Problems and Worries

I belong to a number of forums. They are not all homesteading ones. So there is a different mix of people and lifestyles. One thing about this winter that I have noticed is that it seems to be a hard one all over. I have been asked to pray for more people and more situations than ever before. It seems that more troubles seem to be the norm. Instead of logging on to read of good news in my online friends' lives, I read of depression due to some problem in their lives, illness or illness of a family member or friend, lost of job, not able to find a job, lost of a spouse, financial problems, etc.

Makes me wonder if it has always been like that. Or is it just being on the internet, and expanding my friend network includes so many more people? That means that at all times there will always be some having major problems at any given time. All you can do is to offer up prayers for their situation and know it is heard. I have had my share of problems over the years and have received many prayers answered.

So what are some things you can do to relieve the depression while waiting for your prayers to be answered? I am the type of person who usually tries to stay "up." It is not a hardship for me to be that way, since I am more like my father in that way.

These are things that help me stay in a positive frame of mind, even when those I am closest too are miserable, depressed and grouchy:

• Keep a sense of humor! Humor is a big thing in my family. My parents were always joking with each other and anyone else who came into their home. Even when my mother was crippled and not able to do physical things anymore, she still had her sense of humor. 
• Eat well! Make some good food. Sometimes I will have someone say they are not hungry and picking at their food as part of their down mood. I will go to work in my kitchen and make something that will cook or bake for hours, simmering slowly, filling the house with smells that will keep your stomach grumbling all day. Soon they will be wanting a little to eat, then taking second helpings and more. Food is good for the heart!
• Take a walk outside! Living in the state forest land makes it easy for me and my husband to leave our troubles behind and go out into the natural world for an hour or so every day if needed. Nothing clears my mind better than getting out among the trees and plants of the forest. Listening to the birds, seeing the sun shine in the trees or even the snow on the branches of the pines. 
• Listen to some music! Music is good for the soul. I love to put a cd in my computer that has good memories for me. I love all kinds of music so I can pick just about anything. Music from the 60's takes me back to FL where I grew up and brings good memories of a better day and time. 
• Read a book! I am an avid reader. Every night before I go to sleep I read for a couple of hours. But if I am upset about something, I can pick up a book and read and it takes my mind away from what is troubling me. If someone else is upset, like my husband, I will choose a book that will have a message I want him to hear. From the Bible, to business books, to books about people who have faced similar problems, etc.........many times I will just start reading aloud and it seems to quiet him, almost like a child hearing a story read aloud at bedtime. 
• Hug a horse! Or a dog, cat or a red hen. This works for me but not for a person who is not into animals. My husband would not be doing this on purpose. Now me...............going out to the barn and telling my horses all my torments of the day is nothing unusual. They really listen to me too.

These are just a few different things I use to relieve depression or what I call "grouchy husband syndrome" (can be interchanged with "grouchy son syndrome" or whoever is in the syndrome at that time). Do you have certain things you do to help yourself or others through problems that can't be solved right away?

Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole