“Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears,” the neurologist and author Oliver Sacks once said. “It is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear.”
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One day at a time
by resolutewoman on June 9, 2020 in courage, depression, health, Uncategorized
“Health officials are warning that about a third of Americans are suffering from clinical anxiety and depression,” says William Falk, editor-in-chief of The Week in the magazine’s June 5, 2020, issue. “To cope, we have to learn to tolerate great uncertainty, while having faith that scientists will find treatments and/or a vaccine, and this bizarre […]
A gloomy day
by resolutewoman on April 7, 2020 in beauty, depression, happiness, stress
I woke up Sunday feeling gloomy. The gloom surrounded me as I faced another day of stay-in-place during this coronavirus crisis. The gloom lingered until I took my afternoon walk and saw a friendly neighbor and some spring flowers starting to bloom. “Where flowers bloom so does hope,” Lady Bird Johnson once said. –Joy
I go to the sea again
by resolutewoman on March 30, 2019 in depression, peace
In Moby Dick, Herman Melville wrote, “Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses….then, I account it high time to get to the sea as soon as I can.” Some of us go to the […]
I could still be amazed
by resolutewoman on March 28, 2019 in depression, happiness, optimism
In his book The Frozen Leopard, Aaron Latham explains that it was a “rainy season” in his soul. Seeking a cure for his depression, Latham goes to Africa. There he watches a giraffe and writes, “I felt giddy and elated. Most of all, I was amazed to relearn an old lesson that I had all […]
What lies around the bend
by resolutewoman on August 23, 2018 in balance, depression, optimism
My mother was always optimistic. But, my father was not always as optimistic Sometimes, like my father, I slip toward the dark side and see the glass as half-empty and cover myself with depression. And, then, sometimes, I can talk to myself and convince myself that it is so much more pleasant to follow my […]
Carry your own weather
by resolutewoman on March 6, 2018 in book, depression, happiness, health
I’m ready for summer. It has been rainy, cloudy, cool for days. Sometimes I let the weather affect my mood. And, sometimes, I let stormy relationships with the people around me depress me. “Carry your own weather,” advises Todd Davis in his book Get Better—15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work. I have […]
Life is too short
by resolutewoman on April 1, 2017 in book, depression, happiness
I am reading Convictions by Marcus Borg, who always makes me stop and think. One day recently when I was feeling a bit cranky, one of Borg’s statements was especially meaningful. “Life is too short to spend even an hour feeling preoccupied or grumpy or out of sorts,” Borg wrote. –Joy
Exercise makes me feel better
by resolutewoman on February 20, 2016 in book, depression, fitness
Even when I think I’d rather roll over and sleep some more instead of getting up and taking my morning walk, I know from experience that I’ll feel better after I my dog and I get some exercise. Dr. John Ratey affirms my conclusion and explains exactly why exercise makes changes in my brain that […]
Melancholy, not depression
by resolutewoman on April 18, 2013 in book, depression
Abraham Lincoln had bouts of melancholy, not depression, says Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals. “Unlike depression, melancholy does not have a specific cause,” she writes. “It is an aspect of temperament, perhaps genetically based.” The root of Lincoln’s melancholy was his empathy, Goodwin believes, “derived in large part from an acute sensitivity […]
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