It's blasphemy to most people, but for me: no caffeine ever. It's much easier for me to regulate my mood when I don't have it.
Other than that, I also try to limit my fanfic reading to bedtime so I'm not tempted to skip obligations to finish a fic, and I do my best to get to bed early enough that I get a reasonable amount of sleep. I'm having a hard time succeeding at the latter part right now.
I quit drinking coffee for this exact reason, but I will only give up tea when they drag it from my cold, dead hands.
I'm coming off of a fanfic binge of the last month or so, because my old job was so boring that I literally had nothing to do besides read on my phone. I don't think I can limit it to bedtime, because opening my laptop up when I'm in bed is a recipe for insomnia, but I think I'll try to do this.
Somehow, the thought of your cold dead hands, is way less disgusting than the thought of Heston's. But then, he was pretty disgusting even while alive.
For me, days where I do nothing are kind of the norm and what lead to my lowest moods. So when I'm consciously trying to break out of it, I go exploring. Groupons are pretty much my favorite thing ever. You snag a bunch because of the deal and not the location, then you get to learn about new neighborhoods, new eateries, etc...
Ooh, yeah. This sounds fantastic. Especially since I'm, you know, living in this new city and everything, and haven't explored it as much as I really should have.
I really can't recommend this enough. It works so well for getting to know new places. I have geographical knowledge now. I never have geographical knowledge.
IT TOOK ME TWO WEEKS TO REALIZE THAT THE LAKE = EAST. I remember the first week after I moved here, I got so horrendously lost, and the city is a grid. A GRID. It really could not be any easier to navigate Chicago.
I've had depressive episodes that have dragged on for several years. For me it's not so much a matter of pulling myself out of particular funks so much as making some really big changes to stop myself from digging myself new lows all the time. So, with that in mind, I have no idea if any of this will help.
I went on antidepressants, which I don't recommend to everyone for every situation. But it pulled me out of the fog enough to do the rest on this list, which was all impossible in the state I was in.
I exercise. Boxing has always been a big boost to my self-esteem. I find this hard to keep up, though, as I'm not really an active person.
I read a book called The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns. It's maybe the only self-help book I've ever bothered with, but I loved the logical, systematic approach at seeing why your thoughts get you down.
I took up Buddhist meditation and read Buddhist books. Again, I push this on no one, but it helped me.
The hardest one is to try not to beat myself up too much when I do feel down.
I will also play some internet doctor, because one of the things about this time of year that gets me down is lack of sun. I'm currently taking up a vitamin D regimen (as it's also supposed to help with the myriad of other dumb health issues I have + mental issues), and am looking into a sun lamp. My friend in Boston got one and it has really done wonders for how her falls and winters go.
As for self-care, I have basically winnowed it down to one rule for myself, which is: try to be more compassionate for myself. If I'm too down to cook and have to eat a frozen meal, be happy because at least I'm eating and able to do that. If I'm too tired to put in extra time at work, it's alright and I'm not a huge failure. If I don't have the mental capacity to write or do homework but I cleaned the apartment, then I should be happy about that. Etc. It's all about balance, obviously, but it's helped.
I read this book, How to Be Sick, this summer, and it has really helped me uh, I guess mentally arrange things better for myself.
AH YES! I have heard of this magical vitamin D. I did end up buying some during my crappy winter, but forgot to take them (like a boss.) I might see about actually investing in some more supplements. Apparently, you can also get it from fish, but I live in the middle of the country now. :/
I'll take a look at the book. I sometimes wonder if this is less depression, more existential angst and ennui. My entire family suffers from what my sister likes to call "artistic temperaments." Then I remember, no, about half of us have been diagnosed with mood disorders as well. *shrug*
I just bought a bunch because it comes in gummy format now, and those are really the only vitamins I want to take (I end up with about 9 pills a day now? (ugh sorry if this is all TMI)).
I don't know if the book is going to really be on-point with what you're going through, but it does talk a lot about self compassion, which is pretty important!
I tend to find that existential angst really just exacerbates my depression/anxiety, so you know. Could be both.
If I can talk about my dildos/sex-life/gender crises, you can talk about your pills. No such thing as TMI on my LJ.
I think that my depression exacerbates my existential angst, rather than the other way around. The latter is the more constant thing. (I blame reading too many dystopic novels as an adolescent.)
Also, while it does nothing to get at the roots of depression, you should totally have something warm under which to sleep. Also, do I have it right that you'll be in my city this weekend? If so, let's go dancing and say snarky things in french (I know I know, all french is snarky) about our fellow patrons.
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Other than that, I also try to limit my fanfic reading to bedtime so I'm not tempted to skip obligations to finish a fic, and I do my best to get to bed early enough that I get a reasonable amount of sleep. I'm having a hard time succeeding at the latter part right now.
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I'm coming off of a fanfic binge of the last month or so, because my old job was so boring that I literally had nothing to do besides read on my phone. I don't think I can limit it to bedtime, because opening my laptop up when I'm in bed is a recipe for insomnia, but I think I'll try to do this.
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I'll look into the rest of this stuff, except for the anti-depressants, which I'm... not interested in/scared shitless of. Thanks, bb! <3333
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As for self-care, I have basically winnowed it down to one rule for myself, which is: try to be more compassionate for myself. If I'm too down to cook and have to eat a frozen meal, be happy because at least I'm eating and able to do that. If I'm too tired to put in extra time at work, it's alright and I'm not a huge failure. If I don't have the mental capacity to write or do homework but I cleaned the apartment, then I should be happy about that. Etc. It's all about balance, obviously, but it's helped.
I read this book, How to Be Sick, this summer, and it has really helped me uh, I guess mentally arrange things better for myself.
edited for typo.
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I'll take a look at the book. I sometimes wonder if this is less depression, more existential angst and ennui. My entire family suffers from what my sister likes to call "artistic temperaments." Then I remember, no, about half of us have been diagnosed with mood disorders as well. *shrug*
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I don't know if the book is going to really be on-point with what you're going through, but it does talk a lot about self compassion, which is pretty important!
I tend to find that existential angst really just exacerbates my depression/anxiety, so you know. Could be both.
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I think that my depression exacerbates my existential angst, rather than the other way around. The latter is the more constant thing. (I blame reading too many dystopic novels as an adolescent.)
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Also, do I have it right that you'll be in my city this weekend? If so, let's go dancing and say snarky things in french (I know I know, all french is snarky) about our fellow patrons.
Reply
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