Strange as it may seem, sometimes trying to help other people solve their problems is a great way to solve our own problems. Depression, social anxiety and many other symptoms or disorders can dissipate when we stop being too focused on ourselves and break the barrier that separates us from others.
It’s also curious, but it’s often easier to help strangers than people who are normally part of our environment, if we suffer from depression or are mired in anxiety, it’s very likely that the environment around us is involved in some way.
- On the other hand.
- With foreigners there is a lot of freedom.
- They do not know us and we do not know them.
- There are no high expectations.
- There is no preset image.
- No link that has been passed.
- 1 million tests.
- There is no shared past that conditions.
- Not even a present that binds.
- Surprisingly.
- From a certain point of view.
- With strangers.
- We are more likely to express themselves authentically.
Hannah Brencher completed her studies and, after graduating, moved to New York. He wanted a change because he was completely overwhelmed by feelings of depression and anxiety. His sadness seemed to have no end, until he began to do something unusual: write love letters to strangers. He did it anonymously.
Hannah started all the letters with this phrase: “If you find this letter, it’s for you. “And in the body of the letter, he shared messages like this: “You and I don’t know each other. We may never sit together and laugh while having a cup of coffee. We may never have danced in the same places, or we yawned together at midnight. None of this matters to me. It’s so small and insignificant compared to the things I’d like you to do I know: you’re charming. I’m worth it. That your hands are ready for powerful things. ?
The woman left these letters to strangers in restaurants, parks, buses and even at UN headquarters. To write them, he simply thought of all the love he needed, all those words he wanted to hear. It was as if he fell in love with these strangers and soon declared his love on the letters.
After practicing this practice for a while, Hannah discovered that she had stopped focusing on herself and that her pain and loneliness had dissipated, she is not the only person in the world who wants to live helping these strangers, who end up being a fundamental part of life.
Why is helping strangers a way to help you if you suffer from depression or anxiety?The answer is not simple, but it is mainly due to the fact that a person who is deeply emotionally affected tends to retract. improve symptoms and problems.
The issue is also related to the image of disability and vulnerability that develops when there are emotional problems, in these states people think that they are useless, that they are capable of very little and that they do not deserve much. people with emotional needs who cannot be met by anything or anyone else. This becomes a vicious circle: sadness leads to isolation and isolation to sadness. When the cycle breaks, everything starts to look different.
One of the beliefs of every neurotic is: “What happens to me doesn’t happen to anyone else. ” It’s the big lie of those with emotional problems. They do not see that every human being carries his own cross and that everyone experiences great suffering at some point in life.
In a study conducted in the UK, it was found that those who do altruistic work or behave in a stranger-friendly manner, at least twice a week, are able to overcome their depression and social anxieties in a surprising way. it also helps to have a better opinion of yourself and to foster a sense of personal pride. Why not try to help us by helping others? It’s a wonderful test of life’s love.