Sometimes in our lives, we get to realize that there are things in this world that money can't buy but we tend to realize them too late that we never know what we have till we lost them. Sometimes too, we need to put some break fluid in what we say... we give consideration and respect to make people happy which will make us eventually happy.
I speak of burnouts here especially when familiarity starts to breed contempt. We may have grown to be good people (although others don't see that sometimes) yet, we have to understand other people's needs to have their own lives too.... to have some break free time from helping us, protecting us and caring for us and our interests in life.
Somewhere along the way, there are people who don't complain because they are grateful to us to what we have done for them but when we say things we thought are not hurtful (like saying a joke) and they get hurt, they harbor ill-feelings inside waiting to explode when one is suffering from a burnout.
Burnout... Google it. Interest to earn money, loyalty, dedication will be diminished for people suffering from it. Having some time for their own lives, respect for their privacy, rest from work boundaries will matter more to these people as means to cope for emotional exhaustion.
How to prevent burnouts? Read "Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Coping Strategies".
There are times in my life that I get sad, unhappy and depressed. Things go wrong and I couldn't help it. These emotions however, always help me live through life and these makes me feel eventually, what I want my life to be.
Before you go on reading, let me amuse you with this great dance video to set you in the mood as you read along....
But what is it that we usually do or should do whenever we are suffering from these emotions?
I've enumerated below things I do whenever I am sad, unhappy and depressed which might be of help to you just in case you fall into such condition...
I Dance, I Exercise
Getting into an activity that requires me to sweat is the most effective method of feeling better right away. I just either play a dance music and dance into it or I go outside and just start running. It doesn't matter how fast I ran or how far I ran for as long as I get my heart pumping and my blood flowing. It works wonders as sweating releases endorphins that makes me feel better especially if I do these under sunlight and fresh air. When I'm done with these, I always find myself catching my breath that nothing else seems to matter. Yes, there is something about struggling for air that makes all troubles seem very trivial.
I Laugh
Although it's not always easy to laugh when I can't find something funny, I just look for it further. Life has so many things to offer there is absolutely nothing that we can't laugh about. Laughing releases endorphins, it makes me feel better and it relaxes me.
I Reminisce
I think of good old memories.... I think of moments when I was truly happy. I spend at the end of each day recalling good memories I have that before I know it, I start relating everything to those happy times. What happens to my sad memories? They end up being a vague recollection of the past.
I Do The Things I Love
As I do the many things that I love about in life like singing, dancing, swimming, doing sports activities, writing, travelling, taking photos etc.... I take them all in and really appreciate it because it makes me feel great and alive.
I Pick Happy Friends
Having a lot of naturally happy friends work wonders! They make me happy randomly over the long term, I start to learn why they are happy and learn the source of happiness for myself, they have happy friends also and so I get to meet even more happy people and they introduce me to activities that make them happy! I pick happy, smiling people... and I hang out with them on a regular basis because happiness is infectious!
Life sends various negative emotions to me at times but when I want to feel what I really want, I throw caution to the wind and let go of it all because there is always a spectacular side over negative ones!
Thanks to Vincent Garrucho for my party images here at Time in Manila.
Good and bad stress usually takes its' toll on us humans especially during Christmas Season. I've had good Christmases in the past but this year, even if it's A-okay for me, I can't help but think globally... I think of people all over the world... how Christmas 2010 will be for them. I believe for most, December 2010 is full of stress and depression.
I made a survey on a couple of friends from off-shore and in the Philippines as to what would be the usual and most common causes why we get Christmas blues, depressions and / or stress. Hereunder are what I perceived based on my little survey as well as my own experience in the following order (top to bottom):
1. Economic / Financial Difficulties
This is number 1. With the global economic crisis hitting major countries world-wide, millions of families face financial problems this season of love and giving. Christmas adds an extra burden to tight budgets which means, there's not enough money to buy food for the festive season, presents and clothes for Christmas. People around the world actually tend to use more money than we can afford which worsens our financial situations even more. This leads us to gain more weight, headaches, depressions and financial overdrafts after the season is over.
2. The Absence of a Loved One
Despite of the merry-making with family and friends, we can't help thinking of some beloved persons in our lives who are far away which brings us loneliness and depression. Even when we see everyone else having a good time, we just couldn't help but feel the pang of yearning, missing them thus; this situation can get worse.
3. Physical Fatigue
We usually get intense stress everywhere that we tend to feel there are so many things to do in such a period of time. Even though we try to make activities pleasant and enjoyable for others, various situations can take its' toll on our bodies i.e., Christmas rush, traffic, shopping amongst millions, the inability to find the apt gifts for loved ones, presence in social parties and other obligations.
All top 3 reasons bring emotional disorder to each and everyone of us. I, for one, am starting to feel it and so I believe that it is very important to acknowledge these reasons why people tend to be stressed out and depressed during the holidays because all it takes for each individual to survive Christmas stress is love and understanding.
Emotional support... patience, love and understanding from our families and loved-ones can help fight depression and stress during the holidays.
Life and things in life are not perfect... it is not as beautiful as seen on TV and movies. We shouldn't expect too much from it. Life is simply unpredictable that the only way to make us happy is focus on things that are most important to us and live each day thinking positive for a better future. Breaking free from the past.... preparing for better years to come is all that I'm going to think of this holiday season 2010.
May I remind everyone that in the past, we made Christmas too materialized.... it's not about the money... it's all about the time and thoughts spent with family, friends and loved-ones that matters most to them. Cheers!
I'd like to say advance Merry Christmas to all my readers just in case I forget to do so later on! :)
