Meditation – Page 15 – Andrea Arthur Owan

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Depression (aka Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder)

“I’m in shock!”

“She always seemed so happy.”

“I didn’t have any idea.”

“Everyone loved her! She was so talented and had so much to live for.”

“I just never knew.”

The horrible reality of High Functioning Depression (HFD)—

Unfortunately, these are some of the first comments you hear following the suicide of a depressed friend or family member.

The survivors didn’t know. They were so surprised, didn’t have any idea.

Unfortunately, this is so often the tragic scenario. We’ve experienced a couple of these tragedies in my own hometown in the last couple of years. Young men who seemed to be blessed with talent, personality and great families. A bright future ahead of them.

Little did their adoring friends know they suffered such internal pain and turmoil.

But why don’t we know and recognize that pain?

Is it because we’re just not really paying attention to others, their actions and words? We’ve lost our empathy for others? We’re afraid to reach out to others to divulge our pain?

Or is it because we just don’t recognize depression in others or happening to us?

Or maybe it’s just really difficult to diagnose, like High Functioning Depression can be.

Become familiar with HFD or Chronic Depressive Disorder—

Due to the recent suicides of high-profile people, it seems depression is gaining more attention these days. With 350 million people worldwide and 3.3 million people in the United States suffering with this serious disorder, you’re bound to know someone who is chronically depressed. A family member, co-worker or friend may be suffering with, so it’s important to learn more about the disorder.

Know the warning signs of High Functioning Depression—

Because sufferers can look and act normal—and even be successful, high-achieving, and social—recognizing and diagnosing persistent depressive disorder is sometimes challenging.

In this wonderful infographic by my friends at BetterHelp, you’ll discover the warning signs and symptoms of what is known as High Functioning Depression, also known as

Chronic Depressive Disorder
Dysthymia
Persistent Depressive Disorder

The kind of depression your seemingly happy family members or super-efficient, successful co-workers might be suffering from.

People like—

the popular student
the successful lawyer
the smiling co-worker

BetterHelp gives you the:

Signs
Treatment options
Risk Factors
The two sides of high functioning depression

A timely topic—

And what better time of year than the holidays to discuss this issue? The time when so many of us feel overwhelmed with life, exhausted and depressed by the expectations of others and of ourselves, at a time in history when we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others on social media platforms, and become depressed about our own lives in comparison to others’.

Christmas can be a challenging time of year for anyone, but for someone who suffers from depression—any kind of depression—it can be particularly rough. They may be even more fragile than normal at this time of year.

That’s why I’ve chosen now to provide you with this beautiful infograph my friends at BetterHelp have put together. In it they highlight:

The definition of High Functioning Depression (HFD)
The risk factors associated with HFD
The 2 sides of HFD
The signs of HFD
The treatment options

Please take the time to read this information-packed graphic BetterHelp has put together for you. If you identify with it, hopefully it’ll prompt you to seek help from counselors, like the licensed experts at BetterHelp, who are trained to help you heal and conquer this and other types of depression.

Are you or a family member suffering with high functioning depression?

For all of you going through life pretending to be happy, this may be the wake-up call and permission you need to admit that you’re not, that you want and need help.

Print it off and hang it up in a prominent location at work, maybe the break room, water cooler, or on the notice bulletin board.

Know that you and your family members, friends and co-workers are not alone, and others want to come alongside you to help.

Get the help you need—

To learn more about depression, go to BetterHelp.

And if you think you or someone you know is suffering from persistent depression disorder, or any kind of depression, don’t wait any longer to get help.

You can contact BetterHelp to connect with a licensed expert. You’ll learn more about how online therapy with a licensed therapist can help you; and they’ll walk you through the process of finding the best therapist for you, all from the convenience, comfort and privacy of your own home.

Until next week,

bring some hope—and help—to the hurting.

Blessings,

Andrea

Andrea Arthur Owan is an award-winning freelance writer, speaker, teacher and blogger. Her nonfiction and fiction work has appeared in books, secular and religious magazines and newspapers, teaching manuals, devotionals and theater productions. She is also a certified fitness pro and licensed, ordained chaplain.

Christmas: The Gift of Love

Although there are many Bible verses associated with Christmas, like Old Testament passages about Jesus being called Immanuel, and New Testament verses about bringing peace to men of good will, I think the best passage to give full perspective to Christmas is:

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son,…” (John 3:16a).

Loved.

The thing we all crave. To be loved. And who could love us better than the One who created love and is love?

The story is simple:

You have God, who created humankind.

He gave mankind some rules, to protect us. Keep them innocent, happy and shrouded in peace and protection.

But they rebelled, broke the rules and lied about it to their creator, and laid bare their progeny and all mankind (all of us) to the ugly ramifications of their sin.

With the snap of His powerful creating fingers, God could have scrapped them and started over; or shook his head and given up. Spent the rest of eternity with his angels.

But He didn’t. He immediately devises a redemptive plan. A plan for death and destruction to be overcome, to have no power over life. A plan that wouldn’t come to fruition for thousands of years, but a plan that would come to fruition because He ordained it so.

And it did. A little over two thousand years ago.

And that’s what we’re celebrating at Christmas, really.

A love so deep and so wide and so unfathomable that it’s impossible for us to fully wrap our minds around. To comprehend it.

God sends His spirit to be joined to the seed of a woman to form a baby—His Son—to live a fully human life while simultaneously being fully God.

This son’s purpose is to experience life as a human—child and adult—and embark on a ministry of healing and teaching and leading people to a better life. A redeemed life.

To show people the Father.

To show them what real love looks like.

And believe. And follow.

And then pay the ultimate price of sacrificing Himself, to bring the redemption tory full circle.

To redeem mankind.

“…so that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16b).

The story of Christmas is that Heaven gave the supreme gift of love. Of life.

So we could stop perishing.

“Love,” God says. “I give you unconditional love. Because I know you don’t have the power to do this yourself, to redeem yourself. I’ll do it, so we can be properly reunited to spend eternity together.

“So I’m going to do it for you.

“That’s my gift.

“The gift of Love.”

This is the start of a season of love that begins with a gift and culminates in a death and Resurrection. Both gifts of life. To you and me.

This month—

In the next several weeks, we’ll look at just how powerful love is and what effects it has on us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The power of Love.

Are you ready to give it?

Are you prepared to receive it?

Until next Monday, prepare your heart to be a love-receiving and love-dispensing vessel.

It’s what Christmas is all about.

Until then!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

How Gratitude Affects Physical and Mental Health

If you decided to keep a gratitude journal once a week for 10 weeks, how do you suppose that might affect your gratitude levels? What about writing a gratitude or thank you letter to someone?

Researchers are finding that gratitude and gratitude activities are having significant effects on physical fitness, self-esteem, heart patients, the chronically ill, depressed and suicidal patients, and with relationships and in the workplace.

Gratitude is a prescription for a healthy heart—

A 1995 study found that participating patients that experienced appreciation had improvements in heart rate variability, a function associated with good heart health.

More grateful people also report better physical health. They tend to:

engage in healthy activities
seek help for their health issues
sleep better and longer

Heart and heart attack patients who have higher levels of gratitude do better in sleep, have less fatigue, enjoy lower levels of cell inflammation, and greater improvements in emotional well-being.

Higher optimism and gratitude have also been associated with higher adherence to following medical recommendations.

Chronic pain patients and those with chronic illnesses like arthritis or inflammatory bowel syndrome tend to experience less depression and anxiety and enjoy better sleep when they have higher levels of gratitude.

And gratitude may actually prevent chronic illness from occurring.

Gratitude interventions—

In 2003, Emmons and McCullough found that the participants they had in the study record 5 things they were grateful for (“counting blessings” or “gratitude journaling”) every week for 10 weeks reported a lot more time exercising ad noted fewer physical complains than the participants assigned to write down 5 hassles or 5 daily events.

Gratitude may improve sleep!

Research indicates keeping a gratitude journal improves your sleep.

Maybe doing a gratitude check before bed primes your brain and body chemicals for a peaceful, restful night.

Gratitude journals may also improve cardiac health.

Grateful people tend to enjoy life more and have greater feelings of well-being.

Gratitude and materialism—

A few studies suggest that more grateful people are less materialistic, which may be because they’re more satisfied with their lives.

But one study showed that people who were both materialistic and high in gratitude did not have lower life satisfaction. They were just happy, grateful materialists!

Gratitude and avoiding burnout—

Studies indicate that gratitude may help employees and athletes avoid burnout; but burnout may dampen feelings of gratitude.

More reasons to start counting your blessings—

We need to really take this blessing counting seriously, as more studies have found that being grateful and demonstrating gratitude in some way had the following effects:

improved people’s life satisfaction
improved
alleviated depression symptoms in the severely depressed
increased optimism
increased happiness
decreased body dissatisfaction in women!
an increase of trust and positive emotions during a financial transaction

Pull out those thank you cards and start writing!

The research showing the multitude of benefits from thank you card writing is impressive. People who do it show higher levels of gratitude. And actually reading the letter to the recipient may really crank up the happiness scoreboard AND decrease depression.

In numerous studies, writing thank you notes and letters had a significant effect on the writer’s feelings of gratitude and resulting life satisfaction and happiness.

Be grateful to broaden your mind—

It also turns out that gratitude tends to increase your creativity, especially when thinking about an activity that will benefit others.

And gratitude can enhance social bonds and friendships.

And the list goes on and on!

Gratefulness can cause people to:

play more
be creative
push their limits
increase their psychological and social resources
cancel out negative thoughts
increase and improve coping mechanisms
re-cast negative events in a positive light
put effort into positive behaviors, which in turn leads to self-improvement behavior
improve their relatedness (being and feeling connected)
improve their feelings of autonomy (and being empowered and in control)
improve their feelings of competence
decrease their stress levels or perception of stress
decrease their depression
decrease their anxiety
experience fewer suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide
have a decreased fear of death
be able to respond better to traumatic life events
show more humility
have more wisdom
enjoy pro-social behavior
increase their sense of purpose in life
increase their sense of satisfaction in school
improve their relationships
foster more and better relationships
improve workplace atmosphere and relationships

With all of these amazing benefits associated with attitudes of gratitude and gratefulness, and demonstrating gratitude through behavior and thank you card writing, why would you put off putting them into practice? Of try to make it a habit, or a fundamental, frequent practice in your life?

It just appears that gratitude makes you an all-around better, happier and probably more productive and engaging person. Someone other people gravitate toward and want to be with and like.

So as we say goodbye to the official gratitude month of November, and look forward to one of the days on the calendar we should be most grateful for, let’s try to put some of these gratitude-building activities into practice.

Preparing our grateful hearts for the One who loves us most!

Until next week, when we’ll start looking at just how much He does love us and the power of love,

Keep making entries into that gratitude journal, or maybe ask for a special one for Christmas!

For more in-depth study on gratitude research, see Greater Good Science Center’s gratitude white paper.

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Thank You Light by Morvanic Lee on unsplash

13 Tips for a Healthy, Happy (Regret-free) Thanksgiving

Have you ever gotten to the end of Thanksgiving Day or awakened the following day regretting the amount of food you ate, the desserts consumed, and the way you feel post-feast?

Why not turn over a new leaf by deciding now that things will be different this year—that you’ll make better, healthier choices, and be happier and proud of your new lifestyle choices.

That you’ll enjoy conscientious eating!

How to do it—

If you’re ready and excited to give it a try, use some or all of these tips to maximize your success by having a game plan. No game plan usually means failure!

FIRST and FOREMOST, be prayed up before you hit the table! That your eyeballs and tastebuds are not led into temptation!

After you’ve gotten the turkey all dressed and prepped and popped in the oven, grab your sweetie and four-legged family members and go for a walk. Getting outside in the fresh air can help you work up an appetite. It’ll also get the digestive tract going so it’s primed to digest the food better when you do sit down to eat.
If you’re using paper plates, buy smaller ones, rather than the big, oval smorgasbord-type models.
Don’t showcase all of the food on the dining room table so you only have to grab, spoon and plop the food on your plate. Having the food in front of you makes it too easy to mindlessly overeat. Place the food on a table in another room besides the dining room, so you have to get up to serve yourself.
On your first round at plating your food, select salads, veggies and fruit and sit down and eat those. Then return for the meat and potatoes. Or fill up most of your plate with the salads, veggies and fruit and save a tiny space for the meat, potatoes and gravy.
For the dessert, make a decision ahead of time to take small servings for the desserts, or take four to five bites (don’t overload your fork!) and then put your fork down and immediately toss the rest of the dessert so you’re not tempted.
Reduce the number of sweetened drink selections (like sodas, lemonades, etc.) and replace them with homemade, unsweetened lemon, lime, orange or cucumber water. Have orange slices for the kids (or the adults) who like a spurt of sweetness.
Have a spread of nuts, fruits and cheeses out for guests to nibble on before sitting down to the regular meal. A bowl of grapes is always a big hit in our house.
When eating, put your fork down between bites so you maximize your chewing and improve digestion.
Try to spend more time chatting, listening and socializing than eating. Don’t eat and chew simultaneously!
Immediately following the meal, refrigerate the uneaten food that might quickly spoil (to avoid reflexive nibbling), wrap up the other items to keep them fresh, and then go for another post-meal, digestive-enhancing stroll.
For you football or sports fans, avoid over-saturation and too much sitting by deciding you’ll only flop on the couch to watch two games, or five hours maximum during the day. If you’re busy cooking and watching, you might be able to squeeze in more, but don’t park yourself on the couch all day. It’s dangerous for your health!
If you want to try something really off-the-wall, dig out the chopsticks and try eating your meal with them! That’s a recommendation I received from a professional in healthful eating that I interviewed for an article a couple of years ago. Fun, and funny! (You will eat less while stimulating your brain and coordination.)
Instead of watching sports, dig out the board games and stimulate your brain and conversation.

You don’t need to brag about being a glutton to enjoy the day. Think of all of the components that go into it and see how you can apply even small tweaks to leave you feeling healthy and happy, and proud of your self-care!

Let’s hear it for no more guilt!

Time to share—

What does your family do to keep the healthy lifestyle going on the biggest meal ingestion day of the year?

Until next week,

A very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photo by Libby Penner on unsplash

How to Prepare Your Heart to Give Thanks

They came to me through the mail. A surprise present from a precious friend for my BIG birthday this year. I hadn’t put in a request for them. They hadn’t even been on my radar as a possible present.

But they were perfect! And I cried when I opened the box and saw them.

Beads. Beautiful beads handmade into a special loop.

Prayer beads.

I do admit to an initial concern, since I try to avoid anything that resembles rote, repetitive prayer. Unless it’s the “Lord’s prayer” Jesus taught the disciples in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 9-13.

But then I read through the accompanying explanation pamphlet, which offered suggestions on how to use the beads to pray.

The beads actually start with the Cross, which reminds us of Christ’s act of salvation for us.

The next bead up from the cross has been called the Invitatory Bead, which can be used as a call to worship. Reciting the Lord’s Prayer is a suggested prayer to call you to worship God.

Then comes the Resurrection Bead that reminds us that Christ has conquered death. For believers, we rejoice in the Resurrection that gives us eternal life.

Then the 4 Cruciform Beads that form the shape of the cross. The number 4 is a reminder of the four Gospels.

The seven little beads between each cruciform beads are called “Week Beads” (the number 7 representing spiritual perfection) that can also remind us of the 7 days of Creation.

The total number of beads, 33, reminds us of the years Christ lived on earth.

Now back to the cruciform beads—

The first thing that struck me in the instructions was the order the cruciform beads take you through when praying.

And praying that way has had a profound effect on my prayer life.

It’s suggested that the first cruciform bead above the Resurrection Bead be used to acknowledge God. Who He is, how He loves, what He’s done for us.

The next cruciform bead, as you move counter-clockwise around the beads, is where you Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.

The third cruciform bead is the bead of Thanksgiving.

The final cruciform bead is the Intercessory Bead or where you offer up your prayer requests.

If you want to return to the first cruciform bead, you can once again thank God for Who He is.

Did you notice the order?

I found it a bit unsettling to my heart and brain the first time I stumbled through praying with the beads.

But then the light bulb in my head went on: how focused and right it seemed to pray that way!

To spend the initial time identifying with the cross of my Savior—the beautiful and somber identity marker of love, forgiveness, sacrifice and hope. What started out as unnatural quickly became comfortable.

Then I moved to praying the Lord’s Prayer at the Invitation Bead.

And then on to the Resurrection Bead. And as I prayed this way, something rather miraculous happened.

I slowed down and focused on the Lord—who He is, what He means to me, and what He means to the body of Christ—the “our” and “us” so often repeated in the Lord’s Prayer. A reminder that although this praying is personal it’s also corporate. I am part of a great body of believers stretching back a couple of thousand years. I am not alone in my faith, or in my relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And then, instead of rushing on to my prayer requests and thank you’s, I had to focus on my faults. Those nasty transgressions that put a rift in my relationship with God, that stifle my spiritual health.

It struck me how those confessions came before the thank you and prayer request beads. And how important it is that I don’t skip this “step” before moving on.

It’s humbling. And freeing. To get it all out in the open, laid out and taken care of. So I can move forward.

Forgiven.

When I did move forward, I felt free and unencumbered to really thank God for all of His marvelous blessings, big and small! After the somber aura surrounding my heart and soul during the confession stage, the aura disappeared to be replaced by unearthly, saturating joy at the thanksgiving bead!

And then my heart was truly ready to put in my requests. After the preceding prayers, the conduit between the Lord and me seemed to be open and flowing. Joyful. Rejoicing.

Supremely blessed and fulfilled.

Residual blessings—

When the praying is over, I’ve found I’m more in tune to the Spirit and His leading throughout the day.

Those beads came with me on the Camino, carried in my backpack’s hip pocket and into every church we visited. They helped keep me centered and focused, grateful and awed as we traversed country boasting centuries of Christian faithfulness.

Required form?

Do you have to pray this way?

No.

The only “set” way Jesus gave as an example for prayer is in the prayer He taught the disciples to pray. But the Lord’s Prayer gives a template that sets the form for praying with the beads.

He wanted us to acknowledge God, who He is and His position in the Universe, and His position with us, His children.
He wanted us to recognize that it is God’s will that should drive our lives and decisions.
He wanted us to recognize the source of our daily physical sustenance and spiritual infusion, and seek it daily.
He wanted us to ask forgiveness for our trespasses, in accordance to the way we forgive others’ theirs.
And then he tells us evil exists and we need protection from it.

Using the prayer bead format to prepare your heart for Thanksgiving—

I think most, if not all of us, want to demonstrate grateful hearts on Thanksgiving Day, the ONE day a year set aside for it. Most of us are at least a little tuned into the meaning of the day rather than just on the feast and the shopping. (I do hope I’m right one that point!)

So how can we best prepare our hearts to give thanks? I’m talking about deeply felt thanks that moves your spirit to joy, and not just coming up with a quick list of things you’re grateful for.

Praying them, as the gratitude research indicates, is so life changing.

Don’t have prayer beads? No problem!

Even without your own prayer beads, you can do this. To get yourself focused and have something to follow, you may want to write down the order and take it into your “prayer room” with you.

Breathe deeply to normalize your breathing and settle your mind. When you’re engaged in purposeful, directed prayer, I find you’re far less likely to find your mind wandering. Always a bonus! And you’re also more open to the Spirit’s lead as He guides your thoughts in directions and to events and people you might not have had on your planned “prayer list.”

So well before the family and friends gather on Thursday, and you’re in crush-mode in the kitchen, I invite you to retreat to a quiet place—inside or out—with your prayer beads or prayer outline and be quieted, humbled, inspired and fulfilled!

In tune with your God.

More thankful in all ways and with all things and ready for your heart and soul to overflow with that thankfulness.

Let me know about your experience.

I will be praying that you have a joyful week, overflowing with gratefulness and Thanksgiving!

NEXT MONDAY we’ll head back to our regular gratitude posts.

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).