Daily Psych

1. Work on increasing your social support. Given that this was a one-time, correlational study, it’s not possible to know whether lack of contact with other people was the cause or the effect of the maladaptive thoughts involving low self-worth and outright revulsion. Finding ways to alleviate loneliness by developing better social skills could help individuals overcome self-disgust.⠀
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2. Use mindfulness to reduce the tendency to ruminate over your shortcomings. In mindfulness training, people don’t try to push away their depressive thoughts but instead learn to accept them for what they are and not fall prey to excessive rumination.⠀
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3. Have a little self-compassion. You might not like the way you look, or even feel good about the things you do, but instead of becoming overwhelmed with disgust, recognize that no one is perfect and that you're allowed to have some flaws.⠀
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4. Try self-affirming messages. Along with gaining greater acceptance of yourself and your real or imagined flaws, turn your thoughts toward the features of yourself that you like. Give yourself a mental pat on the back when you find that you're not becoming overly self-critical and judging yourself with unrealistic standards.⠀
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5. Practice emotional suppression and reappraisal. The emotion-focused coping strategies that don’t change the situation but change the way you feel about them are ideally suited for learning to manage the feelings you have about the qualities you have that you can’t change. From your body type to the shape of your nose, whether you’re accident-prone or forgetful, you can learn to draw your attention from away from ruminating about these supposed flaws and thinking about something else. You might even decide that some of your worst "flaws" actually make you quite lovable.⠀
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To sum up, becoming happier with your qualities rather than distressed about them can be an important step in conquering both depressive thoughts and the feeling that you’re not interacting with people to the extent that you would prefer. Take it easy on yourself, and your fulfillment will only continue to flourish.

1. If you are fortunate enough to share your life with someone or have friends and/or family living with you, and you happen to wake up too early, make breakfast (or at least coffee) for everyone. Couples can argue past midnight, but if your loved one wakes up with a hot cup on the nightstand, all will be forgiven.
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2. I once heard it said that many heart attacks occur on Monday morning when people are on their way to jobs they hate. Well that’s one way out, but I’d suggest you start by making a plan to free yourself from this toxic wasteland you call work. If you know there is a way out, it will make the days you remain working with bad people less painful. Get your resume up online, meet with a headhunter, and talk with your friends who seem happy with their jobs. Something will come sooner than later if you just start looking. Always be professional and trust that you will get to move on soon.
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3. For some people, the morning walk or run does the trick. Look, you know it will make you feel better and lessen any depression or anxiety you have going on, but sometimes it’s really hard to get out the door. I suggest preparing your clothes and shoes the night before. Walking will lengthen your life and make you feel better. I know it can be a struggle, but just thirty minutes a day, as the old saying goes, will add life to your years and years to your life.
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4. If you don’t like walking alone and don’t have anyone handy, I implore you to get a dog or to borrow one. According to César Millán, the dog whisperer, doggies are happiest when they are walking. That animal will unconditionally love you forever, which will make you happier in turn. Having a pet can keep you from dying of loneliness, which research now says is a bigger threat to your health, well-being, and mood than smoking and obesity combined. Yikes!
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5. Even if you are a city kid, there is some nature around you, and seeing it can change your perspective. Witnessing the circle of life can give you a better outlook on yours problems du jour.