On Thursday September 10, I shared my presentation on “ Things you can do When you Feel Yourself Slipping “

     So, have you ever had a time in your life when all of a sudden you are not feeling at your peak mentally? I think we have all been there before. 

 When we are feeling more than a little depressed or anxious, that could be a sign we are slipping into a depression. Besides seeking help from our doctor, which of course is important, there are many coping ideas we can use to manage our symptoms. 

     Our coping skills may keep us from having a relapse. When we feel like we might be slipping back into a depression, we need to reach out to a family member or friend just to let them know how we are feeling. Depression will sometimes make us want to reduce our social life, which can make the symptoms of depression worse. So, if you have a friend or family member you can confide in, that will make a big difference. Always important is continuing the practice of self-care. There are many different things we can do to take care of ourselves that will help us improve our mental health, especially when we might feel a relapse coming. 

Get regular exercise…..walking outside, stretching, running, doing yoga, or working out at the gym are all great examples. My go to self care when I am having a tough time is to go for a walk. Walking helps me clear my mind of all of the negative thoughts. And often times when I am on my walk I will receive a friendly hello here and there from others along the way. Sometimes just the small act of exchanging pleasantries with someone might be exactly what you need to start your day out right. 

Stick to a regular sleep schedule….try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. 

Try using a light therapy lamp….UV light lamps help to mimic sunlight, and are helpful especially if you have seasonal depression, or live somewhere where there’s not much light in the Winter.

 Take a vitamin D supplement…similar to the UV lamp, vitamin D can help to alleviate depression related to lack of sunlight. 

Maintaining a routine…..Make sure you are taking care of basic hygiene so you feel like you are in a routine, such as showering ( yes even if you are working from home) getting dressed every day, and brushing your teeth.

Track your Mood …..

When we have dealt with depression in the past, we should try to become aware of our moods and how they may change each day. One way to do this is by using a mood tracker. 

Sometimes mood trackers will allow us to rate our mood from 1 to 10, or add details on what is happening that day. 

So, I have actually tried this for the few couple of weeks, and it was very fascinating to me. I made it simple and kept a tally in a notebook. Next to the date/day of the week I wrote down a number from 1-10 that best described my mood for the day. I usually waited to give myself a score until later in the day. My average number each day was an 8.  Not bad, huh? 

Gratitude… Another way to keep away depression and anxiety, is to start being more grateful. When you are grateful and feeling good with how things currently are, your physical health may reflect that. You’re more likely to exercise and eat better, taking care of your health.

The best way to make gratitude a habit is by not waiting for special moments.

Be thankful for the warm cup of coffee or tea you are enjoying. 

 Be grateful and appreciate the roof you have over your head, and for the food on your plate. 

 Be appreciative of the customer in line at the grocery store who let you go ahead of them. 

Take a moment to be grateful when a best friend or your Mother texted you to see how you’re feeling. 

 Do gratitude exercises … Take a walk and be thankful for each thing you see: trees, flowers, the sky, the birds. 

Call someone who did something kind and tell them how much you appreciate them. Write a letter to someone to express appreciation for something they did for you. 

I find that when I am grateful to others and actually take the time to say thank you to someone, it makes me feel better and often times it will cause me to forget what I may have been so anxious about.