From Psychology Today: 5 Ways to Cope with Despair
These tips won’t resolve despair, but they can take the edge off and open up a space for healing.
1. Take your despair for a walk.
Once a day, try your best to get out of the house for some fresh air. A brisk walk raises your metabolism, boosts endorphins, and will give you much-needed headspace. Shaking off tension and gaining some vitamin D can also offer some relief.
2. Give your sorrow words.
When I can’t find the words for sadness, I always turn to poets and writers who are masters at capturing elusive feelings. Finding the words for your despair offers comfort and solace. As Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth: “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”
3. Honor your despair.
Please don’t deny it. Don’t push it away. When you acknowledge your despair, you take away some of its power over you.
Article posted on May 3, 2021. Author: Sean Grover L.C.S.W. Reviewed by Davia Sills for Psychology Today. Thanks for listening.
