Pessimism: That feeling that turn things bad!

Every morning, while escorting my children to school, I usually would cross over to the other side of the road because their school is just adjacent to our home. Recently, as I embarked to cross this ever busy road that now seems like a routine, it dawned on me that not many people would find crossing over to the other side a simple task. This got me thinking!

Personally, I have had to deal with pessimism in the last two weeks. Wordweb defines pessimism as:

“The feeling that things will turn out badly. A general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect the worst in all things”


In the last two weeks, I have come to realise that saying it is easier than doing it. I have also come to know that crossing over from pessimism to optimism may not be easy if one does not deliberately take some steps. According to Wordweb, Optimism is:

“The optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well. A general disposition to expect the best in all things”


Like every other thing in life, we must strive to maintain balance. A lack of balance in our actions and output may contribute to bipolar. With bipolar, where you have two extreme poles, the goal is to be in the middle and not at one extreme end in every situation.

So how does one cross from one extreme pole to the middle and maintain balance?

1.    Seek professional advice: There are people who have made it a point of duty to study medicine and to live a life of impact by offering professional service. Why then should we avoid them? They are here to help! Ask your doctor questions. Tell them how you feel, especially as it relates to your mental health. They may not have all the answers but they can give you good advice that can help you make informed decisions on your health.
2.    Identify the Why Behind the What. Joyce Meyer explained this point in details in her book, Conflict Free Living. Try to get a copy, it’s a great read.
To be able to identify the why behind your what, you need to understand yourself. You need to know your triggers and learn to avoid them. Questions like: ‘Why do I feel this way? Where and when did this thought get into my mind? Have I been dwelling too long on negative thoughts instead of positive ones? What am I worried about? What are my fears?’ These questions are helpful in dealing with pessimism.
3.    Make peace: Pessimism results from the negative vibes we allow into our space when we are not watchful. Negative vibes are toxic and they can come through situations, environment or the people we surround ourselves with. Making peace simply means that you first admit and accept the change you are experiencing, identify the source and bring yourself out if it. If it’s a situation, talk to the person generating a negative energy in your space. Sometimes, you need to show and teach people in your space how to love you by your words and actions. Make peace with your environment, deliberately choosing to see the good in your situation.
4.    Be Thankful: Last week, I had to deal with the negative thoughts and feelings that I was not good enough and that I was not where I should be, in comparison to my peers, etc. My response was thanksgiving. Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, I quickly recalled how life used to be and how much God has blessed me now. I told myself that if God had not helped me to recover from the limitations that come with a bipolar diagnosis, I would not have the life I have now. And this for me is huge. Thinking like this helped me to overcome my self-doubts.
5.    Fill your mind with good stuff! (Read Philippians 4:8 and 1Timothy 1:7): Whether it’s a movie, a book, a story you are told, make sure it is positive information. Even in listening to the news, you need to be selective and thoughtfully choose what to listen to. Not every news is useful to you. News that leaves you depressed and afraid should be avoided, if you ask me.
6.    Ask the Lord to help you. If you are a believer, then you know you have a friend that sticks close to you. He is closer than anyone or than you can ever imagine. Tell Him how you feel. See how David expressed his feelings to the Lord in Psalm 42, 63 and all through the Psalms. You can do the same. In God’s presence, there is fullness of Joy (Psalm 16:3). Stay in God’s presence, that’s the surest and fastest way out of depression. If you have not experienced the Lord as your Lord and Saviour, kindly email me at idaretoblossom@gmail.com

My name is Precious, I was Bipolar and I live a Full Life.


Prayer: Psalm 25:17 KJV
“The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.”

References:
All scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Joyce Meyer: Conflict Free Living
Wordweb.com
Picture: canva.com

Bloggers’ Note:

In my last post, ‘The Manic side of Bipolar‘, one point I omitted is the fact that persons who experience the manic side of depression have a propensity to give beyond the acceptable and reasonable norm. What they give, how they give and the motive for giving may not correlate.  In most cases, this is usually the first sign that an individual is relapsing into a manic depression. Well, this is my personal observation. For a professional advice, contact your psychiatrists or Physiologists.   

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