Weekends are tough for me – I rarely have responsibilities or plans, so I wind up feeling trapped in my apartment, unable to leave or do anything productive.
Today, I’m sharing some things I do to try (and am currently doing) to stave off the depression descent. The effectiveness of these tips will vary based on how depressed you’re feeling.
Please read like this is one long inspirational poster.
1. Open the Windows
When you find yourself feeling trapped inside, suffocating from stale air, and/or don’t have the energy to take a walk – open the windows! The fresh air will give you a little jolt, especially if it’s cold. A good dose of fresh, cold air usually clears my head a bit.
2. Clean Your Living Space
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” (Albert Einstein)
I’m clean but messy. My tiny apartment can get into disarray in a matter of minutes. A tidy living space makes me feel like more of a regular human being. Plus, cleaning up a bit might make you feel productive!
3. Clean Yourself
Feeling depressed? Take a shower! Don’t have the energy for a shower? Take a bath or run hot water over your head. When feeling gross on the inside it gets very easy to not shower and start to feel gross on the outside.
4. Change your clothes
Hand in hand with cleaning yourself – don’t stay in the same clothes for days on end. They will get gross. You will feel gross. Change your clothes. Change your attitude.
5. Turn on Lights
When depressed, I tend to live in darkness with the computer screen as the only light source. The dark, especially dark with only the computer glow, can make you headache-y, lonely, and sleepy. Turn on the lights.
6. Prepare Food and Eat it
I’m not talking about real cooking (especially since I don’t cook.) This tip can be renamed simply “eat,” if you’d like. But I find even the simple task of chopping up vegetables or making a sandwich makes me feel marginally better. Also, try to eat healthy, as carb and/or sugar heavy foods might make you feel more depressed.
7. Sit/Lay Somewhere Different
This one is the hardest for me – my apartment is so small that my sitting/laying options are 1. bed, 2. kitchen chair. So I wind up sitting/laying in bed 90% of the time. Strangely enough, switching to the kitchen chair makes me feel better. This one might only work if you are feeling really depressed.
MBC
/ February 3, 2013Great post! Easy to let the little things get away from you. I’m the same way on cluttering things up quickly.
simplybluey
/ February 3, 2013Great post, if it wasn’t for doing animal rescue and having little furry beings that depend on me, weekends would be unbearable for me.Thanks for the great tips!
Lunch Sketch
/ February 4, 2013Thanks for sharing that. A good reminder for me and I hope they are being effective for you at present.