I can’t count the number of times I have met someone who is suffering from depression, looking at me with despair and doubt seeping through every cell in their body, telling their story of how traditional treatment has left them worn out, tired and feeling as if they are the one person who will never be able to put an end to depression. “It’s just something I’m going to have to live with.”
But depression is not something you are just meant to live with. It isn’t something you are stuck with nor something you have to accept as being part of you. It actually goes against your life purpose to suffer from depression, anxiety, or any negative or low mood. You are meant to be and accomplish so much more than that.
I have found that using what is often overlooked metaphysical practices to heal depression is extremely helpful and rewarding. They take us to a new level of understanding ourselves, who we are, and what we really want out of life.
Metaphysics is the study of things we cannot see, such as energy, spirituality, and the aspects of your physical existence that are often not taken into consideration by traditional western medicine. Yet when it comes to ending the negative cycle of depression, these metaphysical practices are some of your most powerful tools.
So here are ten of the most important metaphysical practices you need to know to help you raise your vibes while putting an end to the negativity of depression and living the life you are meant to have.
1. The Law of Attraction
The law of attraction is a universal law, much like the law of gravity. Where the law of gravity states what goes up must come down, the law of attraction states like attracts like.
For depression warriors, the law of attraction is the basic foundation for healing. It is how we change our reality from one of negativity, despair, and low self-worth to one of happiness, success, and confidence.
The most important thing you need to know about the law of attraction is that you are a co-creator of your life. Being a co-creator means that you have the ability to create your reality. This is in high contrast to the idea that reality happens beyond your control, and you just have to somehow muddle your way through it.
Because of the law of attraction, you have a choice, and the power to no longer live in a reality of depression. You can, instead, change your reality into one of health, happiness, abundance, love, and prosperity. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
Since like attracts like, if you can change the energy you are putting out into the universe, you will then change the energy that is sent back to you. The primary way to change your energy is to change what you think about and focus on.
Your thoughts, emotions, and actions are all energy that you are sending out and how you are communicating with the universe.
If those thoughts, emotions, and actions are negative, the universe has no choice but to send you more of the same.
The good news is – that by learning about the Law of Attraction, you gain the ability to consciously make an effort to change what you are thinking about, change your primary emotions, and focus on what you do want.
The best part is that people who use the law of attraction to change their reality with depression see more profound and amazing results than most others.
Learn how to set powerful and effective intentions for the law of attraction with this Powerful Intention blog series.
2. Meditation
Meditation is the process of going into a state of relaxation and either clearing your mind or focusing on something specific.
The practice of meditating is both easy and hard when first starting out. It is easy because it requires no exertion and is simple to learn. However, mastering the art of meditation can be difficult for many of us. You need to be able to clear your mind and let go of everyday thoughts, worries, and stressors. And as you can imagine, that tends to be a challenge for anyone struggling with depression and anxiety.
But you don’t have to be a master of meditation or even be good at it in order to reap the benefits. The simple act of trying to clear your mind and intentionally focus on something specific makes your mind stronger. Which, in turn, makes it easier for you to focus on more positive things in your everyday life.
Think of meditation as an exercise for your mind. Just like any muscle, when first working out, the muscle is weak, but as you continue to use the muscle, it becomes stronger. And what was impossible when you began exercising eventually comes with ease. The more you work it out, the stronger it becomes.
It is important to practice meditating every day and as much as possible because it trains your mind to focus on what you choose. Rather than being overwhelmed by negative thoughts and feelings, you can flip the switch and focus on something more productive and helpful.
Being able to flip your attention switch any time you need, want, or choose will give you a sense of control over your depression and your life. So, rather than feeling consumed by your own thoughts and feelings, you gain control of your mind.
The more you meditate, the stronger your ability is to get away from the overwhelming negativity of depression and focus instead on the good parts of life.
If you also experience anxiety, meditation, and learning how to have control over your attention is the best tool you can have.
3. Breathing
As simple as it sounds, breathing is a powerful tool for your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Although you breathe involuntarily each and every moment of your life, most of us don’t do it right. Rather than taking deep breaths, most of us take shallow breaths. And those of us that experience depression and anxiety tend to be the most shallow breathers.
A good breath is deep and fills the abdomen with the life-affirming oxygen every cell in our body needs. This oxygen provides energy and helps regulate and release chemicals that make us feel good, both physically and emotionally.
When you learn how to breathe correctly and deeply, you can easily relax, your body operates more efficiently, and you can instantly ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
To determine if you are breathing correctly, lay down and place one hand on your chest and your other hand on your stomach. Watch your hands as you breathe. If the hand on your stomach moves up and down with your breath, then you are breathing deeply. If, instead, the hand on your chest moves up and down with your breath; you are taking shallow breaths. In this case, you will want to take a slow deep breath and intentionally bring that breath down into your abdomen. Keep practicing.
The next time you are feeling depressed, anxious, or negative, try taking at least three deep breaths that fill your abdomen. Breathe in slowly, intentionally, and deeply. As you breathe out, be sure to fully empty your lungs.
4. Believing
The power of believing is much greater than you may imagine. And having something you believe in is an extremely powerful tool for managing depression.
Believe in a higher power. Let yourself believe in something bigger than yourself, bigger than the world and everything in it. What that higher power is, or what you call it, is up to you. What is important is that you believe there is something greater out there that loves you, supports you, and believes in you.
Believe in possibilities. When you pray, use the law of attraction, or work any treatment program, your belief in the possibilities of miracles, healing, getting better, or changing your reality is necessary. You may not know what the future holds, but you do know the possibilities are endless.
Believe in yourself. You are an important and powerful being. You have your own unique set of skills, talents, knowledge, and personality traits that can help you even during the most difficult times in your life. Even when you feel helpless, worthless, and hopeless, you have the power to go on and make it better. But you need to believe in yourself and your abilities.
5. Spiritual Support
There is a lot of support and assistance in the spiritual realm. To begin with, you have spirit guides and guardian angels that are with you all the time. And if that isn’t enough, there are archangels and ascended masters. In other words, there are a lot of spiritual beings ready and willing to assist you with anything in your life. That is, as long as you are open and willing to receive their help.
Those in the spiritual realm are not restricted by the physical realm or by space and time. They know and see things that can help you achieve your goals and dreams and will even create miracles in your life. It may sound a little far-fetched at first, but we are not living this life alone. There are spiritual beings around you all the time – supporting you, loving you, and waiting for you to ask for their assistance.
The spiritual realm is bound by the law of free will, so you must ask before they can intervene in your life at all. But all you need to do is ask and be willing to receive, and you will have all the support and love you can ever imagine.
Interested in inviting the angels into your life? Check out the Life with Angels blog series
6. Letting Go
Many of us attempt to have control over our lives by deciding what we need to be happy and then trying to make it happen.
Unfortunately, it is the very attempt of trying to have control that results in us feeling out of control. There is no way around the fact that we have no idea what the future holds. And we have no way of knowing what exactly we need in order to create the future we want.
You’ve heard the saying, be careful what you wish for. That saying exists for a reason. It happens a lot – we try to force what we think is best to happen. Only to later find it isn’t what we really wanted.
If you really want to feel a sense of control in your life, let go of the need to control all of it. Realize that when, where, and how things occur is not up to you. But you can control what you do, what you focus on, and what you believe in.
Rather than attempting to force an unpredictable outcome, learn to let go, relax, and have a bit of faith that what you want and need will occur when it is best.
In the case of depression, stop trying to figure out how to make your depression go away. Instead, try accepting that depression is part of your life and focus on what you need at this moment to feel better—all the while reminding yourself that you can and will figure out how to get through any problem that comes your way – even if you don’t know exactly how you will do it.
7. Intuition
Once you have learned to let go of the need to direct everything in your life, you will be in a better place to hear spiritual guidance and follow your intuition.
Your intuition is that voice inside of you or that feeling that guides you. It is also known as your gut.
However, most of us have gotten so caught up in our busy daily lives that we no longer hear or feel our intuition. Many times, when we do hear or feel our intuition, we have been conditioned to ignore it, tune it out, or discount it as unreliable.
Yet intuition is a powerful spiritual gift that connects us to our higher selves and is an efficient internal guidance system.
Learn to listen to yourself. Even if that voice or feeling inside you seems illogical, don’t just discount it. Listen to yourself and pay attention to what your gut is telling you as often as possible.
8. The Ego
The ego is a part of you that is responsible for protecting you and keeping you out of danger. But it tends to take its job a bit too seriously. It is like an overly strict and abusive parent who tries to enforce their rules through fear and negativity.
This works well enough when we are in balance, but when in a state of depression, the ego’s voice becomes strong and overbearing.
The ego tries very hard to be in control of your life and your decisions. It is dominated by fear of the unknown and desires to keep things just the way they are. Because staying still and going nowhere is the safest alternative – according to the ego. So when you try to make changes in your life, the ego will create feelings of anxiety and fear.
Your ego is the voice inside that tells you that you can’t beat depression or that you will never be happy. Or, even worse, that you don’t deserve to be happy. It is the part of you that is responsible for any negative, untrue, or hurtful statement that you tell yourself.
The ego is a part of you that is best ignored. But if you have experienced depression for a long time, the ego may be a very powerful force in your life. As such, you may find it hard to discount its negative messages, but with practice, it gets much easier.
You can always tell the difference between the lower energy of the ego and higher spiritual energy by how you feel with the information it is giving you.
The ego is harsh and cruel and brings on negative feelings such as fear, anxiety, and depression. Your higher self, your intuition, and communication from the spiritual realm are constructive, helpful, and loving and create a feeling of safety, joy, and inspiration.
Try to make a conscious effort to listen to the positive sides of yourself that encourage and empower you to be happy and successful. The ego will continue to try to control how you feel but remember you are the one who makes the decisions in your life.
9. Chakras
We have already touched on Universal energy and how your thoughts, feelings, and actions are energy sources you create and put out into the Universe.
Another type of energy used to heal our lives is called the subtle energy system, which is the energy inside the physical body.
We have seven primary energy centers within us called Chakras. Each of these seven primary chakras is associated with a particular area of life. So by working with and balancing your chakras, you can heal those areas of your life and health.
When the chakras are clear and balanced, they spin healthily and glow in a rainbow of brilliant colors resulting in a productive, happy, and abundant life. However, over time with trauma, crisis, loss, and other life experiences, these chakras become clogged and blocked. They are unable to spin and become dull and dirty.
By clearing and balancing the chakras, you’ll feel better, be more productive and healthier, and life will get a lot easier.
10. Gratitude
Gratitude can single-handedly ease depression and create joy in anyone’s life miraculously and instantly.
By thinking about what you are grateful for, you are working the Law of Attraction in your favor by attracting even more, to be grateful for. Neurologically you are creating new pathways and connections by changing your experiences. Psychologically you are focused on the opposite of what feeds depression. When focused on what you are grateful for, you are changing your expectations, perceptions, and how you see the world.
Take the time to make a list of all the things you are grateful for. Even if it is as simple as being grateful for having a bed to sleep in. No matter what your situation, there is always something to be grateful for. And most of the time, once you start making your gratitude list, it becomes longer than you ever imagined.
Once you have at least a few things to be grateful for written down, you can use that list to help you focus your thoughts on things that make you feel good.
If you have a negative thought, if you feel bad, or if you are having a bad day, you can refer to your list and always have something positive to focus your thoughts and attention on.
Be sure to keep adding to the list every chance you get.
Do you have any advice or suggestions about how to raise your vibes and manage low moods? Leave them in the comments below.
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