This weekend I was thinking about mental illness. Not the chronic cases, but seasonal mental illnesses and stress-induced mental illnesses. For me, I get obsessive when I am stressed. My brain plays the same message over and over again. I am not compulsive, but I obsess.
The best method for dealing with obsessiveness that I have found, over the years, is to repeat a mantra that is a positive affirmation, basically replacing the negative obsession with a positive affirmation.I have found one that works really well for me, as I feel it covers all my bases. I have shared it here before: “I am happy, I am healthy, I am wealthy, I am wise.”
That mantra helps me when I am feeling sad or angry. It helps me when my body is dealing with some area of need. It helps me when I am feeling stagnant in my career or money flow. And it helps me when I am not confident in my decision-making.
This is the time of year when many people in our northern hemisphere experience sseasonal affective disorder. It’s good to remind ourselves that it is quite common, and that it will soon pass. But to get us through it, maybe we need to find a mantra that helps to calm us. You can use mine, if you wish, or perhaps you have one that is more calming for you.
Here is how it works. If you are feeling down, or anxious, or just out of sorts, start repeating your mantra over and over again in your head, until those negative feelings or thoughts minimize or disappear. Then repeat your mantra a few more times, making the shift toward more positive thoughts more complete. Each time you get overwhelmed by a negative thought, repeat the positive thought over and over again.
February is always the month for me that overwhelms me. Always. And so I have started repeating my mantra when I start feeling obsessive. It truly helps, and it is much healthier in the long and short run than self-medicating, which is what so many people tend to do during this time.
Wishing you peace in your heart – Namaste