Mental Health

Once or twice every year random events will make me slip into what I call a micro depression.

I've found the best approach for me is being kind to myself. Allowing myself to not do chores, dishes, whatever. Sleep in, order takeout.

Eventually after a week or two I'll get sick of myself being mopey and sedentary. I then will do a huge deep clean of the house on a Sunday, do all the chores, make any calls or appts I have to, etc. Really get dirty.

Then I start that Monday with a clean house, everything ready to get back on track and schedule. Very cathartic.

Exercise. A long bike ride somewhere new is best. Or push my limits, like go ride a couple hundred miles just because and do it in a loop where I don't see the same thing twice. Take a selfie somewhere unexpected and post it somewhere as bragging rights. One day, when you can no longer do those things, the pictures will matter to you a whole whole lot when all you can do is a short routine. If you are at all able, use the lows as a catalyst to plant your flag and push your boundaries. This will absolutely invert these moments in time where, with age, these memories will become high points in your life through the rose tinted glasses of hindsight. You'll never recall the reason you felt low but you will own your remarkable accomplishments for life. Over time your past lows stop compounding at the edge of memory. If you make such endeavors a part of your identity, lows may totally invert and become the motivation to get out and ride. Most cyclist roadies I know are driven by this mechanism. Exercise is the largest and most readily available, self accessible source of endorphins. Ultimately we are all chemistry, so don't hesitate to alter the reactions experiment with better ingredients.

I am getting out of a mild depression myself, one that was not helped by an extended bout of food sickness or related ( not sure what happened)

I work from home, with hours determined only by myself, and when I slip into depression I have no steady schedule.

So, I will try what worked before: a daily schedule that is constant, with exercise and good food

I tend to eat my feelings. Ain't the healthiest, but it's what I do

Talking helps too if you're up for it. I'll be around here and there the next few days if you're up for an asynchronous chat

Take a long walk, preferably in nature. Depression can't survive for 12,000 steps.

For me it was returning to Karate. Intense exercise for 1,5-2 hours 3 times per week really made me feel so much better.

Take long walks in nature, preferably not alone, but if you're into that, it's fine.

Stop domlom scrolling and try to skip negative news. Change your data intake to have more positive and wholesome media

With chemicals: proper food, and water. Also magnesium supplements, and maybe some fish oil. All those things help your brain.

And https://mynoise.net/ to sleep better.

Self care - just taking a shower/bath can reset me. Get a hair cut, mani/pedi etc.

Get something done - this is a hard one, but forcing myself to get a task done can get the ball rolling. Something as dumb as pulling weeds in my yard can clear my head, plus some sun really can make a difference if you tend to stay indoors.

Hang out with someone - also hard when depression kicks in, but they can help distract you from your thoughts.

It might not be your case, but for me these depressive episodes were connected with fatigue. Usually, depression causes fatigue, but in my case I decided to start with the lesser enemy.

I googled for FDA recommendations for chronic fatigue, ran through the list and figured out that I have vitamin D deficiency. I supplemented it and felt a bit better. Then I found B9 deficiency and started supplementing it as well.

What's got you so down?

FWIW, the Therapy in a Nutshell youtube channel has a lot of great content that can help you understand and move past things like depression, anxiety, etc.

Some times in life you are just putting one foot in front of the other. Don't focus on the totality of your problems, just look at the small things you can do to work those problems down. When something good happens, make sure to recognize it and think back on it when you're down. You don't beat this feeling all at once, you chip away a bit at a time and eventually find yourself in a better place.

My strategy for when I recognize this in myself:

• Stop whatever I'm doing. (I'm not going to make a good effort at it anyway)
• Take a vitamin D supplement. (I definitely don't get enough sun and that can boost my mood)
• Go for a 5-10 minute walk and try to get some fresh air while trying to sort out if there is a reason I feel that way.(If there isn't a reason, then fine, but if there is, you now have a problem that you can look at it more logically)

I watch videos of Russian soldiers getting annihilated on the Ukraine battlefield. It's not my go–to, but it's a strategy you don't hear a lot of other people suggesting.

quick check on your basics. sleep, hydration, food, hygiene. make sure they're square

if you're good on that front, get a good exercise session in (or work up to it, do a little bit of exercise over the next few days and build up your tolerance)

do something nice for yourself, something that preferably has a sensory component. have a nice meal with good smells and textures, or a warm bubble bath, or wash your blankets and curl up in them, or throw some ASMR on, or... you know, whatever does it for ya

go for a walk when the weather isn't too hot

good easy ways to pull yourself out of a slight dip. kinda been there myself, this the type of shit i been doing, too

@nonBInary@thelemmy.club !mentalhealth@lemmy.world

I particularly don't. It became so ingrained in my personality and essence that it's simply inseparable from who I am.