08/01/2024
We’re heading into some of the darkest days of winter - so it’s important to be taking care of yourself right now.
DEPRESSION TIPS:
Shower. Not a bath, a shower. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you’ve got to.
Moisturize everything.
Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Cheap lotion? Fancy lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want and use it all over.
Put on clean, comfortable clothes.
Put on your favorite underwear. Those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.
Drink cold water.
Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.
Clean something.
Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.
Blast music.
Listen to something upbeat and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing and dance to it, even if you suck at both.
Make food.
Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time to prepare food if you can. It tastes way better and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.
Go outside.
Get wrapped up and take a walk. To the end of the street and back, to the local shop, park, whatever. Listen to the birds and feel the fresh air. Go!
If you can’t face going outside, open all the curtains and open the window and breathe in the air.
Call someone.
Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.
Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.
May seem small or silly to some, but this list keeps people alive.
At your absolute best you won’t be good enough for the wrong people. But at your worst, you’ll still be worth it to the right ones. Remember that. Keep holding on. Keep being kind to yourself.