Richard Davidson, Ph.D., was posed an interesting question and subsequent challenge by the revered Dalai Lama when he made the observation that our Western culture put all of energy on studying imbalances of the mind like alzheimers, depression and anxiety instead of studying the componenets of a healthy mind and trying to mimic those characteristics.

And thats exactly the work that’s being done at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin under the direction of Dr. Davidson. The mission statement of the Center is “to scientifically determine how healthy qualities of the mind develop and to investigate interventions to cultivate those qualities in children and adults.”

This is exactly the perspective we have to take if we are going to cure depression and anxiety.

Kudos to Dr. Richardson and the Dalai Lama.

In May 2010, the Dalai Lama traveled to Wisconsin for the grand opening of the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin, where some of Dr. Davidson’s research will be conducted. Dr. Davidson had been inspired by his holiness the Dalai Lama many years ago when the Dalai Lama posed an interesting question of him. The Dalai Lama had noticed that our Western culture put a lot of emphasis on studying diseases of the mind, like anxiety and depression. The Dalai Lama asked Dr. Davidson what does our Western science say about a healthy mind, and what are the characteristics of a person with a healthy mind. Dr. Davidson didn’t have an answer.

Everybody has fears.

You may fear losing your job, your home, your way of life. You may even be a little afraid of the dark or nervous when confronted with a spider. Fear is just nature’s way of warding us from danger, telling us to flee from things we are subconsciously afraid of. Yet in some cases, fear becomes something more – a phobia.

There is a difference between general fear and a clinical phobia. The difference is usually how extreme the reaction to the object of the fear or phobia is. If, for example, when you see a snake, you feel uncomfortable and your heart races a little, you are afraid of the snake. This is a normal reaction based on survival instincts. If, however, you see a snake and want to scream or run away, you begin to sweat or tremble or experience other symptoms of anxiety, then you have a phobia.

Sometimes, a phobia can become so pronounced the person cannot even say what it is they are afraid of – the word alone is enough to bring on a physical reaction of terror. Thousands of people refuse to even come in to contact with the object of their phobia if they can avoid it, such as refusing to fly on aircraft if they have a fear of flying. Phobias are an extreme, natural overreaction to everyday things, events and circumstances.

Phobias are primarily dealt with using exposure therapy, where a person forces themselves to ‘confront’ their fear. This can involve placing themselves in the same room as a snake, or boarding an aircraft. While terrifying, this kind of therapy is hugely effective, and phobias can be managed once and for all.

I Can Do It

Do you need a little motivation to jump start your emotional energy out of a funk of depression? Sometimes events in our lives leave us feeling a little down. Our mood swings from feeling like life is good to life could be better. Here are five tips to help you remedy a minor depression.

1. Own a pet. It is amazing how far a little unconditional love goes to making you feel better about life. Pets need you. Pets rely on you. Taking care of something keeps you from wallowing in self pity.
2. Work Out. Did you know something as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day can help relieve stress and anxiety? Increasing your cardio fitness does wonders to improve your mood.
3. Sleep. A lack of sleep may actually be one of the triggers to feeling the funk of depression.  Try to get to bed around the same time each night. Create a night time routine that prepares your body for relaxation. Make your bedroom environment a calm place for you to be in.
4. Volunteer. Making a commitment to helping others really puts your life in perspective. Keeping yourself active in the community also keeps you engaged socially. Being around other people shifts your focus from yourself. Volunteering with others opens up resources for you to discover new problem solving skills.
5. Acknowledge the Source. Is there a particular reason you are feeling depressed? Perhaps your work is creating a lot of stress in your life. Perhaps you are in a relationship that is making you feel anxious. Evaluating a situation, removing yourself from it, if only temporarily, and finding a solution will often times lead to improving your mood. If the solution seems greater than you can handle please seek help.

Remember, everyone feels a little depressed every once in awhile. The feeling is part of life. These five tips are meant to inspire you to lift that funk of a minor depression. If you feel your level of depression inhibits your ability to function in life, please seek medical advice.