One of my biggest challenges with depression is getting started, every day. Ok, if I am honest it is not every day but I would say most days I feel like I wake up in a bowl of treacle. My limbs feel heavy and my brain seems slow. I know people who don’t have depression are probably saying that is how they feel each morning. It is difficult to explain but before my breakdown I did have slow mornings but nothing like I have now.
There are numerous ways to combat these feelings but I find most of them involve getting my heart rate up. I will rush to get washed and dressed, even if I have nothing to hurry for. I will eat breakfast as soon as possible normally something that stimulates the senses; fruit, ice cold milk etc. I even shove myself in front of the computer to start work, like now. I always try and do something I love doing at the beginning of the day so that I feel the excitement of achieving something I love.
It occurred to me that I use worry beads to slow my heart rate when I have an anxiety attack, so why not use them to get my heart going in the other direction. I have started as a matter of routine to do a trick with my 2Pears that I am really good at when I first wake up. This means I can do it really fast. Not only do I get the chemicals from exercise, the “feel good” factor of doing the trick really fast but also it is that strange link between the speed of finger movement and heart rate. The emotional boost I get is short lived but I have learnt many years ago that managing anxiety and depression is not about one solution it is about trying lots of things which overall do help.
I have said this before but will re-iterate it again, worry beads are not a solution to managing anxiety and depression but when used as part of all the other methods available, they do help.
If you have found this interesting or have other examples to share where worry beads have helped you, please feel free to make a comment.
Kevin
The English Worry Bead Co
www.englishworrybeads.uk