Daily Archives: January 5, 2023

In a lot of ways, anxiety and depression can often be two sides of the same coin. Whether someone is ruminating about all the things that are wrong with life or worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow, these sets of emotions (and/or feelings) often speak to the same core problem: not living in the present. Starting with depression, whether it is one’s rumination about what happened last night – or what happened 20 years ago – often depression (and its hallmark symptoms – such as lack of motivation) tends to result. If this is the case, then a common solution might be to “not focus on the past.” Many struggling with depression would probably say that sounds difficult if not impossible… stay tuned! Looking at anxiety, it can often be similar in the sense of ruminating (or worrying) about what is going to happen in the future – whether that is tomorrow or in 50 years! The anxious brain is often very analytical and can see all the possibilities – and often lands on the worst-case scenario. This rumination around “worst-case scenario thinking” is one of the telltale signs of a person stuck in an anxious thought loop. Anxiety and depression are often the reasons why people seek mental health services, but there are also many people who might never enter a therapy office (for whatever reason). If you are one of these people, perhaps this article can offer a few tips to help you “stay present” - whether what is troubling you is due to anxiety – or depression! Step 1: focus on the breath. It might sound rudimentary, but it’s true – when you are focused on the breath (or a point on the head, or the chest, or the wall, etc.), it is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to think about the past or future – if even in that split second of a moment! Step 2: Notice where the thoughts go. If your thoughts (after that point) tend to go towards the future, gently draw your awareness back to the present moment. If your thoughts tend to ruminate around the past, likewise, gently bring your awareness back to the present moment. Continue to offer grace and forgiveness towards yourself as your mind strays – this is a normal part of the functioning of the human brain! Step 3: Weigh the thoughts. If it is a thought that goes towards the future, ask yourself: ‘what’s the likelihood (on a scale of 1 to 10) that this thing is going to happen?’ Unless the answer is a 10 (which is almost always unlikely), then this scaling exercise might help you to come up with an alternative thought (that is less severe than the worst-case scenario thinking). If your mind tends to wander to more depressive thoughts, in a similar way, try to weigh the evidence of those thoughts. Instead of using a 1 to 10 scale, you might ask yourself (of a particular judgment): ‘is that true?’ An example of the exercise above: if you were judging yourself as a failure, you might ask yourself: ‘what’s the evidence that I’m a failure?’ After exhausting the evidence, try to come up with alternative evidence. From that place, come up with an alternative idea (that you actually believe), such as: ‘I am successful and do well at some things.’ Hopefully, you can see how that statement would be true for most people, and hopefully a useful statement for yourself! Using the above tips and tools, you can combat everyday stress and depression a little more easily as a result!

Anxiety and Depression: The Battle of the Fight to Stay Present

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