This is very true of depression - this changeable emotional state that for some people lasts less than a day when it occurs, for others can go on months, even years. The word "depression" well-describes this state - the thoughts get depressed (more negative, less clear, less hopeful). The body's natural rhythms are altered - sleep and appetite are disrupted, energy and even speed of normal bodily movements can lower. At its root, depression is not necessarily bad or unhealthy - it is what it is. There is wisdom to be found in any emotional state. The wisdom of depression, for many, is to goad people to temporarily rest their bodies and minds, to become more inwardly reflective, to feel and release emotions about life events, to take this space and time of slowed inner and outer movement to take stock of one's life before ideally making any needed life changes that will align one with greater overall health. Depression is an opportunity for new movement to arise after a period of rest and reflection.
However, when that slowed emotional energy and movement becomes like a sticky quicksand that you cannot easily pull out of, when rest and reflection turns more and more towards the negative, when life no longer becomes supported from this emotional stance, this depressive state has become like a stagnant swamp that is detrimental to health and life vibrancy. In a stagnant swamp, water has the capacity to move but it is not doing so - it is at a standstill. Muck and grime starts to gather in the water, decreasing clarity. It is hard to see through. It is harder for vibrant life to be supported. Contrast this picture with that of a vibrant river that is flowing, energetic, singing through its movements and supportive of life around it.
When a depression takes on the qualities of a swamp, than inward rest and reflection has gone too far and it is time to MOVE. Even if this is the last thing someone who is depressed wants to do, it is critical to somehow initiate movement on any level - cellularly, nutritionally, physically, psychologically, spiritually, creatively, energetically. Get that water flowing again, transform that swamp to a vibrant river. Any healthy input of MOVEMENT will help.
MOVE! Exercise, even 5 minutes a day. Get your heartrate up. Jump on a mini-trampoline to stimulate lymph flow. Dance wildly to music you love. Go for walks in beautiful nature. Run through the woods. Swim in the ocean. Shovel the snow. Garden. Use the stairs. Punch a punching bag. Just move.
MOVE ~ Eat healthier foods, such as vibrant dark green vegetables that are loaded in brain nutritive B-vitamins, or foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like cold water fatty fish, walnuts, freshly ground flax seeds) that help rebalance the composition of your nervous system membranes. Drink extra water to stay hydrated and help flush toxins out of your cells.
MOVE -- Receive massage, energy work, a spa treatment, acupuncture, reflexology to stimulate release and realignment on an energetic and cellular level.
Move. Read something that invokes awe and wonder. Watch a show that inspires you, or that is amazing or exciting. Fill your brain with positive stories. Play games, do puzzles to stimulate new neuronal connections. Paint, draw, doodle, write poetry, make up a silly dance routine. Watch funny movies, laugh. Check out a new restaurant, go to a museum. Do something fun. Do something noisy.
Movement of any kind. Pray for insight that is aligned with your highest good and be open to what comes to you. Create positive affirmations that feel good to say. Engage in cognitive-behavioral-therapy (CBT) to help reprogram any stuck thought patterns. Do shadow work to learn self-acceptance and owning of parts of yourself that you avoid.
MOVEMENT: Make plans to do or experience something you have always wanted to do - that feels exciting, life-affirming, creative, alive - but have been procrastinating doing. And then do it. Volunteer to help other humans, animals, or plants...serve others to move your focus out of your own pain. Ask for, and receive, support from trusted friends.
Movement of any kind. Movement of any kind. The options and suggestions are endless, really. What's most important is picking one and doing it, just doing it, just moving, somehow, some way, as long as it's healthy and aligned with love and life.
If at any point you feel so stuck in the swamp of depression that any movement on your own feels impossible, or movements you are making do not seem to be helping, get help from a compassionate holistic mental health professional. Sometimes extra "input" to re-boot your system out of a major depressive episode is necessary and even critical to move your body/mind/spirit over a threshold where you can fully engage the tools of movement towards healing. This includes modalities such as prescription medications, over-the-counter herbs and supplements, and regular psychotherapy. There is nothing wrong with this... these are tools in your toolkit of health that when used appropriately can be powerful supports to better align you into health and mood stability. It shows much courage and strength to reach out and receive help from others. Everybody, EVERYBODY, needs help in some way. We are not here to be solitary islands and rocks. Connection, love, relationship (with others, oneself and the greater Whole) is part of the reason for being alive here on this earth.
From a stagnant swamp, to a vibrant river. Movement of body, of mind, of all the senses, of creative potential, of heart, of soul. Healthy movement of any kind, of any degree, on any level, to get that water, that precious life energy, flowing again.
Healthy Body, Mind And Soul Blog by Marnie Burkman, MD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
