I can officially say I not have depression.
Sometimes I even have down days where it seems the sky may be a touch grayer than usual.
While on other days i'd panic that Depression is returning and that i have a couple of days of despair.
I’m not gonna lie though it’s normally my hormones or a scarcity of sleep.
And that is why I’m so darn hooked in to self-care because my self-care routine cured me of depression.
Now before people start getting het up that I obviously didn’t have very severe depression if a bath and my favorite chocolate could fix it, I even have two things to mention .
One, my depression was incredibly severe, i used to be suicidal at one point and at other times I could barely get out of bed. This went on for around three to four years.
Two, self-care isn't just bubble baths and a cup of tea. Self-care actually means taking responsibility for your mental and physical health, so it can encompass tons . Because no, obviously a bath and my favorite chocolate wouldn't cure severe depression.
But before we go any longer , a fast disclaimer: Now I’m obviously not a doctor or medical professional, just someone sharing my very own journey within the hopes that it'd help somebody else out there.
If you think that you've got depression or the other psychological state problems confirm you see a medical professional, and if you’re having suicidal thoughts know that there are folks that can help. Trust me there really are!
Now, of course, it’s easier said than done. But the concept itself is straightforward to wrap our heads around.
And self-care are often many things. Traditionally we expect of it as taking a bath , painting our nails and having a cup of tea.
But taking a shower is an example of self-care, eating properly, getting to therapy, watching Netflix, not watching Netflix… The list can continue and on, and that they are all sorts of self-care.
Well, without my very own self-care routine there's a really high chance i might still be affected by depression.
Self-care helps you are feeling healthy, stops blow out and empowers you to be the simplest version of yourself.
I talk more about the importance of self-care during this post, but at the top of the day how can any folks not see the advantages of taking more responsibility for our own health and wellness!
Basically, routines tell our brain and body we’re safe.
Think about it for a second, if you're massively stressed or in peril you don’t do an equivalent things a day because you’re handling that stressor or dangerous situation. Like back in caveman times you would possibly normally awaken at sunrise, go forage for a few berries, take care of your kids, etc, etc. But if there was a tiger chasing you then you’re not getting to stop a pick some berries… therefore the disruption in routine acts as a sign that each one isn't well.
A signal we actually don’t want to offer our brains once we have depression.
Therefore routines are super important because they are doing the other , they signal to our brains that everything is well and that we don’t got to worry!
Which is strictly what we would like , a nice, relaxed brain.
Just please remember, this is often a routine that worked on behalf of me , that doesn’t mean it'll work for you (although certain aspects have some serious research project behind them that means it might work for several people!)
ONE – TOOK MY MEDICATION
I think this is often something that ought to be at the highest of everyone’s self-care routine. Whether your medication is actual prescribed medication, or in my case a supplement that seriously worked
Taking your meds has got to be favorite .
These six things are based loosely off of an identical list of things from the book Depression Cure, where Dr. Stephen Ilardi realized that lifestyle changes were actually having more of a positive impact on his depressed patient’s well being than the medications he was prescribing.
I read that book once I was very ill and began to implement his suggestions, I ended up tweaking them slightly to suit what i noticed I needed then they became the large Six.
Don’t underestimate what the facility of an honest night’s sleep, some sunshine and saying hello to the cashier at your local grocery can do for you.
I know when you’re depressed even getting out of bed becomes an enormous task, but honestly, implementation of the large Six the maximum amount as I could really was a game-changer.
Have you ever heard of the clutter depression cycle? It’s all to try to to with decision fatigue.
Basically, we all have a finite amount of selections we will make during a day before we just can’t anymore, and when you’re depressed, or ill in any way, the quantity of selections you'll make is even less.
You’ve probably experienced decision fatigue albeit you didn’t realize at the time.
Ever click from a busy day at work and not been ready to decide what to possess for dinner? That’s decision fatigue…
As you'll imagine, decision fatigue only adds thereto horrible, completely overwhelmed and unmotivated feeling you get with depression.
So what does clutter need to do with it?
All that clutter that’s currently out, that you simply see a day , requires a choice from you.
Whether that call is to place it away, throw it away, or maybe to only postpone handling it until later, that’s still a choice made.
There could be twenty plus items on the table then you finish up making twenty decisions during a blink of an eye , and each time you walk past the table you'll be making those decisions everywhere again.
Then, of course, there's the remainder of the mess and clutter round the house that each time you walk past you'll be making a choice on…
It’s no wonder you are feeling panicky, anxious and seriously overwhelmed, or helpless and unable to relax and recharge.
You are constantly making of these decisions due to all that clutter and untidiness, and if you’re depressed you have already got less decision-making juice within the bank!
My solution; clean and tidy your space for ten minutes every day .
Just that tiny bit will cause you to feel such a lot better and begin to scale back those decisions you've got to form .
FOUR – PLAN OUT YOUR DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE
Again, this looks like an odd thing to suggest to assist depression but hear me out.
A massive a part of depression is that overwhelming feeling which will paralyze you and send you straight back to bed unable to face the day.
I often found i might rise up within the morning and it might appear to be there was such an insurmountable list of stuff to be addressed that I just couldn’t handle it.
However, if I mapped out my day the night before and wrote down everything I needed to try to to within the order i used to be getting to roll in the hay , it not seemed so scary.
Instead, I could just specialise in one task at a time and cross that off my list, then once I had completed that task I could move onto subsequent .
Sure, on some days I only managed the primary few items, shower and obtain dressed. But on other days I completed the entire list and wow, what a way of accomplishment that gave me.
SO, LET’S NOW PUT of these ITEMS TOGETHER SO you'll SEE WHAT MY DAILY SELF-CARE ROUTINE FOR DEPRESSION (AND ANXIETY) LOOKED LIKE:
Pretty simple but it worked.
CAN I USE THIS DAILY SELF-CARE ROUTINE FOR ANXIETY AS WELL?
Yes! actually , you'll even call this an anxiety self-care checklist also because you'd want to finish an equivalent actions!
One thing i might say is you would possibly want to feature deep breathing to the checklist if anxiety is more of a problem for you as this will really help to calm you down.
It’s a catch 22 right? you are feeling unable to try to to those things which will cause you to feel better because Depression causes you to be unmotivated and overwhelmed.
And yet, doing those things will help reduce Depression and therefore the unmotivated and overwhelmed feelings.
My advice is to require it one item at a time. Call it a win if you manage to check one thing from the checklist. When you’re regularly doing that, call it a win if you'll check two things off the checklist.
If there's something on the checklist you absolutely hate doing, is there another, fun thanks to get an equivalent effect without doing that exact action.
Maybe you discover going for a walk outside seriously boring. Instead, you'll do yoga in your garden, or sit outside and have your lunch and attend the gym for a swim later to maneuver your body.
Sometimes I even have down days where it seems the sky may be a touch grayer than usual.
While on other days i'd panic that Depression is returning and that i have a couple of days of despair.
I’m not gonna lie though it’s normally my hormones or a scarcity of sleep.
And that is why I’m so darn hooked in to self-care because my self-care routine cured me of depression.
Now before people start getting het up that I obviously didn’t have very severe depression if a bath and my favorite chocolate could fix it, I even have two things to mention .
One, my depression was incredibly severe, i used to be suicidal at one point and at other times I could barely get out of bed. This went on for around three to four years.
Two, self-care isn't just bubble baths and a cup of tea. Self-care actually means taking responsibility for your mental and physical health, so it can encompass tons . Because no, obviously a bath and my favorite chocolate wouldn't cure severe depression.
But before we go any longer , a fast disclaimer: Now I’m obviously not a doctor or medical professional, just someone sharing my very own journey within the hopes that it'd help somebody else out there.
If you think that you've got depression or the other psychological state problems confirm you see a medical professional, and if you’re having suicidal thoughts know that there are folks that can help. Trust me there really are!
WHAT DOES SELF-CARE MEAN?
Self-care is really pretty simple, it’s just you taking responsibility for your own physical and psychological state .Now, of course, it’s easier said than done. But the concept itself is straightforward to wrap our heads around.
And self-care are often many things. Traditionally we expect of it as taking a bath , painting our nails and having a cup of tea.
But taking a shower is an example of self-care, eating properly, getting to therapy, watching Netflix, not watching Netflix… The list can continue and on, and that they are all sorts of self-care.
THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF SELF-CARE
A.K.A. why you ought to bother with self-care!Well, without my very own self-care routine there's a really high chance i might still be affected by depression.
Self-care helps you are feeling healthy, stops blow out and empowers you to be the simplest version of yourself.
I talk more about the importance of self-care during this post, but at the top of the day how can any folks not see the advantages of taking more responsibility for our own health and wellness!
DEPRESSION AND ROUTINE – WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Okay, now you recognize why self-care generally is vital , what’s the importance of getting a self-care routine for depression or any psychological state issue?Basically, routines tell our brain and body we’re safe.
Think about it for a second, if you're massively stressed or in peril you don’t do an equivalent things a day because you’re handling that stressor or dangerous situation. Like back in caveman times you would possibly normally awaken at sunrise, go forage for a few berries, take care of your kids, etc, etc. But if there was a tiger chasing you then you’re not getting to stop a pick some berries… therefore the disruption in routine acts as a sign that each one isn't well.
A signal we actually don’t want to offer our brains once we have depression.
Therefore routines are super important because they are doing the other , they signal to our brains that everything is well and that we don’t got to worry!
Which is strictly what we would like , a nice, relaxed brain.
MY OWN DAILY SELF-CARE ROUTINE FOR DEPRESSION
It’s why you’re all here in any case , you would like to seek out out exactly what I did that helped cure my depression.Just please remember, this is often a routine that worked on behalf of me , that doesn’t mean it'll work for you (although certain aspects have some serious research project behind them that means it might work for several people!)
ONE – TOOK MY MEDICATION
I think this is often something that ought to be at the highest of everyone’s self-care routine. Whether your medication is actual prescribed medication, or in my case a supplement that seriously worked
Taking your meds has got to be favorite .
TWO – DIDN’T NEGLECT the large SIX
- Eat some actual food
- Drink many water
- Get enough sleep (seven to nine hours ideally)
- Move your body for half-hour every day
- Go outside (I liked to mix this one and therefore the one above by going for a walk outside)
- Socialize with another person
These six things are based loosely off of an identical list of things from the book Depression Cure, where Dr. Stephen Ilardi realized that lifestyle changes were actually having more of a positive impact on his depressed patient’s well being than the medications he was prescribing.
I read that book once I was very ill and began to implement his suggestions, I ended up tweaking them slightly to suit what i noticed I needed then they became the large Six.
Don’t underestimate what the facility of an honest night’s sleep, some sunshine and saying hello to the cashier at your local grocery can do for you.
I know when you’re depressed even getting out of bed becomes an enormous task, but honestly, implementation of the large Six the maximum amount as I could really was a game-changer.
THREE – KEEP YOUR SPACE CLEAN, TIDY AND NICE
I know what you’re thinking, how is that getting to help with depression, but it does.Have you ever heard of the clutter depression cycle? It’s all to try to to with decision fatigue.
Basically, we all have a finite amount of selections we will make during a day before we just can’t anymore, and when you’re depressed, or ill in any way, the quantity of selections you'll make is even less.
You’ve probably experienced decision fatigue albeit you didn’t realize at the time.
Ever click from a busy day at work and not been ready to decide what to possess for dinner? That’s decision fatigue…
As you'll imagine, decision fatigue only adds thereto horrible, completely overwhelmed and unmotivated feeling you get with depression.
So what does clutter need to do with it?
All that clutter that’s currently out, that you simply see a day , requires a choice from you.
Whether that call is to place it away, throw it away, or maybe to only postpone handling it until later, that’s still a choice made.
There could be twenty plus items on the table then you finish up making twenty decisions during a blink of an eye , and each time you walk past the table you'll be making those decisions everywhere again.
Then, of course, there's the remainder of the mess and clutter round the house that each time you walk past you'll be making a choice on…
It’s no wonder you are feeling panicky, anxious and seriously overwhelmed, or helpless and unable to relax and recharge.
You are constantly making of these decisions due to all that clutter and untidiness, and if you’re depressed you have already got less decision-making juice within the bank!
My solution; clean and tidy your space for ten minutes every day .
Just that tiny bit will cause you to feel such a lot better and begin to scale back those decisions you've got to form .
FOUR – PLAN OUT YOUR DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE
Again, this looks like an odd thing to suggest to assist depression but hear me out.
A massive a part of depression is that overwhelming feeling which will paralyze you and send you straight back to bed unable to face the day.
I often found i might rise up within the morning and it might appear to be there was such an insurmountable list of stuff to be addressed that I just couldn’t handle it.
However, if I mapped out my day the night before and wrote down everything I needed to try to to within the order i used to be getting to roll in the hay , it not seemed so scary.
Instead, I could just specialise in one task at a time and cross that off my list, then once I had completed that task I could move onto subsequent .
Sure, on some days I only managed the primary few items, shower and obtain dressed. But on other days I completed the entire list and wow, what a way of accomplishment that gave me.
SO, LET’S NOW PUT of these ITEMS TOGETHER SO you'll SEE WHAT MY DAILY SELF-CARE ROUTINE FOR DEPRESSION (AND ANXIETY) LOOKED LIKE:
- Take your medication
- Drink many water
- Eat some actual food
- Go for a walk outside for half-hour
- Socialize with another person
- Spend ten minutes tidying or cleaning your area
- Plan subsequent day
- Go to sleep at an inexpensive time
Pretty simple but it worked.
CAN I USE THIS DAILY SELF-CARE ROUTINE FOR ANXIETY AS WELL?
Yes! actually , you'll even call this an anxiety self-care checklist also because you'd want to finish an equivalent actions!
One thing i might say is you would possibly want to feature deep breathing to the checklist if anxiety is more of a problem for you as this will really help to calm you down.
I Know What You’re Thinking, That Each One Sounds Fantastic, But How Do I Buy Into Self-Care?
As in, how does one muster the motivation to truly complete the daily self-care checklist?It’s a catch 22 right? you are feeling unable to try to to those things which will cause you to feel better because Depression causes you to be unmotivated and overwhelmed.
And yet, doing those things will help reduce Depression and therefore the unmotivated and overwhelmed feelings.
My advice is to require it one item at a time. Call it a win if you manage to check one thing from the checklist. When you’re regularly doing that, call it a win if you'll check two things off the checklist.
If there's something on the checklist you absolutely hate doing, is there another, fun thanks to get an equivalent effect without doing that exact action.
Maybe you discover going for a walk outside seriously boring. Instead, you'll do yoga in your garden, or sit outside and have your lunch and attend the gym for a swim later to maneuver your body.
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