Do you believe that, if you’re always looking down, this can influence a person’s mood? Charlie Brown of Peanuts certainly thinks so, as illustrated in the following quote.

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“When you’re depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you’ll start to feel better. If you are going to get any joy out of being depressed, you’ve got to stand with your head down.”

 

 

While ole Charlie puts a comic spin on depression, it’s certainly no laughing matter, and its occurrence can certainly be sparked by a specific circumstance or an overwhelming accumulation of them.

Interestingly, I read of one research study of Japanese children, which postulates the idea that because they are raised to bow (or avert their eyes and look down) that this may be one of the reasons for the high incidence of depression in Japan.

Of course, a depression or very sad feelings will probably not be alleviated by just picking your head up, but it’s certainly worth taking a pause and checking your stance. After all, every little bit you can do for yourself counts. So, as you travel your roads of grief, evaluate whether you’re always looking down or are you looking ahead to see what lies before you?

In the coming days, try an experiment. If you’ve noticed that you are lowering your head or averting your eyes, adjust your posture to a more attentive one. Shed your cloak of self-imposed invisibility, and tell the world that you are still alive and are ready to participate in life. Moreover, when you walk with your head held high, you will become more aware of the opportunities that are waiting for you to access.