If you’re in a down patch, and you’re able to find this, I’ve compiled a list of handy things that have helped me survive the horrible pits of despair with relative ease.
Food
– Stock up on ‘easy’ foods. Canned goods, soups, TV dinners, or other things you can just throw in the oven. It’s absolutely essential that you can still eat, regardless of what you’re putting in your body. You can work on the ‘better’ diet once you’re mentally stable.
– If you’re having trouble with solids because your depression forces you to stop eating, definitely make use of the soups. Broths, especially, can get some nutrients into you without making your stomach feel like it needs to purge.
– If you’re worried about a nutritional deficit, stock up on meal replacement powders or shakes. My go-to is Usana’s Nutrimeal/MySmartShake, that I get from my friend Stacey. They’re filling but not overbearing on the stomach, so when I forget to eat, or stop eating entirely, I’m never worried I’ll be malnourished.
– Have 2-3 blender-style bottles handy, so that making shakes is as seamless as possible.
– If you binge during your low periods, try and keep your water intake as high as possible. That should help force your stomach to shush for a while, and if drinking liquids doesn’t help, I find bananas to be a wonderful source of filling snackery, as well as granola bars. You can also try replacing a drink or two each day with a meal replacement shake, which can help fill the gap and prevent over-eating.
– Tea. Tea tea tea. It doesn’t really matter what kind of tea it is, as long as you find it tasty. There’s something about a warm cup of tea, prepared to perfection, that can at least temporarily get me out of a slump. Herbal infusions, green teas, and white teas are probably ideal, because of the high antioxidant properties and smaller caffeine influence.Daily Structure
– One of the things that destroys me during my down periods is the drop in routine. Keeping a routine is critical for mental stability, because it can prevent rumination and intrusive thoughts.
– No matter how late you wake up, change your clothes. It is so tempting to stay in bed in your PJs all day, but the simple act of changing into a new set of clothes can help wake you up, and assist in basic functions and self-care.
– Spend 10 minutes cleaning. Doesn’t matter what, where, or how you clean, but even something like washing a few plates in the sink has kept me sane and alert. Do something you’ll reasonably enjoy, since that’ll help give your brain the feeling of fulfilment much easier.
– Set alarms. Depression can nuke your sleep schedule something fierce, so having at least two alarms can help remind you when to wake up and go to bed.
– Speaking of bed, find ways to wind yourself down. Read a book, play a casual game on your phone/tablet, do something with your hands if you like (knitting, crochet, sew, Lego, puzzles, etc.) As long as you make sure you’re relaxed and engaged in what you’re doing, you should be able to wind down. I have a side lit e-reader that I use to get me sleepy once I lay down.
– Talk to someone at least once, if you can. If all your friends are busy, download or navigate to 7 Cups of Tea. It’s an app that will connect you to a Listener, and it’s 100% Free. They also have daily progress paths, mental health exercises, and affirmations that can help remind you that you’re valuable.Misc.
– TAKE YOUR MEDS. Set alarms if you have to. Do everything you can to preserve your medication regimen, because if you have meds, keeping that routine stable will help you come back faster.
– Keep tabs on your appointments. When I’m lost in a downward spiral, I will forget literally everything I’m supposed to do. It’s terrible. I’ve started putting my appointments in my phone to make sure I keep them within arm’s reach, and always visible using the widget.
– Stimming/Force Focus. If I’m caught in a panic, I find something soothing to the senses. Fuzzy blanket, cat, dog, plush turtle to snuggle, Lego pieces to fidget with or build to keep my hands busy. Finding something that draws focus is critical for avoiding intrusive thoughts and excessive rumination. I do connect the dot puzzles because they rely on sequential number patterns, and I usually feel better after a small burst of it.
– Keep your support network involved, as best you can. Never feel stupid for reaching out to loved ones when you’re down. If they don’t know you’re hurting, they can’t help you heal. And if it’s not a good time for someone, they’ll tell you. Do not feel like you’re bothering them. If you’re worried about one person being unavailable, send a message to two or three people just to make sure you’ve got backup.I’m running out of ideas right now, but hopefully these are a good start. Feel better, friends. ❤
Tag: depression
“In that way, you’ve acknowledged that you’re unsure, that you don’t know what to do or say. You’ve acknowledged that you see them. They feel seen. They feel heard and acknowledged, which is huge for someone who’s in crisis.”
Wentworth Miller | Q&A at Oxford Union | 2016 | xThis is…actually the most beautiful and helpful advice, honestly.
“In that way, you’ve acknowledged that you’re unsure, that you don’t know what to do or say. You’ve acknowledged that you see them. They feel seen. They feel heard and acknowledged, which is huge for someone who’s in crisis.”
Wentworth Miller | Q&A at Oxford Union | 2016 | xThis is…actually the most beautiful and helpful advice, honestly.
hint: if a person with clinical depression and anxiety says theyre tired …. dont tell them they have no reason to be …. bc guess what….. They Know and Its Shitty
Louder!!!
I just want to add one thing-
If you have depression or anxiety? you’re not tired for no reason.
You’re tired because you have depression/anxiety.
Not only do they both come with low energy/fatigue as a legit common side effect, but they’re both fucking /exhausting/. fighting your brain all the time? exhausting. adrenaline crashes from anxiety/panic attacks? exhausting. being on edge all the time? exhausting. plus doing things costs /more/ energy when you have those mental illnesses.
You’re not tired for no reason, you’re tied because you have an illness that makes you tired.
This!!!
Depression-Busting Exercise Tips For People Too Depressed To Exercise – The Establishment
Oh hey look, something that ISN’T TOTAL FUCKING BULLSHIT 😀
… Step 1. Realize that you should exercise. Step 2 ? Step 3. HEALTH!
When you’re depressed, that question mark can be a barely navigable labyrinth of garbage fires fueled by physical and mental exhaustion, self-loathing, defeat, and frustration. The last time I found myself trying to hack through that mess during a particularly dark period, I started to come up with my own list of bare-bones, practical tips to help me face the idea of moving again. Now I’m sharing them, in case they might help someone else in a similar position. I stress the word “might.” If you’re depressed, the last thing you need is another a-hole telling you what you should do. But if you’re looking for somewhere to start, I’ve been there too.
First heading? “You don’t have to exercise.” I love this entire piece. It’s going on facebook, that’s how much I love it. A+
“The perfect body is a breathing one. Anything that serves those ends is worth considering. Everything else is noise.”
This is seriously so great
Depression-Busting Exercise Tips For People Too Depressed To Exercise – The Establishment
Magnum Opus
Kristen Bell is one of the most recent stars to push past stigma and declare her depression and anxiety worth talking about.
And for that, I am thrilled.
It means that once again, there is another person, who seems so ‘normal,’ finally showcasing that, HELLO THERE, this is a real thing. And it knows no boundaries.
As a person who has had mental health issues for quite some time, diagnosed or not, I can basically agree 100% with this. And I wish, I wish, with all my might, that between her efforts and mine, and the efforts of all those other anxious or depressed souls out there, we can finally feel alive.
I want the anxious Plain Janes with no ‘big’ accomplishments to stand up with me, and say ‘I’m still here despite it all.’
I want the hard-working and depressed people to stand up with us, and declare ‘This isn’t shameful.’
I want my bipolar friends who fight internal demons to rally and shout ‘We’re people, too.’
I want my schizophrenic sisters and brothers to get together and yell from the rooftops that ‘We’re MORE than medication.’
Because we are.
We are MORE than this. We are MORE than medication, therapy, and doctor’s visits.
If you know a person in your life with a mental illness (I guarantee you do,) I want you to challenge yourself. Don’t get overwhelmed, but spend some time with them. Get to know their demons, and what they fight with every day. The things that make them struggle. The thoughts they have against their own selves.
I know from personal experience that just going to a counsellor doesn’t cut it. I need time to process my feelings, work through them, and count my victories. Sometimes that means someone points them out for me. Sometimes that means someone has to tell me over a dozen times a day that I am special. That I am okay. That I am loved, wanted, insert-positive-adjective-here. Sometimes that means that I need to just tell someone, anyone, that despite it all, it’s hard to live. I feel lonely. I feel afraid. I feel weak.
I can’t even hold back the tears coming down my face anymore. I’m so scared. But I’m doing this anyway, like I’ve done for the past year or more. (When did I start this, again?)
I am done hiding. I don’t want to hide anymore. If you still need space, though, take it. I’ll be a sounding board for anyone who’s struggling, because I’ve been there. I might not know how your story is going, but I will be a post to lean on if you need me.
We’re in this together, no matter how alone we feel.
Link to the original since my screencap is not easy to read via the dashboard…
Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time. This one, however, stands out from the…
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If I ask
If I ask you to validate something, it’s not because I’m fishing for anything superficial.
It’s going to be because I’m sitting in the middle of my own thoughts, and they’re telling me everything and anything to the contrary in order to make it seem like I shouldn’t be wasting anyone’s time. It’s going to be because I cannot make myself think it on a level that tells those thoughts to stop.
Those thoughts are monsters. They revel in the idea that somewhere, someone might think I’m being an attention-grabby person who just wants to feel validated. They love the thought that people will judge me and think me insecure.
But damnit, I AM insecure. I’m insecure because I have been fighting against internal and external forces my.entire.life that have been telling me I’m worth absolutely nothing. No matter what I do. No matter how hard I try. No matter if I break myself in the process.
If I ask you whether or not I am anything positive, it is because right now I feel anything but, and I’m losing.
On the days where I just cannot move, because I’m either in pain or my mind is off in a field somewhere picking daisies and setting them on fire, I NEED to feel like I’m still worth some kind of good thing in someone’s eyes. And those days happen a lot. Because I am still finding pieces of myself that I forgot went missing.
If you’re in the same boat, and a support network person isn’t up to the task of reminding you you’re worthwhile, do your best to ignore them and find someone who can help you. It is SO hard to see the good things you’re worth in an era that’s full of over-achievers and people talking about how MUCH they’ve been able to do in x amount of time. And it’s awesome that those people could do that. But we all need to take a step back and realise what we’re capable of, because for some, if it’s all you can do to feed yourself, keep clean, run an errand, or clean the house, BRAVO!!! I have days where I can’t even do any of that.
You’re worthwhile.
Holding the Bowl 