We're all very good at telling each other how and why we feel depressed etc. but we're not so good at telling each other what makes us better:
so here goes:
When you're low, what makes you feel better.
What makes you feel better in the short term and in the longer term:
For me:
Short term feel better things:
- Exercise.. specifically running (outside if the weather's ok, or on a treadmill)
- Walking - hill walking... being on top of a hill or moutain in whatever weather makes me feel alive. Looking up at a hill/mountain and knowing that in a few hours I'll be up top, makes me excited. Getting to the top and I feel great for having achieved something I set out to do.
- Sex.. if it's good sex: I feel great for ages. Not so good sex: I feel good for a few minutes - but overall generally always feel better afterwards. This is much more true if the sex involves someone else (and not just myself) LOL
- Watching a good film - I have a couple of favourites that always make me feel better.
- Getting some really good music on and then cleaning the kitchen or bathroom - somehow other rooms aren't as rewarding when they're cleaned, kitchen and bathroom look best when they're tidy
- Sitting on sofa with my dogs - sometimes they piss me off when i'm down, but they're persistant and always wear me down
Long Term Things
- St John's Wort.. helps me stay "normal"
- Having clear, achievable goals: yeah it sounds like "therapy speak" but it really does help me stay focused:
- Eating properly: i.e. for me, no Bread, chocolate and not much sugar. No chips either (gives me farts) and plenty of good quality vegetables.
- Volunteering for my local MIND group (the mental health charity)- really does help me realise that in many ways I've had it easy - puts my whinging into perspectives at times, teaches me lots about myself and others, and damn it, just makes me feel like I'm doing something useful.
- Being Fit: feel dreadful when I feel unfit... notice how much happier I am when I'm fitter.
- Keeping busy.. less time to stress out, less time to get dragged down into my own little microcosm.
- Work: when I do good work I feel brilliant, when I don't do good work or fuck up, I feel terrible, but I do learn from it, and know that I won't fuck up in the same way next time. Knowing that I need to learn more in order to do my job better, means I always some more progressing to do (no one likes to stagnate!)
- Realising how far I've come in life... sounds a bit bollocks when I express it out loud but when I do sit down and realise just how much I've changed over the last few years (for the better mostly) it does make me feel happier in myself.
my father, who was diagnosed bipolar 20 yrs ago, taught me to always have a "coping" list available for when i got depressed b/c once you're depressed, it's usually too hard to remember what makes you feel better. so here is my list...(unfortunately, i'm the sickest i have ever been currently, so nothing on my list is working).
short term:
- a hot shower/bubble bath
- meditating (especially guided meditations--you can download from itunes)
- watching a funny movie or tv
- reading a mystery or something light that allows me to escape
- bergamot essential oil (aromatherapy), i dab some on a scarf that i'll wear all day long
and take a whiff any time i feel down--this has actually REALLY helped
- talking to someone
- music
- swimming (indoors/out)...i know exercise is SO important when we're depressed but i can't motivate myself to save my life--literally.
- volunteering at the animal shelter
- scalp massage
- i've downloaded two apps on my iphone - the sound boards to the office and anchorman (sometimes when i'm wanting to go in the bathroom and cry at work, i will go in the stairwell and play a few soundbites)
that's it.
Coming to this site (where people understand what it is we're all dealing with) helps also.