This can be one of the antidotes to anxiety and depression.
The very first time I gave this advice was on Linkedin in 2019, prior to when I launched my Stories podcast and my Life Coach the following year in 2020.
Since then, I’ve given the same advice many times. I’m no longer able to spend a lot of time with individuals who message me on social media. Back in 2019, I probably had 600 Linkedin contacts, mostly doctors that I actually knew from my decade working in Chicago’s medical district. Now I have 26k valued Linkedin connections, I don’t have the ability to expend the time I used to, with those who message me. If you want my attention, connect on Minnect, that’s the best way to be in direct contact with me now.
Even though I’m no longer able to give individualized attention to everyone who contacts me, I still want to give the advice, that I think will be most helpful for your life.
In 2019, I received a Linkedin message from an individual who was having a hard time. Many times, I hear from people who pour their heart out to me, the first time they message or talk to me. That’s normal for me, people have been telling me their secrets since I was 16 years old. Now, I’m told secrets only the attorney, the priest and myself, are privy to.
Sometimes individuals aren’t ready for therapy or they don’t have services readily available where they live. Of course, 1-on-1 sessions with a competent Therapist in-person is the ideal. But in lieu of that, I want to give the advice that I think is super helpful for your life.
If you’re having a hard time in your life, one of the antidotes to anxiety and depression, that you can implement immediately and yourself, is helping others.
I first got this idea from a man who shared his story at church. He said he was going through a divorce, was very depressed. He started volunteering at a domestic violence shelter, realized he didn’t have it so bad.
If you have a place to sleep at night and you have a meal to eat, you also, do not have it so bad.
Yes, that man’s hurt from his divorce was real, but others in this world are hurting too. You can either view yourself as a victim and have a “woe is me” attitude, or you can view yourself as a survivor and fighter. You can take what you’ve learned from your hardships, to help others. That’s healing.
I was so moved by that story, that I started dispensing that advice to those who contacted me on social media. The first time I gave that advice was in 2019 to an individual on linkedin. I recommended helping others as a way to combat personal suffering, that this helps you feel better. I suggested volunteering at a domestic violence shelter, food bank or animal rescue center. Anything to get your mind off your own woes, help someone else as an antidote to anxiety and depression. That was before I launched my Life Coach in 2020 and before I signed my Therapy contract in 2021.
I’ve been giving that same advice for awhile now, that helping others is how we can also heal. Not everyone is ready to go to therapy and sometimes services are not readily available in your area. Helping others is something you can you do yourself, anytime and anywhere. I tell my clients, the goal is not to suffer. To alleviate your suffering, the antidote can be helping others.
If you’re having a hard time, you’re anxious and depressed, I suggest you look for an activity that will help get your mind off yourself. Focus on others, with no thought of what they can give back to you. Help others to also heal yourself.
Helping others can be one of the antidotes to anxiety and depression, it’s not the only tool but it can be one of the tools in your toolbox to combat negative feelings.
That was self-evident to me from the man who shared his story, that he dug himself out of his self-loathing while going through his divorce, by helping others at the domestic violence shelter.
Since 2019 that’s the advice I’ve been giving. That helping others will help you feel better about yourself too. It can be very healing.
I am against victim mentality and the delusion as well as despair that the world pushes, that won’t help you.
I advocate for empowerment, building your self-esteem the right way. Helping others is a very powerful tool, it can be incredibly healing.
I’m a Therapist at a private practice in the Chicago area, and I own my Life Coach. Of course, I focus on self-esteem and self-improvement, that’s actually the work that I do with my clients. One of the most effective tools, is to focus on the positive vs the negative. An excellent tool is helping others to also heal yourself.
I get it. Your life is hard. Welcome to the club.
In my line of work, I hear about the sexual abuse you suffered as a child. I know about your struggle with alcohol addiction. I know about your wife who’s leaving you or the affair you just learned your husband is having. Life is damn hard.
And yet, by playing the victim and living in delusion, you will not feel better. Negativity cycles you into a despair that’s difficult to dig yourself out of. Positivity brings you up, it helps you fight back, for the life that you want.
The antidote to anxiety and depression, something real you can do, is to help others. Focus on someone else besides yourself, that helps you realign your priorities and also helps you to feel more positive. Being thankful, fixing your life and feeling good are all antidotes that can be put into action when you help others.
This advice is on the money, I’ve been promoting this since before I ever started my Life Coach or was employed as a Therapist. You can improve your life and alleviate your symptoms of anxiety and depression via helping others. It’s the ultimate antidote.
It’s not the only tool, Therapy should be at the top of your list if you can find a competent Therapist. It is an effective tool that you can do anytime, anywhere and also ON YOUR OWN. You can help someone else, in doing so, you’ll realize that your life has meaning. Focusing on others, moves you from a negativity downward spiral into a positivity feedback loop, that helps you heal.
Help someone else.
That can help you if you’re anxious and depressed from your divorce, child custody battle, eating disorder, pornography addiction, drinking problem or any other issue that you have.
Focus on someone else besides yourself.
It helps.
One of the antidotes, to anxiety and depression, can be helping others.
It’s one tool.
rhmaldonado.com
Photo: Help others