We like to think that modern civilization is more civilized. But the way it treats us as human beings can be pretty dreadful.
Can you imagine our ancestors having to deal with politics, working lives, and the nature of the universe? They didn’t. Instead, they focused their energies on the here and now, using the resources they had available to them. Neither the past nor the future was a burden to them. Their lives were exclusively about surviving the present.
Things are different today, for obvious reasons. The average person is living in a situation that is massively divorced from evolutionary history. In many ways, the primary challenge of living in modern society is resisting all its temptations and getting back to a natural state. We have to do daily combat with junk food, monotonous jobs, and toxic philosophies.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that your headspace can go wrong from time to time. There are so many assaults on it – and some of them are invisible to your conscious mind.
In this post, we take a look at what you can do when you feel your mental health deteriorating, and how to pull yourself around.
Stop Seeing Life As A Journey
The idea that life is a journey seems pretty intuitive. So intuitive, in fact, that many of us just take it for granted. But it’s an example of how bad philosophy can really muck with your head.
You might be approaching the next big birthday and looking at your life, wondering what you’ve achieved. Reaching thirty, forty, and fifty are major milestones. But if you still haven’t got a house, marriage, or career, you can wonder what your life is all about. How could you have come so far on this “journey,” and still not arrived at any destinations?
The trick here is to change your view of your life. It’s not a journey. You’re not going anywhere. You’re just existing. Try to focus on the quality of your experience right now. And if you’re not happy with it, look for tools that are in your power to improve it.
Talk To Somebody About It
When your headspace goes totally wrong, it’s often worth talking to somebody about your experiences. According to an American Addiction Centers review, just having somebody there to listen to your feelings can massively improve your mood. You don’t have to continually feel negative or as if the world is against you. There are people out there going through similar things who understand the angst.
Never Quit
Lastly, never quitting is a feature of people who live the most successful lives. Top entrepreneurs and business people never give up on their dreams. They’re always fighting for something.
That approach to life might sound exhausting – and it is. But it’s also extremely empowering. It’s a way of saying “I’m in control of my destiny, and I decide where I wind up.”
When you take this stance, you’re not passing the circumstances of your existence over to a third party. You’re directing it yourself. And that can alleviate feelings of depression.