hether you're dealing with depression and want to supplement your chosen treatment methods with self-care, or are just in a serious funk, here are some tips for making life feel a little more manageable.
2. Make a "done" list instead of a "to-do" list.
3. Build a "make life a little easier" toolkit.
7. Volunteer at an animal shelter, play with friends' pets, or foster or adopt your own.
When you get too little or too much sleep, you want to be inactive, your thoughts get muddy and unclear, and depression will feel that much worse, clinical psychologistJennifer Taitz, Psy.D., tells BuzzFeed Life. Commit to sticking to a regular sleep schedule by setting a bedtime and wake time—and don't hit the snooze button.
11. Don't listen to sad music even if you want to. Create a happy playlist instead.
Research shows that music has the power to induce a mood, so prep a few uplifting playlists ahead of time. "It feels validating to listen to sad music when you're depressed at first, but it's actually an easy way to get stuck in that mood," says Taitz.
Here's the thing about making your bed: It takes two minutes, makes your space feel more put together, gives you a quick sense of accomplishment, and once it's done, you're much less likely to crawl back in and waste the day away. So do it.
13. Cuddle up with Netflix, but don't fall down the rabbit hole.
Instead, use your favorite comfort TV show as a reward for productivity, a way to wind down at the end of the day, or as a social activity.
"A lot of times, when people are depressed, their apartment looks depressing," says Taitz. Take good care of your living environment—clean it, decorate it to reflect your tastes, make it a place you want to exist in, not disappear from.
Comfort food is delicious and great in moderation, but when people are depressed, they sometimes eat more than they mean to. Then next thing you know, you feel like crap, physically and mentally. "It's a cycle," says Taitz. "You feel down, so you eat, then you gain weight, then you don't want to go out." Eating healthy foods will at least make you feel healthier physically even when you're emotionally a wreck.
16. Make a list of things to do when you're feeling overwhelmed with the world.
That means finding activities that won't just give you pleasure, like watching TV, but will also give you a sense of accomplishment. It could be anything from painting to learning guitar to running more miles to finishing a book—anything that you can get better with over time.
Getting bad thoughts out of your head and onto paper separates them from you. Keep it simple, though: Write down a thought and move on. If you go on for pages and pages, it's not going to help, says Taitz.
21. Put affirmation where you'll see it.
We go on autopilot and do rituals without asking ourselves what really matters—and then wind up overwhelmed with trying to fit everything in. Which emails can go without an instant reply? What stuff can you delegate to a coworker or a partner? You don't have to do it all. If you don't know where to start trimming, Taitz suggests setting a few goals each week and cutting things that aren't necessary to those goals.
Even if it's just for a brisk walk (which will get endorphins pumping, by the way), enjoying nature has many benefits. "Daylight boosts mood and helps regulate sleep/wake patterns, and nature helps calm our thoughts and get rid of distractions," says Bonior.
24. Plan your week so you don't make decisions based on your mood.
To keep yourself of falling into a cycle of "I'll do it tomorrow" while you spend your days in bed, Taitz suggests planning your week in advance to make sticking to day-to-day life easier. You can also write down how you felt after doing each activity so you can remind yourself in the future that getting out into the world makes you feel better, even when you don't want to at first.
Looking forward to things can be hard when you have depression, says Taitz, so it's helpful to have a big list of everything you want to do on hand to look at when things get tough. They could be concerts you want to go to or places you want to travel; whatever helps you look forward.
When you're dealing with depression, it's easy to think that you don't deserve to be treated with kindness—which is exactly why going out of your way to pamper yourself is an important part of self-care, says Taitz. Go all out with the spa treatment. Light candles, take a bubble bath, get a massage, pour a glass of wine…whatever it takes to get yourself to relax as much as you can.
31. Don't rely on yourself to get better.
These suggestions are a great way to make your depression feel a little lighter. But you should never be afraid to seek treatment, whether in the form of talking to someone , taking medication, or another method. It's not all on you.