Okay - so, by ‘defeat’ I don’t mean ‘get rid of completely.’ (I hope you do, of course, but that might not be realistic.) But I do mean ‘don’t be defeated by depression’, or ‘function better, and feel better faster’.
Here are some suggestions which might help when depression threatens to overwhelm you (with the proviso, of course, that they in no way represent a substitute for appropriate medical advice – if you have access to it):
1. Do something for 10 minutes. Use a kitchen timer if you have one. Even if you are struggling to concentrate, you can probably manage it if you know you only have to keep going for 10 minutes. Once you’ve done 10 minutes, you may find that you can manage another 10 minutes – either straightaway, or after a short break. If not – well, at least you have done something for 10 minutes.
2. If you can’t manage a difficult task, pick an easier one. It’s better to do an easier task than to do nothing at all – especially if it gives you more time to tackle harder tasks later, when you feel better able to cope with them.
3. If a task seems too complicated, write down the steps you need to take to accomplish it. Then tackle the first one.
4. If you are overwhelmed by problems, identify one thing which you could do to change things for the better and either do it (if it’s simple), or see 3. above.
5. Avoid ‘all or nothing’ thinking – as in ‘I can’t manage to do all the things on my ‘to do’ list today, so I won’t be able to do any of them’. It’s better to do some things, even if there are still things you ought to have done and haven’t. At least there won’t be so many of them as there would have been if you hadn’t done anything at all.
6. Do something different. While there may be much to be said for routine when it comes to remembering to do important things, or completing complex tasks gradually, introducing an element of novelty to your daily activities can help to wake up a bored brain. You don’t have to try something difficult or extraordinary (although you could); just reading a different newspaper or magazine or type of book, watching a different type of television programme, or listening to a different radio station might be enough. Or you could try a different kind of food or restaurant, or take a different route to work or the shops.
7. Do something which makes a positive difference to the world. For example, you could make a donation, no matter how small, to the Disasters Emergency Committee (www.dec.org.uk).
8. Do some exercise if you are able to – e.g. walking for 20 minutes, or as long as you can manage.
9. Read something uplifting. A list of suggestions may be found here: http://readingagency.org.uk/adults/tips/reading-well-mood-boosting-books-list.html
10. Listen to positive music. A list of suggestions may be found here: http://www.hopeinhardtimes.co.uk/music---a-list-of-positive-songs
11. Talk to someone. If there’s no one available, try an internet chat room, or the Samaritans on http://www.samaritans.org Beware of those forms of social media on which it may seem that others are having a much better time than you are. Chances are, they aren’t – but their apparent cheerfulness might not be the best remedy for your depression.
12. Remember that you are not alone. The World Health Organization estimates that 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/)
Text © Elizabeth Burns, 2015
Image © Anne Peach, 2015
Here are some suggestions which might help when depression threatens to overwhelm you (with the proviso, of course, that they in no way represent a substitute for appropriate medical advice – if you have access to it):
1. Do something for 10 minutes. Use a kitchen timer if you have one. Even if you are struggling to concentrate, you can probably manage it if you know you only have to keep going for 10 minutes. Once you’ve done 10 minutes, you may find that you can manage another 10 minutes – either straightaway, or after a short break. If not – well, at least you have done something for 10 minutes.
2. If you can’t manage a difficult task, pick an easier one. It’s better to do an easier task than to do nothing at all – especially if it gives you more time to tackle harder tasks later, when you feel better able to cope with them.
3. If a task seems too complicated, write down the steps you need to take to accomplish it. Then tackle the first one.
4. If you are overwhelmed by problems, identify one thing which you could do to change things for the better and either do it (if it’s simple), or see 3. above.
5. Avoid ‘all or nothing’ thinking – as in ‘I can’t manage to do all the things on my ‘to do’ list today, so I won’t be able to do any of them’. It’s better to do some things, even if there are still things you ought to have done and haven’t. At least there won’t be so many of them as there would have been if you hadn’t done anything at all.
6. Do something different. While there may be much to be said for routine when it comes to remembering to do important things, or completing complex tasks gradually, introducing an element of novelty to your daily activities can help to wake up a bored brain. You don’t have to try something difficult or extraordinary (although you could); just reading a different newspaper or magazine or type of book, watching a different type of television programme, or listening to a different radio station might be enough. Or you could try a different kind of food or restaurant, or take a different route to work or the shops.
7. Do something which makes a positive difference to the world. For example, you could make a donation, no matter how small, to the Disasters Emergency Committee (www.dec.org.uk).
8. Do some exercise if you are able to – e.g. walking for 20 minutes, or as long as you can manage.
9. Read something uplifting. A list of suggestions may be found here: http://readingagency.org.uk/adults/tips/reading-well-mood-boosting-books-list.html
10. Listen to positive music. A list of suggestions may be found here: http://www.hopeinhardtimes.co.uk/music---a-list-of-positive-songs
11. Talk to someone. If there’s no one available, try an internet chat room, or the Samaritans on http://www.samaritans.org Beware of those forms of social media on which it may seem that others are having a much better time than you are. Chances are, they aren’t – but their apparent cheerfulness might not be the best remedy for your depression.
12. Remember that you are not alone. The World Health Organization estimates that 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/)
Text © Elizabeth Burns, 2015
Image © Anne Peach, 2015