Change Your Inputs, Change Your Mind

Lately I have found myself quite negative and hopeless. A number of problems weigh on my mind, thoughts swirling with no relief. This pattern has never been an easy one to get out of for me, but eventually I always have. The simple answer is I think too much, but put more eloquently is, I think too much about the wrong things.

From my experience it seems like when I'm in a depressed state, or to a lesser extent, stuck in a rut, I think a lot about my problems. This is accompanied by negative self-talk, putting myself down further. My confidence and will to do just about anything takes a steady trajectory downward. The Velcro holding me to the couch becomes harder to peel away from. And then I do nothing. Nothing but think. Sometimes I fall into coping mechanisms, like shopping on my phone for things I don't need, playing a very addicting video game, or watching mindless internet videos for hours. This soothes and somewhat distracts me from my thoughts, but once I am finished, my mind is worse off. Hours have just passed, and I've wasted the day. Circle back to the negative self-talk, and the vortex of unproductive thinking begins again. Despite how downhearted and perhaps familiar this process may be to read, know that there is hope to follow.

The mind has inputs and outputs. Inputs come in the form of hormone levels or sensory information in an environment, but also as new information for your critical mind to wrestle with. Outputs can be changes in hormone levels, and ultimately mood or behaviors, which is exactly what we're looking for. When there is no change in the input, how can we expect the output to change. Or to put it another way, you can't think your way out of depression. Certainly thought can provide the freedom in how to respond to an input, but if our thoughts are stubborn and will not change, then that possibility is lost. Negativity and depression are a blindfold to possibility, opportunity and hope for the mind. If we can not think our way out, we must change the input.

Every time I have broken out of a depression, it has started with doing something or changing my environment, if not both of these things. Giving my mind something else to do and focus on breaks the cycle of negative thought. Something as simple as a walk has a a plethora of sensory information for your mind to work with. My favorites are the fresh air in the nostrils, the feeling the ground underneath your feet every step, and all the people to look at. A walk will not always work, however. It is likely you have either seen, or been, that person walking along with a thousand yard stare, no clear direction or purpose. Those finding themselves with this problem need more stimulation. Sometimes adding in an engaging podcast while you walk is enough, but from my experience, the most effective tool to breaking a depressed state is exercise. The more intense the exercise the more powerful the effect can be. A flood of hormones and neurotransmitters accompanies reprioritization in the brain, creating space for new thought. Thankfully, the path to healthier thought patterns does not lie through exercise alone. Mind engaging tasks like painting, cooking a new recipe, creating music or writing can all oust the fruitless thoughts that take residence in a depressed mind. Though where exercise triumphs is how little of the creative mind is needed and how easy it is to start. And with how difficult it is to start anything when depressed, a low barrier to entry is critical.

To combat those times when I become depressed, there is a series of tasks that seem to be most effective for myself. First, I admit that I am in a low mood and that my thoughts are not productive. Then I change my environment, ideally in going for a run outside or a workout at the gym. If this is too difficult, I begin with a walk outside or a short yoga routine. Once some amount of optimism and hope returns to my thoughts, I find writing in a journal or agenda works well to maintain the course toward healthy thought patterns. Even better if you can get to a library or coffee shop to do your writing. Sometimes my writings are a more traditional writing of thoughts and feelings, but more often it is simply a few things I plan to do with myself during the day or later in the week. An important part of this planning is ensuring time is carved out of the schedule for regular exercise and and for creative outlets. Maintaining these habits regularly does wonders for preventing a depressive state. It is just as true for the mind as it is for the body that, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

These sorts of recommendations do not address or seek to understand underlying problems. Instead they create a healthier mind with which to approach and tackle the stressors of life. The ability to accept new solutions and opportunities to problems is extremely powerful. With each major solution you work toward, there is one less problem to send you into a slump. In order to see how to best climb the mountain, you must first climb out of the hole you're in.