Ask HN: What do you do to keep your mind from going into negative thoughts? - iafrikan
======
vga805
I was in a very dark place for almost all of 2019 and on and off for a few
years before that. I dropped out of academia after spending 10 years pursing a
career there, my marriage ended in disaster, I fell in and out of bad drug
use, I was suicidal at some moments, etc. I feel like finally, I am in a good
place.

To start, I was very lucky to find a good therapist during the end of my
marriage. While it didn't pull me out of the depression entirely, it gave me
the tools necessary to continue to work on my well-being after I couldn't see
her anymore. If you are able to seek therapy, I suggest doing so and trying to
find one you are comfortable with.

Along with therapy the following things have helped:

1) I shifted my goal from trying to remove negative thoughts to being able to
better process them. Meditation helps in this regard.

2) Eating healthy and exercising makes me feel better in general and helps me
process negativity, and it gives me the energy to stay focused on things that
make me feel better.

3) I've made an attempt to foster kindness and empathy. This has paid off. I
find myself less angry in general. Selflessness is an undervalued virtue in
our individualistic societies. Volunteer work is a good place to start. I was
able to find an organization that was dear to my heart, it was focused on
homeless veterans (I am a veteran) and it revolved around exercise.

4) Cut social media out of my life.

5) Got rid of my news junkie habits. Rather than bombarding myself all day
with the headlines, I set aside an hour or so each morning and only read
quality sources, The NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist.

~~~
iafrikan
Thanks for sharing this. 4 and 5 really to contribute to negative thoughts

------
coderintherye
Accept things as they are. Appreciate what we do have.

Reminds me of a zen story:

A Zen master, Ryokan, lived a life of simplicity in his hut near the
mountains. When he was away one night, a thief broke in only to find nothing
worth stealing.

Just then, Ryokan returned. “You have travelled far to visit me,” he told the
burglar. “I cannot let you return empty handed. Here are my clothes, please
accept them as my gift.”

The baffled thief took the clothes and vanished.

Naked now, the master gazed at the moon. “Poor man,” he sighed, “How I wish I
could give him the moon.”

------
blickentwapft
Antidepressants.

