Are you in the midst of depression right now?
I experienced depression in 2010 + 2011 + wanted to share some of the things that helped me through it.
☀️ laying in the sun for as long as I could listening to positive affirmations flat out.
Even though I didn’t believe those affirmations at the time I knew it was better to have that flooding my brain to take the edge off my own thoughts.
🙃 While I was surrounded by friends when I was first depressed in London in 2010, many didn’t know what to do when I was a heap on the floor because I was always the strong one.
🥰 But my besties took me under their wing, had me stay at their house, cooked for me, hugged me, brushed my hair while I was in the bath. 🛁
So many kind, loving moments, moments of comfortable silence when I couldn’t talk, probably kept me alive at the time.
💞 During depression in 2011 after I’d moved to Australia I also had an amazing friend of mine decide to call me every day + give me an idiots guide through the day while she stayed on the phone – “are you out of bed yet? No. Ok, sit up for me”.
After a couple of minutes of talking she’d say “ok now get up, go + drink some water”.
“Now shower and then call me back.”
Felt like such a life saver during that time + I’ll never forget what she did for me ❤️
🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
DEPRESSION TIPS SHARED BY SOMEONE ELSE (can’t remember who to credit here!)
🚿 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 gotta.
🧴 Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want + use it all over your entire dermis.
👗 Put on clean, comfortable clothes.
Put on your favorite underwear. Cute black lacy panties? 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. I always use lemon.
🧼 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 + dancey + loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.
🍲 Make food. Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time + make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, + you’ll feel like you accomplished something.
✍🏻 Make something. Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, colour a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.
☀️ Go outside. Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.
📞 Call someone. Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. 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.
*** In case nobody has told you today I love you + you are worth your weight + then some in gold, so be kind to yourself and most of all keep pushing on!!!!
🫶🏻 Find something to be grateful for!
#SuicideAwareness
#HaveARealConversation
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Headspace (12-25 years old) 1800 650 890
As always, if you want a guide on your journey, drop me a message and let’s chat about how coaching and/or energy work can help.
And come over and join my free group here.
Catcha on the flip side,
