Simple Steps
to Begin Your Day
to Begin Your Day
One of the greatest challenges for those struggle with Anxiety, Depression, and simply the Heaviness of Life can find it very difficult even "Getting Started" each day. What may seem like just an everyday routine can become obstacles of enormous proportion to so many others walking life's journey. An essential part of Getting Started each day is the process of taking "Simply Steps," one at a time, which gives one a sense of "Small Accomplishments" building upon one another which produce a sense of functionality, productivity, and confidence. Within this process, another valuable tool is the act of actually writing down these "Simple Steps" or as or "Small Accomplishments," keeping a list of them in a journal which will give one a sense of just how much he/she has, indeed, accomplished that morning and throughout the day.
"Simple Steps"
- Set a regular time to wake up each morning
- Have a cup of coffee/breakfast
- Take a warm shower/Practice Good Hygiene/Healthy Diet/Exercise, even if it is minimal on some days
- Have a quiet time/read/meditate - sit outside/take a walk enjoying nature
- Show love, encourage, and help Children Prepare for their day
- Take small steps to get to work, to volunteer, or pursue a hobby
- Listening to one's Body and Mind - Regulating Activity (Mental, Emotional, Physical Energy), Being aware of one's "Triggers" to Anxiety & Depression, and maintain "Healthy Boundaries"
- Look for opportunities to encourage, serve, and help others around you - In your "Sphere of Influence"
THE SPOON THEORY
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THE SPOON THEORY was originally created by Christine Miserandino, who walks her daily journey through life with Lupus, an invisible disease causing chronic fatigue, pain, and many other symptoms which limit her energy levels and her ability to accomplish everyday tasks. You may view her original article below:
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THE SPOON THEORY is a very practical way to describe the experience of living with any type of Chronic Illness, and the limitations it presents through the use of a vivid word picture to illustrate one's daily struggles to carryout sometimes what appear to others as very simple tasks. THE SPOON THEORY principle can be applied to any type of Chronic Illness including severe Anxiety Disorders, prolonged seasons of Depression, and medically diagnosed Depressive Disorders.
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Managing Anxiety
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Our Five Senses of SIGHT, TOUCH, HEARING, SMELLING, and TASTING are ways in which we naturally experience the world around us. But they can also be unique tools for helping oneself or helping someone else as a caregiver to work through an anxiety attack. The idea is instead of doing the old "Count to 10 slowly forwards and backwards" and calm your breathing, we can actually help ourselves or someone else recognize things unique to each of the Five Senses that can refocus their mind, body, and emotions on a sense of peace, calmness, and safety. If you or someone you're helping goes through all Five Senses and is still a bit anxious, it's a great idea to walk through this exercise a second time, finding new items for each Sense of the body. |
Identifying Triggers
A "Trigger" is defined as something or someone that causes an individual to enter into a period of anxiety, panic, or depression. Identifying triggers can help a friend or loved one know situations/events/people that may contribute to their condition. Identifying triggers can help you know particular situations/events/people that may contribute to your condition. Triggers will also help you to identify healthy "Boundaries" that may need to be put in place in your life based on those particular identified circumstances or individuals.
Distorted Thinking Patterns
Harmful "Distorted Thinking Patterns" often arise from life experiences that have altered the way in which we process everyday realities causing us not to see life as it really is, thus not seeing ourselves as we really are, nor our circumstances from a proper perspective. Hopefully the page below will shed some truth on the matter of correcting our "wrong thinking patterns" and retraining our minds to think differently when examining ourselves as well as our life's circumstances.
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Source: PSYCHOLOGYTOOLS-Free
psychologytools.com
psychologytools.com
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Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude - "The Thankful List"
One of the greatest ways to begin to take small steps up out of the darkness of depression or to step down from a high state of anxiety into the peacefulness of God is to begin to thank Him for all that He has blessed us with spiritually, physically, materially, emotionally, mentally, and relationally. A most effective method for practicing this discipline is making what a wise mentor of mine called a Daily "Thankful List" of the things God has given you. The key is not be too broad, but to be both broad and simplistic including broad items such as your "Salvation in Christ" and simplistic items such as the "Warm Shower" you had this morning, or the fact that your "Car actually cranked on a frigidly cold morning." In focusing on these things, your mind is "re-directed" to all the things that you are blessed with each and every day that can be sources of encouragement. A good starting point is to make a list of (50) items and then once you've reached that number, challenge yourself to continue your list until you reach (100) items and then take time to review. Just for the record, the first time my personal mentor took me through this exercise, he challenged me until my list reached (200) items - it took me an entire month, but it was most rewarding to see how much God was blessing me in so many areas of my life, however prior to that experience my eyes had simply not been opened to see His hands at work. |
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| Have Hope Thankful List |
Spend Time With a Care Giver,
Friend, or Accountability Partner
Friend, or Accountability Partner
- It is so important that you find someone you can trust to share your struggles with.
- They can encourage you and support you.
- They can be a sounding board to just get things out!
- They can help get you out of the house (help you get back to functioning again)
- They can remind you of truth and reality.
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Staying Active & Healthy
Daily Activity Planner Depression & Anxiety Recovery Does depression/(anxiety) keep you from feeling in control of your days? Many people find that setting up a routine can help with their symptoms. So try to get on a schedule. Below is a planner that you can use to map out your day. It's also like a journal that helps you track your mood. Plus, you can compare what you planned to do with what you actually did. After a few weeks, you might see patterns that you never noticed before. For instance, you might find that you feel worse at one time of the day or during a particular activity. It could also show you the things that tend to make you feel anxious. Once you start seeing trends like these, you can prepare more for the times when you might feel depressed/(anxious). That way, you can make a plan to deal with them or avoid them altogether. - Source: WebMD |
Suggested Daily Activities
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Have Hope
Daily Activity Planner Source: WebMD DIRECTIONS: In the first column, plan what you want to do tomorrow. Then, tomorrow night, fill out the remaining three columns. Did you do what you intended? How did you feel during each time? Did anything happen that might have affected your mood? For instance, did you get into an argument with a friend? Did you start thinking about things that made you anxious? |
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| Have Hope Daily Activity Planner |
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