Depression Tips

If you’re having impulsive urges (substance use, self harm, etc.)

Engage your sense of touch or taste in an extreme way

  • Hold an ice pack or ice cubes to your face (this one works the best for me so I usually have an instant ice pack on me)

  • Bite into a pepper or eat a spoonful of hot sauce

  • Suck on sour candy (I like Warheads sour spray)

Urge surf/ride the wave

  1. Set a timer for however long you feel like you can realistically resist the urge for (this can be as short as 30 seconds or as long as 30 minutes)

  2. Find a distraction while you’re “riding the wave.” I’ve linked my favorite distraction websites but any hobbies that you’re regulated enough to engage in would be great too.

  3. When the timer ends, reset it, while affirming to yourself that you can manage your emotions without engaging in an unhealthy behavior.

  4. Repeat until the urge passes.

  5. If you do ultimately succumb to the urge, be compassionate with yourself and acknowledge the time/effort you put into resisting as a positive choice.

Other things that have helped me

  • Progressive muscle relaxation: starting with your toes, tense each muscle group and then relax it, until you get to your face. I’ve linked a video guide for this.

  • Box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold in for 4, exhale for 4, hold out for 4, repeat. I’ve linked a video visual for this.

  • Journal your feelings! Write without stopping and if it feels right, rip up the pages after. If you don’t feel like writing, you can also record yourself venting out loud.

  • Scream into a pillow

  • Make a playlist with music that encapsulates your current emotional experience

  • Go to a comfort place, preferably in public (for me that would be a library or grocery store)

  • Call a friend or family member

  • Reorganize your closet or room

If you’re just feeling bleh

I know it sucks so much and it’s really fucking hard but it’s important to do your absolute best not to give in to the depressive urge to isolate, lay in bed all day, and wallow in your misery. It’s frustrating but doing what depression tells you to is a surefire way to remain feeling depressed. Here are some things that help me re-engage with life when I’m depressed.

Super small steps: break every task into its tiniest components

  • If you’re struggling to get out of bed, count yourself down (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) and just sit up. From there, start doing something (literally anything that you can grab from your bed). After that feels at least a little tolerable, count yourself down again to get off your bed. Then, set a timer and make yourself stay out of bed at least till it goes off. If you can get yourself to leave your bedroom, even better!

  • If you’re having a hard time with hygiene, meet yourself where you’re at. If that means, dry shampoo and wet wipes instead of showering or brushing your teeth from your bed with just water, so be it. The more you applaud yourself for the small victories, the more you’ll feel motivated to do more.

  • If you can’t do assignments, don’t even worry about completing it. Start by getting the materials out if it’s a paper assignment or writing/reading the first sentence if it’s digital.

  • These are just some examples but the same idea can be applied to pretty much everything :)

Accountability

  • Tell a friend or family about your anti-depression intentions for the day or week and have them check in with you. When choosing this individual, ensure they aren’t someone who will make you feel even more guilty if/when you’re unable to do something you had wanted to.