One of the common themes when we feel down is that we are stuck in the mud, so to speak. It is lousy as is to feel dejected, it is even worse to anticipate the situation will be lingering for an unknown period of time, the discomfort and other negative emotions that accompany the situation will also overstay their welcome.
At this time, it is helpful for us to remind ourselves that nothing is permanent in this world, including feelings. Be it positive, negative or neutral, they come and go, like drops of water in a flowing river. Buddhism suggests us to sit by the river bank, watching the emotions come and go, acknowledging they are here, yet also realizing that they are not going to stay forever. The more we fear something, wanting to eliminate it, the more that something has power over us, making us feel even more miserable. Dr. Victor Frankl’s logo-therapy suggested to explore the idea of wishing the most dreaded outcome to happen in order to take the tailwind off the sailboat driven by the anxiety/phobia.
As I wrote this post, I experienced a therapeutic effect. Poor sleep and depressing weather negatively impacted my stamina and mood. Yet writing down these words to remind myself that this shall pass truly helped to ground me and gave me a sense of hope and light.
Stay hopeful and remember that “it is okay to not be okay, but you will be okay”!
Cultivating Happiness 
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