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Showing posts from April 29, 2018

Choir Singing Makes People Happy: Singing for Depression, Part 4

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Choir Singing Makes People Happy Choir singing makes people happier - apparently! Do you remember singing in the car? My sister and I used to sing on family trips. Our favourites were songs from Broadway musicals like The Sound of Music and  The Music Man.  Both of the stories centre around music - a powerful passtime with lots of benefits. We were not miserable or fighting when we were singing. Our parents in the front seat probably got a little tired of it though. I do think my mother occasionally saying "I'd like to listen to the scenery for awhile." You don't have to be in a choir to benefit from choir singing. Just two or more people belting out a song can have the same benefits. How about you? Do you need proof or have you already tried it and found it to be helpful?

Singing for Depression, Part 3: Four Songs about Singing

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4 Songs about Singing Songs about singing? This little girl has probably discovered the benefits of singing while you work without anyone telling her about it. Children often instinctively do things that are good for them such as laughing for no reason, reading a favourite story over and over again or singing to make a dreary experience less dreary. How many songs about singing can you think about that describe the benefits of singing (or in some cases, whistling)?

Singing Releases Endorphins: Part Two of 'Singing for Depression'

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Singing Releases Endorphins Singing for depression? Do 'singing' and 'depression' seem likely partners? What does this bricklayer have to do with singing for depression? Nothing really but it brings back a pleasant music memory for me. One time I had a bricklayer in my house laying some bricks for our fireplace. He sang all day and he was good too! It ministered to me. It is a vivid memory that I have not forgotten.

My Favourite Depression Getaway Walk

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My Favourite Depression Getaway Walk Something I do almost every day is walk for depression. W alking is my favourite depression getaway. Even on a bad day I force myself to walk. It will often be the best part of my day! It will sometimes be the only good part of my day. I would like to describe for you one of my favourites. It goes through Beavermead Park in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, a nearby city. This park has everything I need for a depression getaway from a walking path, a little lake, a stream of people all around enjoying the outdoor space in the middle of the city. The pathway goes over a creek, then over a liftlocks, and continues around the lake. Open and spacious but intimate and friendly at the same time, you can hear and see the city around you but you feel protected from it.

Reminiscing or Ruminating?

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Reminiscing or Ruminating? Reminiscing trumps ruminating when it comes to a good depression getaway. Reminiscing suggests positive thoughts while ruminating suggests negative thoughts. My husband and I have been married since 1998. It is a second marriage for both of us. We each came out of a divorce and held little hope that we might ever love again or trust again. So, when we met and loved and trusted, it was very special! Sometimes we like to reminisce about how we met and our first few dates. We review the history of our romance. It is such fun to remember good things . When was the last time you reminisced about something special? Reminiscing is another word for remembering a story. That can be fun if you are remembering something happy.

Ruined or Relaxed?

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Ruined or Relaxed? Ruined or relaxed? Which one would you use to describe yourself on a bad day? How do you handle a bad day? For me a bad day is sometimes the result of having been too busy the day before or for several days in a row. I wake up in the morning and I realize that I am having a bad day. I will not be able to be productive that day. I may not even be able to feel happy for much of the day. Is the day ruined?

Get Inspired for a Depression Getaway: There's no Excuse, Inspiration is Free

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"Get inspired? Me? I am depressed! Nothing is inspiring when I am depressed. And people who try to be inspiring when I am depressed just make me more depressed. As a matter of fact, they make me angry!" Believe me when I say that I understand where the person who said this (could be me or you) is coming from. It's impossible to get inspired when you are depressed. It's like training for the Olympics with two broken legs. It seems impossible. I get it. But when I talk about the many different depression getaways, I will be talking about something to do when you feel okay. An athlete trains when they are able to train. They rest when they must rest. We who suffer from the challenge of depression could take lessons from athletes. Do you like comparing yourself to an athlete? Or is that too much pressure?

Journaling is like Gardening - You Need Tools (Part Four of 'Journaling Through Depression')

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Gardening compared to journaling? Well, that works for me since I love to do both. But for some of you both a garden or a journal may seem overwhelming. I remember my first few attempts at a vegetable garden. I had no clue and didn't realize I was planting in hard clay!  My second garden was better, the soil was excellent and I grew some great stuff, but I not only had not realized how much work there was but also didn't face the fact that I just didn't have the time to do it. There were more weeds than produce.  By the time I attempted my third vegetable garden, I had done a lot of reading, I had more time and went into it informed and ready. It was beautiful to look at, a joy to work in and I took a lot of wonderful vegetables out of it. 

You Don't Want to be NCIS: Not Clued Into Self (Part Three of 'Journaling for the Right Diagnosis)

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NCIS is one of my favourite TV shows, and apparently the most-watched tv show around the world. I enjoy the characters. The plots are about murder, yes, but they seldom show gorry stuff. Humour is added into a serious topic. This show doesn't disturb my sensitive nature or bring me down in any way. It is one of my favourite Depression Getaways. Of course,  NCIS   stands for   Naval Criminal Investigative Service   but I have taken a few liberties and made an acronym just for us.

Diagnostic Journaling: Detecting Clues (Journaling for the Right Diagosis:Part Two)

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My doctor had a gift for detective work and I am glad she did. She actually reminded me of 'Jessica Fletcher' the famous detective from 'Murder She Wrote'. When she first began treating me, she would start me on a small dose of the medication and then continue to increase it to the ' recommended therapeutic dose’ .  Sometimes I would start to get better but when she increased me to the 'recommended dosage' I would get worse. Puzzled by this, she took my chart, reread all of her notes (she had great notes), and noticed that I always did better on a smaller dosage than the one recommended. If she didn’t have good notes, she would not have been able to figure that out. So, what do journaling and getting the right diagnosis have to do with each other?

Digging for Secrets (Journaling for the Right Diagnosis: Part 1)

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"Getting the right diagnosis never entered my mind. I just wanted to stop feeling this awful." Do you remember thinking that way? Do you remember when you first realized you had some symptoms of depression?   Here was my initial experience.    I was going through a stressful time in my life (divorce) but coping, or so I thought. One of the ways I dealt with stress was through exercise, particularly, walking. One day, while on my one hour walk, I felt like I could not go at my usual pace. The only other time I remembered feeling that awful was when I had anemia. So, assuming that it was the same thing this time, I went to my doctor.   She already knew that I was going through a rough time and so a little depression was to be expected. She agreed to have my blood checked but it turned out to be fine. As she prescribed an antidepressant my doctor explained that sometimes this sort of 'circumstance related depression' was temporary, and probably in six months to a

Scrapbook Journaling: Cutting out Feelings (Journaling is Cheaper than Therapy: Part 3)

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Scrapbook while you journal? It may be a little less intimidating for some of you than writing a journal. 'Cutting out feelings' - doesn't that sound like fun? Scrapbooking joined with journaling can be more fun than you can imagine! Even a scrapbook that has nothing to do with depression can be fun therapy for you. We have been chatting about journaling and the benefits for depression. I have cited several articles on the subject. For those of you who enjoy research, an even more in-depth scientific article called ‘Emotional and Physical Health Benefits of Expressive Writing’. But for those of you who are tired of the serious aspects of this subject and wish it could be made to sound like a bit more fun, I will refer you to my sister’s blog . She has a creative way of journaling which just might make it more appealing for some of you! She combines scrapbooking with journaling.