There is an English comic named Jimmy Carr, and for the most part, his jokes are crude and vulgar and not the fare of any good-standing Christian and yet; many of his audience ask him for life advice, and he never fails not to disappoint, hats off to the man.

In the latest clip I saw of him interacting with his audience, a young man going through a divorce asked Jimmy how he maintains his mental health, and his kind response, full of common sense, blew me away.

Here I am, an advocate that none of our feelings are a mental disorder, but a gift from God to be trusted in the face of any danger, real or imaginary, and then Mr. Carr shows up with the most wonderful common sense, which was truly beautiful.

He spoke about how we have a bad habit of getting our software and hardware mixed up.

He suggested that we could choose to stop saying ;

‘I have anxiety,’ like it's a curse,

and rather declare

I am a worrier’

then something can be done about

And instead of declaring

I have depression’

We declare

‘ I feel sad about the past, I have regrets”

Suddenly, we are not mentally ill, we don’t have to be medicated to the gills; we are still in control, and we can still trust our feelings.

We can go to our parents, a teacher, or a spiritual advisor and tell them we worry about the unknown future, and ask them how they cope with worry, and simply copy them.

We do the same about the past and how we feel sad or bad about it, talk to our loved ones, ask them how they get past the pains and hurts, and we copy them.

We choose to learn from others

We recognize that everyone worries and everyone has regrets

We see we are not mentally ill, nor do we have mental disorders; we just never thought we could ask for help, or others might understand, but when we use the right language, inclusive language that allows our family, friends, and loved ones to become part of our solution, everything changes

Know you are not mentally ill, nor do you have a mental illness

If you believe you have anxiety, know you worry like the rest of us about the unknown future.

If you have any kind of stress, post-traumatic stress, you are not mentally ill, you don’t have a mental disorder; you have a lot on your plate right now, you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders

And if, up to now, you believed you have depression, know you are not mentally ill, you don’t have a mental disorder, rather you find it harder than most to get past the regrets, pains, hurts, loss & sadness of the past

It’s ok to have feelings!

It’s ok to feel your feelings!

This is what it means to be human

Your feelings remind you that you are still alive!

Your timer is now, & it’s your time to thrive!

Jimmy suggested that for one week:

Get 8 hours of sleep

Eat whole foods

Have some meaning and purpose to your life

Make connections with family, friends and colleagues or classmates

and i would add:

Cut out all electronic for the last hour before bed and the first hour of the dead

and

Meditate on a piece of scripture like:

"With God beside me, none can stand against us"

what might it feel like, to no longer worry of the unknown future, believing that God has sent a whole host of His angels down to surround you and keep you safe in the present.

#howtolivestress&anxietyfree24hoursaday

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