Do you suffer from pain that just never goes away? Feeling depressed, too? They normally do happen at the same time. Your doctor might have even given you pills to treat both. But before you got depressed, you probably felt melancholy. This state of mind can make you feel as bad as if you were depressed because it gives you the “blah’s” – in both your thinking and emotions. Here’s the truth – you CAN stop yourself sliding into melancholy so that it doesn’t become depression.
When you first start to feel “the blues” it’s normally about something specific. Maybe it’s too hot, or too cold, or too rainy, or too windy – many people are affected by weather, especially when it’s unusual. Or perhaps you have indulged in less than healthy food and then felt guilty and frustrated with yourself. It could even be related to a spouse or significant other who has been out of sorts. Any of these situations could bring on a feeling of melancholy.
What if feeling the blues doesn’t go away though? If the situation has improved, but you haven’t, here are some signs to look out for.
Warning signs of meloncholy
- Consistently low energy levels and fatigue
- Irritability, concentration problems, apathy
- Decreased pain tolerance – everything seems to be sore
- Aching muscles – particularly backache
- Headaches – resembling tension headaches, across the eyebrows
- Eye problem – “fuzzy” vision
- Stomach pain – cramps, bloating, nausea
- Decreased appetite – or wanting only comfort food
One of nature’s universal laws relates to the law of opposites (polarity). If you are feeling down, it’s helpful to give yourself a healthy dose of “up” by helping your body increase the production of “happy hormones” – known as endorphins.
Want more detailed technical/scientific detail about these happy hormones – click here for a PDF download about them.
If you want to just jump in and increase your happy…here are some ideas! And while you already know that cardio-vascular (makes the heart pump and lungs expand) exercise is great, you will only get the “shot of happy” when your heart rate is increased and stays up there for at least 15 minutes. So, whatever cardio you are capable of handling – go do it – walk, swim, cycle, do squats or push-ups…just as long as you get the heart pumping and sweat popping!
Perhaps what you didn’t know, is that there are a few other (and perhaps easier) things to do that also result in the production of endorphins.
Easy ways to boost endorphins
- Dark chocolate and chilli peppers (the hotter, the better); peppers contain capsaicin which is high in anti-inflammatory properties
- Sexual intercourse: apart from releasing endorphins, the brain also produces oxytocin (the “love hormone”) and dopamine. A wonderful cocktail to reduce melancholy, tension and pain
- Listen to music that engages your positive emotions – the sound positively impacts your nervous system.
- Meditate
- Laugh more – and preferably every day (it’s hard to feel down when you are laughing or smiling)
- Have a massage
- Have a glass of wine: red and white wine are high in antioxidants; red wine has resveratrol which has anti-inflammatory properties, slows the aging process and protects against arterial damage. Drink your wine in moderation though (1 – 2 glass per day is recommended) – too much and you will feel much more than melancholy the next day!
Don’t let melancholy drag you down…and increase your pain. Just pick ONE of these ideas to start doing from today and see the changes. And, if arthritis is causing you to be less than limber, try Haraka for 90 days, too!
