so everyone could experience a degree of success.
A teaching method I hated when I was a kid was a lesson that started out with a hard question such as, "Who can name the sixth prime minister of Canada?" Clearly the lesson was going to be about that prime minister. But I wanted to yell out to the teacher, "You do, you idiot! You know that name and you are supposed to teach it to us, so teach already!" That kind of lesson began with failure for a kid like me.
I would prefer a lesson that might start with a question like this. "Who brushed their teeth this morning?'" Most of the class would be able to answer "Yes". "Well, you know what? The sixth prime minister of Canada probably started his morning by brushing his teeth too."
Another question that they could answer successfully would be "Who here was born in Ontario?" Most of the children could raise their hands once again.
"Well, you have something else in common with the sixth prime minister of Canada. He was born in Ontario too."
The next part could be a game. "I am passing out a list of other stuff about this prime minister and I want you to check off the things on the list that would be the same for you. We will make this a contest between the boys and the girls to see who has the most in common with this fellow. Who do you think is going to win?"
There would be a few calls of "boys!" or "girls!"
You see the point. No one feels stupid yet. They are enjoying themselves and engaged in the lesson and have already achieved enough success so they can continue.
How about you in the way you manage your depression? Do you make it easy or hard to experience success?
My morning starts with a hot bath. I love a hot bath. It's warm, quiet, soothing, 'gentle on my mind' as well as my body. And since it is the first thing on my list of morning depression management tactics, I succeed every morning. Each time I ease slowly into that hot tub and sink down into the warm water, I sigh and think
"I have started my day with success! I am soaking in success!"
Sometimes, that is the best part of my day. Sometimes, that is the only good part of my day. But other times, I go from success to success. The important thing is that
I START WITH SUCCESS!
WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? What about your goals for managing depression? Are you setting goals that are reachable? Can you achieve them? Could you choose something to start your day with, every day, that is easy and enjoyable and you KNOW you could succeed at? Maybe a cup of hot coffee? How about a good stretch? Washing your face? Make sure it is something you can succeed at. Keep it simple and cheap and enjoyable and natural.
Don't give up! There is hope for depression.
