2 Simple Strategies to Ease Depression
And how anyone can improve their feelings on a daily basis.
There are many things we can try that may alleviate depression. However, most people that are feeling very down and disconnected need something really simple that they can do to feel better.
After all, when you’re depressed, you don’t have energy, motivation or feelings of hope or gratefulness, but you may often have truckloads of cynicism, self-pity and negativity, so you need to be able to do something really easy that will help. So, based on my own experience, here are two of the most effective strategies.
1. Create ‘Small Wins’
What this means is, on a daily basis, you think of simple, small actions that you can take, and make into enjoyable pockets of time. This may not sound like much, but what it actually does, is help your mind to focus on something that can make you feel a bit better.
The more you create ‘small wins’, the more you will start to believe that you do actually have a more positive, cheerful side to yourself that you can access. Also, if you plan a few small wins per day, your mind anticipates the rewards in advance, which helps you stay on track.
A little progress each day adds up to big results — (Anon.)
Small wins can be tied in with daily necessary chores, e.g. cleaning/tidying, and/or they can be purely for the purpose of pleasure, e.g. watching birds and squirrels in the garden for 10 minutes.
Take Action
If you can space 4 small wins over each day, you will eventually start to notice other positive aspects of life without even trying. You’ll also realise that small wins really do improve your state of mind and can be continued whenever you like for the benefit of wellbeing.
N.B: Small wins are not about what you can achieve, they are only about the process; the fact that you will improve your emotional state by taking small positive actions daily. It’s also worth noting that good feelings come after positive actions; not the other way round.
Every Small Win leads to brighter days
Every small win that you have will stack up in your memory bank and eventually improve the way you see yourself and your confidence in your ability to get things done. To make things easy, write down a specific time and day in advance, for each activity.
Look for tiny sparkles of enjoyment
To clarify, below are some examples of small wins, but they’re most effective when you create your own. As long as you can extract a tiny bit of positivity, productivity, satisfaction or joy from your actions, they are worth doing.
The trick is to keep any task easy and of short duration (approx. 10–20 minutes) and customise it to please you in some small way. Keep asking yourself: What simple thing can I do to improve my feelings today? The more you ponder this question, the more ideas will start to reveal themselves.
Examples of ‘Small Wins’
Cleaning and tidying — doesn’t have to be dull
If parts of your home need cleaning or tidying, select a small area only, such as a computer desk or kitchen drawer. Before you start working, put on some good music in the background, or anything you like listening to, and give yourself about 20 minutes to complete the job. Once the time is up, stop and reward yourself with a small treat of your choice.
A reward is important because it increases your ability to feel willing to do mundane things and makes you feel appreciated. If you don’t finish the job in time, carry on if you wish to, but don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t finished and now don’t feel able to continue.
When you get tired, learn to rest, not quit — (Banksy)
Remember, it’s still a ‘small win’ if you have been productive for 20 minutes, especially when you’re depressed, so be proud of all the efforts you make. You can always finish up by placing the task in a later time slot.
A pleasurable Small Win — Make yourself a drink that you love
Set aside a time of day when you make yourself your most favourite drink of choice, a creamy coffee or whatever you like (excluding alcohol). Then go and sit in a favourite place and simply relax and enjoy the slow pleasure and taste for 20 minutes.
Having said that, some people feel guilty for spending time on personal enjoyment, but it is essential for good mental health. Even when you do not believe it, you are a highly valuable and unique person, never to be repeated, and your nature and short time on this earth must be respected and celebrated if you are to feel good.
Ideas for Small Wins
- Play a ball game with your dog or cat for 10 minutes.
- Rearrange a small bookshelf, some photos or ornaments, or paint a small plant pot. Stick fun photos on your fridge. Do a pencil drawing of people, pets or things you have loved. If you can’t draw, it’s even more amusing!
- Place a vase of bright fresh flowers in a room where you will often see them.
- Phone someone who you think may be lonely but would love a little chat. Just trying to help someone else and trying to keep the conversation positive is remarkably effective at lifting your own mood, as it makes you feel more connected to other people, and helpful. It’s a win-win.
- Read a story on Medium for 10 minutes.
- Listen to an uplifting speech or TED Talk on your computer, or listen to a short comedy programme on the radio, and turn off all negative news on the TV.
- Go for a short walk in a peaceful area.
The above are just some ideas for small wins, but there are potentially hundreds of small wins that you could create, you just need to use your imagination.
2. Write a Gratitude List
Write a list, one in the morning and one at night, of five things you could be grateful for, if you wanted to be. Since gratefulness is a world away from depression, this task simply requires that you imagine and write down anything you can think of; big, small, trivial or important, that you could choose to appreciate in your life (even if you’re not feeling it right now).
Some examples:-
You have a comfortable bed, a sunny room, you make a mean latte, you’re good at maths, you have a lovely friend, a fabulous power-shower, etc.
Keep the gratitude lists you make so that you don’t repeat anything on any two lists. After a while of writing these lists twice a day, you will find that you experience new happier thoughts to match, and you can also think of more things you’re grateful for — which is a great result.
Final thoughts
I hope the above strategies work out well for you, and please be kind and patient with yourself. The last thing you need is negative judgment from anyone — especially when you’re depressed.
© America Zed. Other Self-Help Stories by America Zed.