In recent months, physical, playful activity has been the only way out of painful ruminations for me, providing a temporary respite from debilitating depression. Its transformative power is surprising to me for its ability to help me manage my emotions. Evolutionary biologist and animal behavioral specialist Marc Bekoff, PhD, once said that “play is training for the unexpected.” And...
Paper or plastic? For here or to go? Cash or credit? These are simple questions that most people don’t think twice about. But to a person in the midst of a depressive episode, answering any one of these queries can be utter torture. I’ve sat there looking at a grocery cashier like a deer in the...
“Joy does not simply happen to us,” wrote spiritual author Henri Nouwen. “We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” I find choosing joy and trying to experience joy to be among the most difficult tasks when you are depressed. And yet it is critical to try to reconnect with those persons, places,...
There’s such a thing as trying too hard. Anyone who has ever suffered through a case of insomnia knows this well. The harder you try to sleep, the less rest you get. Sleep only comes if you can relax and let go. It’s true for many other things, too. Like garage-door controls. The other day,...
This post is from my archives. I lost a loved one to suicide two weeks ago. I am still reeling from the loss. He was a father to two children, ages 8 and 12, a brother, a son, and a friend to many. Thirty years ago, suicide took my aunt and godmother. These two family...