Loving someone who suffers from depression is not always a walk in the park.
It’s hard when someone we love is hurting, and many of us want to find a way to help them as they battle their depressive episodes. Sometimes, just reminding them of the good things that life offers can make all the difference in someone’s mood. For one intrepid Reddit user named bovadeez, finding a way to lift his girlfriend’s mood each day became a sort of mission, and now he’s sharing his creative method with the internet as a way to help others.
It all started when he found the idea of a kind of affirmation jar online:
Pinterest
Filled with messages of hope, inspiration, and positivity, bovadeez got an idea.
He went out and bought some Popsicle sticks and set about making his own jar for his girlfriend. He came up with three color-coded categories:
Orange are inspirational quotes from poets, political figures, philosophers, and humanitarians across time.
Yellow reminders are positive words to help you through the day things like “you’re beautiful”and “it’s ok to ask for help.â€
The purple ones are tips to help her relax things like “take a break”while she’s working on her master’s or “listen to your favorite song.â€
I put a fine tipped sharpie in there with the blank ones so she [can] record moments when she’s the happiest and then she can pull one of those later when she needs it.
Pixabay
The doting boyfriend placed the hand-written sticks in a jar, so now his girlfriend can reach in and select one whenever she needs a pick-me-up.
Imgur
After he shared the idea, the reaction of internet commenters was overwhelmingly positive. Many people who suffer from depression expressed their gratitude for bovadeez for helping remove the stigma of mental illness. Others said they can’t wait to try this technique with their own depressed loved ones.
Reddit
This is a smart, sensitive idea!
Be sure to share this story to help everyone better understand and support their loved ones who suffer from depression.
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