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Welcome to Mental Health Moment (MHM) #13!

MHMs are short posts that I write every once in a while as a break from my usual 1500- to 1800-word posts, for your convenience. 😊

This one is a list of simple and effective ways of feeling productive, even on the days when you don’t think you can do anything.

LIFE IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE

As one of my therapists told me several years ago, “You can feel like shit and still get things done.” In other words, being depressed doesn’t have to prevent me from doing things.

I used to believe that if I woke up depressed (when didn’t I?), my whole day was ruined. I expected the worst, and I often got it. I would give up before my day even started.

But it turns out that we don’t have to lie down and just take it when depression tries to overtake our brains. As long as you do something, I guarantee you will feel better. As Warriors against one of the cruelest diseases out there, we deserve to celebrate even the smallest of wins.

I’ve spent hours and hours creating endless lists and routines in the name of feeling better, being more productive, solidifying good habits, and other such things.

The list below is the basic one I turn to when I’m so depressed I feel like I can’t do anything. And believe me, I know how hard it is to even breathe when your depression feels bigger than you. It’s suffocating.

But the nine things on this list are so simple, you cannot fail. Notice that I did not say they were easy, necessarily – I said they were simple. There’s a big difference.

You can do all or any of these at any point during your day. It should help break the cycle of feeling helpless and hopeless.

DEPRESSION WARRIOR’S MAGIC SELF-CARE RECIPE WHEN ALL YOU FEEL IS DEPRESSED AND OVERWHELMED

I probably don’t have to tell you that it’s important not to take on too much at any one time. Take a look at the items on this list and decide which one(s) is for you. Maybe do one today, another one tomorrow, etc.

Just please don’t feel like you’ve failed if you’re not up to doing them yet. You’ll get there. For now, if all you can do is wake up and open your eyes, well, that’s better than being dead. Yes, I know that can be hard to comprehend, but I believe it to be true.

YOU are a Warrior. You can do this.

Here’s the list:

1. Get out of bed. It’s so easy to beat up on yourself if all you’ve done is lie in bed all day. Don’t give your depression another reason to tell you that you suck. Note that you can get out of bed at any time of the day; it doesn’t have to be in the morning. Just put your feet on the floor, stand up, and put one foot in front of the other.
2. Make your bed, or at least pull up the covers. A dear friend told me this once, and I’ve found that it helps. If the only thing I do all day is make the bed, at least I’ve done that.
3. Get dressed. If you can, put on clean clothes each day. PJs are fine sometimes, but I’ve found that wearing them every day exacerbates my (untrue) belief that I’m nothing but a lazy dumbass. And I know what you’re thinking: Why get dressed if I’m not going anywhere? The answer? So you feel better. That is all.
4. Do something with your hair. Whether you brush or comb it, run your fingers through it, or simply put on a baseball cap, just do it. It doesn’t take much effort, and you’ll look – and maybe feel – a little better about yourself.
5. Brush your teeth. And hey, if you have a little extra energy, floss as well. I actually find this one to be a little tricky. Sometimes I feel like I don’t even deserve to have minty-fresh breath (does that make any sense?) plus it takes energy. But it always makes me feel *just a bit* better.
6. Leave the house, even if only to check the mail. If you’re feeling ambitious, follow suggestion #3 and get dressed first.
7. Water your plants, if you have any. The surest way to kill them (and if you’re like me, feel really incompetent) is to not do this. You don’t even have to set a schedule. Just water them when you think about it, before you either forget or talk yourself out of it. Keeping something alive during the time of covid will help you feel good.
8. Take care of your animals. If you’re lucky enough to have a pet, it can feel really good to give them attention, play with them, or just hang out together and snuggle. And don’t forget to feed them! It’s nice to feel needed. 🙂
9. Send someone a quick text. This one takes a bit of effort. You may even have to psych yourself up for it. But fear not! You don’t have to write them a book. All you have to do is say hi to someone you love or someone you haven’t seen in a while. If you’re not up for having a whole conversation, say something like this: Hi there! I don’t have the energy for a chat, but I wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you. You’ll probably make their day.

And there you have it! Nine simple things you can do to get out of your depressive funk, at any time, on any day. Do them all or do them one at a time for nine days. Or do the same one every day for a month, six months, a year, if you need to. Whatever works.

Just don’t give up. You have worth and you ARE worth the effort. I’m here to tell you it gets better if you can just. keep. going.

As always, Warrior, thank you for reading. Take care of yourself today.

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