When All Seems Lost

Don't Give Up

We've all been there.

There are times when everything seems hopeless and you will want to give up.

But here’s an idea, instead of giving up, let’s learn to detach from all the negativity that surrounds you.

There are a few things you can do to help reduce stress, anxiety and depression.

So, the bottom line isn't about giving up on youself, its about getting rid of the negative losers who enjoy seeing you miserable.

You manage to do that and life will eventually seem like worth living again.

Anxiety, Fear, Depression & Crystals

It's easy for other people to dismiss your anxiety by saying, "oh don't let it bother you, you'll be okay."

Finding ways to relieve stress isn't impossible, but it really seems that way if you have been feeling anxious, stressed or depressed. 

The good news is, it's very possible to relieve anxiety and stress using crystals.

When you start to feel anxious, it is important to remember the situation isn't helpless, and that's where crystals come in.

Using crystals is one of the ways to relieve or at least reduce anxiety so that you can carry on in control, not out of control.


One of the best ways is to use the vibration of the crystals by keeping them on your body, as a pendant, in your pocket, or as close to you as possible.

Keep your favorite crystal on your body for as long as possible each day, carry it with you everywhere you go.

Remember, crystals aren't just an ordinary rock you're dragging around, they are alive, full of energy, and they are there for you.

Yes, that's right, crystals are alive and conscious. 

Understand, crystals are aware of far more than what we humans give them credit for. 

It's your your crystal, you chose each other, it's on your side, it wants to help.

You may ask, which crystal is on my side, how do I choose, how do I know which one is the right one?

We believe that Crystals choose us just as much as we choose them.

When selecting the crystals that are right for you, you should follow your intuition because on a subconscious level we do know what is right for our us, allow your subconscious and the crystal to connect.

Allow yourself to be drawn to a stone.


CHOOSING BY "FIRST SIGHT"

Often when you first see a range of crystals, one stone will catch your eye, and continue to draw your attention. This is likely to be a stone that will be beneficial to you. At this point you may like to trust your intuition and purchase the crystal. 

However, if you are overwhelmed by choice, or are unsure of what crystal it was that first grabbed you, try standing quietly for a few moments with your eyes closed, and remember the reason that you needed to purchase a crystal. When you open your eyes choose the crystal you feel most drawn to. This will be the stone for you. 

SENSING CRYSTALS

One of the suggested methods of buying a crystal requires that you look at a crystal and see if it "vibrates" with you. All crystals vibrate at their own frequency and some people are sensitive enough to feel these vibrations. 

Holding or placing your hand on a large piece of clear quartz crystal is a good way to develop your sensitivity to these vibrations. Sometimes a quartz may give off a regular pulse of energy; you may feel others as being very cold in your hand, or even warm. 

Some crystals may produce a tingling sensation on your skin. 

Generally a crystal that will be beneficial to you will feel right to you even though you may not be able to describe the sensations it creates. Look through a large number of them until you find just the right one. 

When you seek the help of a crystal, you are enlisting a powerful ally to "raise" your vibrational frequency. 

No matter what the crystal is used for, its desired effect is always an increase in your vibrational frequency. 

We often feel connected to certain crystals because we have a great "vibrational match" with them. 

This vibrational match means that proximity to this crystal raises our vibrational frequency, thus making us feel "good."

Ok, now that you have your crystal and you're carrying it around all day, you may also want to place your stone under your pillow while you sleep, as you will wake up feeling calmer, more relaxed and refreshed.

When you hold your crystal, think of it as a deep breathing experience for your soul. 

Crystals can lead you to inner peace, a refuge from the stress of everyday life. 

There are many different crystals for anxiety, and everyone will resonate with different one.

Trust your intuition when choosing the best healing stones for you to use. 

If you find yourself being drawn to a particular one, trust your instincts and go with that one. 

If you are able to touch and feel the calming crystals in person, hold each one in your hand and see which one feels good with your energy.

There is no quick fix when anxiety, fear and depression seem to be overwhelming, but there are ways to fight the battle.

Fighting the battle may seem hopeless, it isn’t.

It’s worth everything to take small steps forward everyday.

You may have forgotten, but your worth it.

Negativity & Anxiety

Let’s talk about how negative thoughts can be controlled instead of them controlling you.

We can’t stop all the thoughts that come and go everyday, but we can control the harmful ones.

Yes, we can take back our lives as we give ourselves permission to fight back.

As those anxious thoughts begin to surface the first thing we need to do is identify and challenge those negative (or anxious) thoughts.

It’s important to challenge the negative thoughts when they first appear, that’s when they are weakest.

We need to set up boundaries about what we allow in our heads.

Being able to handle anxiety means finding ways to deal with the anxiety, meaning, we don’t have to hide from every anxiety inducing experience.

It’s ok for you to say, “I just can’t hear the airplane horror story (you’re telling) right now because I have a flight to catch and I don’t need to entertain the thoughts of airplanes crashing to the ground.”

Maybe you NEED to catch that flight, but you don’t NEED to fill your head with scary airplane thoughts beforehand.

There’s the difference.

We don’t have to give up the dentist / riding in elevators / getting on airplanes / our self worth or the job interview. We only have to fight back and defy thoughts that create excessive unnecessary negative or anxious thoughts about those things.

Set boundaries for what we allow ourselves to be influenced by.

One of the reasons we avoid the news and much of social is because of all the negativity.

Others may think we are sticking our heads in the sand but by watching horrible events that we have no control over, we aren’t staying informed, we are inviting depression, anxiety and fear.

As that suffering festers we become angry, pessimistic and frustrated, because we can do nothing to make a difference. 

As we sit and watch the news showing the same horror over and over, It makes us feel powerless and helpless. 

Get Around Positive People

Do you want to catch a cold? Get around people with a cold. A lot of people associating with positive minded or negative people are influenced by that energy.

There’s been neuro research that shows listening to negative people complain for a period of time affects your brain cells. So, stay away from the negativity. Even listening to negative people on the media can harm your thought process.

Focusing on negativity in life makes you feel depressed. When you’re listening to a negative person rambling on and on about the horrors of their life, you’re essentially focusing on it., you are buying that experience.

This is a real probability that could cause you to feel depressed about the negativity in your life.

Maintaining emotional detachment is important for keeping stress and anxiety at a distance.  Not allowing negative people (or anyone for that matter) to smother you with the horrors of their life  is vital to your emotional health and happiness.  It all comes down to how you value yourself, and thus believe in yourself.

People who manage their lives effectively are generally those who work internally, those who know that success and inner peace comes from within Negative people generally work externally. They blame others or outside events for everything that does or doesn’t happen in their lives.

Paganism is about self empowerment, it's reconnecting with nature so we can reconnect with ourselves.

You can't do any of that glued to the bombardment of the media or negative people, that includes the social media as well.

“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”
Swedish Proverb

You know how it starts.

It begins with a nagging thought.

That creates more nagging thoughts.

And suddenly your mind is filled with such negativity you've lost control of everything else.

When you notice that negative thoughts or images are starting to enter your mind, try actually say “stop!” to yourself. If you’re alone, you can try saying this out loud, but it can also be very effective when just said in your head.

There are also some more direct approaches to thought stopping. For example, you can try the old tactic of splashing your face with water or just change the direction of your thinking. Some people like to count backward from 100 to 1.

Practice becoming aware of when these thoughts come up. Are you tired, hungry, disappointed, stressed or upset? When we try to ignore negative thoughts, they don’t go away, they continue to pop up. To counteract them, recognize them. Say to yourself, “I’m recognizing a negative thought; it’s not welcome here, leave me now.” This ends negativity pretty quickly.

In our more rational moments we realize that the most of things we worry about just won’t happen, but if they do, we deal with them head on.

Reduce Anxiety

Here are a few tips on reducing anxiety...

Dealing With Anxiety

 

You're not alone.

Remember, you are not alone.

We are often asked about anxiety and what can be done when the panic strikes.

We've discussed remedies before, crystals, smudging, meditation are very effective ways to deal with anxiety, but there other things you can do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again we stress getting in touch with nature. When we reconnect with nature we reconnect with ourselves, that's where our strength comes from.

From Power of Positivity we read:

From Even though we live in a concrete world, we can all find a patch of greenery nearby to clear our minds and refresh our souls. We lead busier lives than ever, but that doesn’t mean we should neglect our basic needs, one of which is breathing fresh air and connecting with the Earth.

According to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, people today spend 25% less time outdoors than they did 20 years ago. It comes as no surprise that rates of anxiety and depression continue to rise as we move farther and farther away from the way nature intended for us to live.

Walking in nature doesn’t just give us a break from the hectic city life; it can actually change our brain chemistry, too. 

HERE’S HOW SPENDING TIME IN NATURE EVERY DAY CAN REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY:

Related article: 10 Surprising Health Benefits of Walking Barefoot

It’s no surprise that living farther away from nature surrounded by buildings and city noise can increase your risk of anxiety and depression, but spending time in even the smallest patch of land can do wonders for the brain.

New research out of Stanford University found that spending time in nature can actually alter the chemistry in your brain, leading to mental clarity and peace of mind, and alleviating anxiety and stress. As Gretchen Reynolds explains in the New York Times, graduate student Gregory Bratman, who attends Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford, analyzed the brains of 38 adult city slickers who went on a 90-minute nature hike. Bratman found that these individuals had lower brain activity in their subgenual prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that focuses on “morbid rumination,” than the participants who trekked along the side of a nearby highway.Those who spent time in nature at least once a day didn’t dwell on the negative happenings in their lives as much, Reynolds reported. These results suggest what many of us probably knew all along – that everyone can benefit from spending more time in nature, and less time in the concrete jungle.

Nature can do wonders for your mental health, so if you have neglected your time with Earth lately, here are a few more reasons to hit the trails again that we didn’t mention before.

1. NATURE CAN BOOST YOUR ENERGY LEVELS.

After spending time outside, have you ever noticed that you feel more lively, cheerful, and refreshed? Well, there’s actually a scientific reason behind that. Several studies have confirmed that spending time in nature increases vitality, and the research finds that just 20 minutes a day out in nature can significantly boost energy levels. Richard Ryan, lead author of the scientific studies mentioned above and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, says, “We have a natural connection with living things. Nature is something within which we flourish, so having it be more a part of our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built environments.”

2. NATURE CAN MAKE YOU MORE CREATIVE.

A study published in the journal PLOSone indicated that immersion in nature can boost creativity by as much as 50%! Participants in the study had to spend four to six days in nature, completely disconnected from all technology. Psychologists explained that because of the gentle, more relaxing stimuli in nature, people’s attentional system becomes rejuvenated and able to function correctly, whereas in modern society, we constantly have to switch between tasks and become bombarded with loud, sudden noises.

If you have been struggling to bring out your creative energy, try spending more time in nature!

3. NATURE ELIMINATES STRESS.

Numerous studies have found that time spent outside can greatly reduce stress. For example, a study published in 2012 in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning revealed that out of 25 healthy adults living in Scotland, those who lived in areas with the most greenery had lower levels of cortisol.

Stress can increase your risk of mental and physical illnesses, but among all remedies, nature is one of the easiest ways to heal the mind and recharge the soul.

4. NATURE CAN IMPROVE DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS.

Along with all the other benefits of nature, a bit of greenery can go a long way in helping those who suffer from dementia. Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School discovered that when gardens were placed in nursing homes, the patients showed less agitation, more relaxation, and appeared to be more stimulated mentally.

Anxiety and Grounding

 

Stress, Anxiety and Depression

When you find yourself in negative, stress, depressing, it may because of toxic energy in your life.

This includes your mental, spiritual or physical body, and your environment—whether it’s your home, office, or other physical space. Toxic energy can have serious  effects on your mental and physical well being.

It seems that people are the usual suspects in most of the stress, anxiety and depression we experience.

It doesn't matter if it's your neighbor, co-workers, friends or family, these relationships can sometimes bring you down.

So let's discuss a few things you can do to make life less stressful.

While learning to be assertive you can start smudging to combat this negativity, clear the energy in your life and help you start over. Smudging is an ancient ceremony in which you burn special leaves from sacred plants, like white sage, to allow the smoke to clear the air, so to speak.

The goal of smudging is to make your environment clear of lingering energy that is different from what you want.