There are crucial moments in life when we feel pulled to take a leap of faith. Yet our fears and insecurities often hold us hostage. Waiting until we’re comfortable never creates opportunities for change, especially big change. Maybe you’re thinking about starting a new career path or leaving an unhealthy relationship or moving to a new land or taking on a physical challenge.

Whatever has you inspired for personal change, there is no time like the present to explore what is pulling you in this new direction and what seems to be getting in your way.  If you’re feeling ready to nurture a leap of faith in yourself, the following steps can help you clarify your mission and create a path.

Own Your Worth

Focusing your resources of time, energy, and maybe money on personal change may feel selfish or narcissistic. Perhaps you are more comfortable as caretakers, pouring your energies into others before yourself.  Too often we don’t allow ourselves to feel worthy of making an investment in ourselves.  We come up with excuses for how others really need us, our time, our attention.  But allowing ourselves to be constantly focused on the needs of others leaves little left for ourselves.  We end up feeling empty at best and resentful at worst.  It is a gift to ourselves and the people who love us to allow some time and energy to focus on self development.  Believe you are worth it!

Get Rooted in Your Vision

Whatever has you inspired for change comes from a personal passion.  Give yourself permission to explore the roots of this passion.   What would your BEST case scenario look like?  Ask yourself how your passion brings out the best in you, your ambitions, your values.  Most people seek to create changes that remain in line with their personal values and allows them to be their very best.  Let this vision serve as your guide.

Tolerate the Discomfort

There is natural discomfort in change.  This discomfort is not a sign there is something wrong with your path or your vision.  It just means this is different that what you’re used to.  Most of us avoid feelings of discomfort, often allow ourselves to get stuck in unhealthy situations far too long. Nurturing a tolerance for this discomfort can help you overcome the fear of change as well as the fear of failure.  Meditation, yoga, therapy can all be useful tools in tolerating emotional discomfort.

Expect Challenges

Every path includes a few detours and barriers.  Expect there to be challenges along the way.  Major change rarely comes without setbacks and struggles.  View these as learning opportunities rather than excuses to give up.  Focus on your progress and celebrate the little successes along the way.  Often moments that feel like backsliding ends up taking us on an even better path.

Pull in Mentors & Supporters

Our personal change does not need to occur in isolation.  Allow yourself to seek the guidance and wisdom of others who have gone before you.  Consider the wealth of resources in your support network already.  People who care about you will generally be happy to support your quest toward personal growth.  Seek out mentors to learn from.  Lean on your support people during the tough moments.  Great leaps of faith typically include a whole team of effort.

Consider Professional Guidance

Psychotherapy can be a helpful tool as you work toward personal growth.  This will be particularly important if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, unable to sleep, difficulty focusing, lacking social support or feeling lost.  A skilled therapist can help you work through these challenges to fulfill your greater mission.

The fact is, in order to create meaningful change in yourself and your life, you must take steps toward your vision while feeling uneasy about it.  It really wouldn’t be a leap of faith if you had absolute certainty!

Written by Suzanne Smith, Ph.D. for the Lakefront Psychology Blog. If you are interested in more original articles about mental health, postpartum issues, wellness, relationships, and parenting, please subscribe to the blog using the button below.  If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Dr. Smith, please contact Lakefront Psychology at 216-870-9816.

The post Taking a Leap of Faith in Yourself appeared first on Lakefront Psychology.

Popular culture depicts depression as someone who is isolated, crying, and disheveled looking.  Yet this is just one of many ways people may experience depression.  The woman behind you in the grocery store checkout line with a great outfit, perfect hair, and a lipstick smile may also be experiencing depression.  She just experiences it with symptoms of insomnia, self loathing, guilt, and shame that aren’t visible when you see her trying hard to hide all her perceived failings.  The man in front of you in line may also be depressed as he stares absently at checkout clerk, slowly processing her directions to swipe his card and then irritably scolding the bagger who didn’t organize his items as he wished. He experiences depression with symptoms of cognitive slowing, irritability, and anger.

The symptoms of depression are so varied that each person experiences his or her own unique version of it.  No one person’s suffering is easier or worse than the other’s. They’re just different.

Our assumptions about what depression LOOKS LIKE often causes us to dismiss serious signs of mood disturbance and results in putting off seeking care.  We know that interventions for depression are more effective the earlier treatment begins.

Symptoms of Depression

• depressed or low mood
• feeling sad or empty
• tearfulness
• irritability
• loss of pleasure
• low motivation
• weight loss
• insomnia
• sleeping too much
• restlessness, agitated
• slowed down
• fatigue
• physical pain
• worthlessness
• excessive guilt
• difficulty concentrating
• indecisiveness
• isolation
• thoughts of death
• suicidal thoughts

Understanding the scope of depression is important to begin making the changes needed to recover.  Depression is not a sign of weakness or personal failing.  Depression is a painful form of suffering that impacts the individual and everyone who cares about him/her.

If you or someone you love has experienced 5 or more of these symptoms for greater than 2 weeks, this may indicate an episode of depressive disorder.  Depression can significantly impact a person’s functioning at work, home, in relationships, and health.  Professional mental health care is key to feeling better.  This is not an illness you can “snap out of” or “power through.”  Recovery is possible with quality treatment.

Psychotherapy to treat depression includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy.  During psychotherapy there is also a focus on building self-care activities known to boost mood such as exercise, nutritional balance, and social support building.  Antidepressant medications can also be helpful in managing the symptoms of depression.  Most people benefit from a combination of psychotherapy and medications.  The benefits of psychotherapy may endure long after therapy ends and can prevent a recurrence of symptoms down the road.

Written by Suzanne J. Smith, Ph.D. for the Lakefront Psychology Blog.  If you are interested in reading more original articles about mental health, postpartum challenges, wellness, relationships, and parenting, subscribe using the link below.  If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Dr. Smith, please call 216-870-9816.

The post The Many Faces of Emotional Suffering appeared first on Lakefront Psychology.