How To Survive A Depression

When coping with mental depression people must meet these three emotional needs to keep their smile intact. In addition to the basic needs for food, shelter, and safety, the psychologist Abraham Maslow identified the other three basic human needs including the need to; belong, have self-esteem, and self fulfillment to keep mentally and emotionally healthy and thriving. Many people meet these three types of emotional and actualization needs through their work and they need other avenues when coping with layoffs. These factors might also be true if the bad economy has one in the less than perfect job, he or she might need to focus on this too.

There are three ways to meet the cause of depression the main thing of which is the emotional needs outside the job. People can join groups for a sense of belonging and to accomplish matters or things that are too big to do alone. People can look for some active groups that meet regularly and are large enough to provide many external connections with people who they will look forward to seeing. The group should be a place where people really feel like they completely fit in. If people can develop at least one close relationship with someone in the group they will definitely feel really cares about them, so much the better.

People must use their inner talents and skills to contribute. One form of actual mental peace and happiness, called flow, comes when we are completely engrossed in a challenge that uses skills we enjoy. Any sort of game or craft or official project can meet this need. When people enjoy a skill and we are naturally good at it, that skill is often called a strength or talent. The happiness is magnified when that challenge of goal also does some good in the world. There are lots of worthwhile projects are waiting world wide for skilled volunteers.

People need to focus on their purpose. In the book well known Man's Search for Meaning, the author Viktor Frankl explains how the people who survived and recovered quickly from the Nazi concentration camps all had a larger purpose to their lives that gave their struggles meaning. When people can identify a mission or cause or theme to their life that is larger than their current conditions or circumstances, it is easier to put tough times and unexpected changes into various perspective. If people identify with a career rather than a certain job, or a personal mission rather than a career, there are always fulfilling options.

People should fill their time with activities that use their strengths to contribute to their life's mission. They need to work with a group to accomplish something larger than they could do on their own. People should keep a regular schedule and stay busy as this will help with the obvious ups and downs that are bound to come during the lean financial times. People also need to keep their emotional bucket full and they will survive a depression with their smile intact.

• Cassandra Bagley
• 22/03/2009, 2:59 AM
• 0 Comments