Feeling down? Make a Balance list

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If you get the seasonal sads, or are feeling depressed today, this is a little technique which I found really really helpful when I was going through a rough patch. On a sheet of paper, start writing down the things that make you feel down. Be as specific as you like but group them together in broad headings. So, for example, I might have a heading which is 'things that upset me about my childhood', another might be 'things that depress me about work' and so on. For every thing you put down, you also have to put down one good thing or happy thought or memory about that same period in yoru life. So, I might have written 'I was badly bullied at school' but next to it I'll write 'the teacher for that grade helped me develop a love of reading'. Its hard to do, at first you'll struggle to find any good things, but they are there believe me. Sometimes they are as small as remembering that on the day something awful happened, you saw a beautiful rainbow or sunset, but there are always good things in your memory too. By the end of the list, you hopefully have a balance between your bad things and your good things. A lot of people find this amazingly calming, and it reminds you that life is never all bad. This helped me, I hope it hleps at least one other person :)