Top 10 Depression tips
Repair Damaged Items
In our grandparent’s upbringing, if something broke or wore out, you’d find a way to fix it. Items were built for quality and fast fashion wasn’t even an idea. If your chair broke, you’d fix it. Clothing would be mended and patches added. Learning to sew and general this time. One of my favorite garage sale finds old cast iron. Typically the pans are neglected and rusty. With a little TLC, the cast iron is easily brought back to its former glory. Since they were “ugly” and rusted, you can usually negotiate the price down.
Complete Tasks Yourself
Instead of hiring out, learn how to do tasks around the house for yourself such as painting and other maintenance tasks. Sources such as YouTube are great to learn how to fix a leaking sink or change your car’s burnt-out headlight. Many of the tasks we outsource can be done by us with only a little bit of forethought.
Look for Ways to Save Energy
Turn off electronics when not in use. Turn off the lights. Set a timer on your air conditioner and heater, so it isn’t running when you are not at home. Be aware of ghost energy usage and use plugin strips to turn off electronics at night at the strip.
Do a workout
Once again, a Quora user has great insight into overcoming depressed feelings:
“Workout (is) the best way to release anger. The more angry you are, (the greater) will be your workout. And once you are done with you workout your anger will be gone and you will be more relaxed. If you talk about depression, it will motivate (you) to (go) workout.”
Like dance, aerobic exercise benefits the brain in several ways. First, exercise stimulates the heart, which in turn releases more blood. Blood flow is an important element of cognitive health because it delivers oxygen to your brain cells. Second, exercise releases endorphins which are potent anti-stress hormones. Third, exercise (especially of the aerobic variety) enhances neurogenesis – or the growth of new brain cells. Dr. Michel Craig Miller, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, agrees! In a 2021 article, he says:
“For some people, it [exercise] works as well as antidepressants, although exercise alone isn’t enough for someone with severe depression.”
Coping with depression – Knowing when to get professional help.
If you have the feeling coping with depression is too difficult for you and the depression is getting worse and worse, then please reach out for professional help. Online therapy is ideal for those who can’t drag themselves out of bed, who can’t motivate them to go out or who simply prefer their own place to have treatment.
Get creative and make do with What You have.
This is another way of saying using everything up, however, one thing everyone did during this period of 1930’s frugality is to find other ways to use something rather than buy something for a problem. For instance, if you need places to store your bulk goods, start saving glass jars from packaging to use rather than buying mason jars for it.
Save On Utilities
It’s no secret that turning off a light when you leave a room and not leaving water running saves money. Perhaps start thinking even more frugally. In the Depression Era, single household laundry rooms with washers and dryers were only a dream. Your options were washboard or be dirty. Drying clothes was done outside in the sun or indoors during bad weather. I’m not suggesting we abandon our electric washers, only pointing out that d our clothes quickly is optional. During nice weather, instead of running your dryer, hang your clothes outside to dry. Here are guides for building your own clothesline and repurposing an old pair of khakis into a clothespin bag.
Set Boundaries and Limitations.
Just because you can work from home and check your email at 2 am doesn’t mean that you should. Learn to set your boundaries. Limit digital contact. Limit work to work hours and stick to it.
Be happy with what you have
It’s really hard in this day and age to not want more. We have so many products, places and things we are always pressured to buy or go to. Consider what you already have before buying something else. Can you use something you already own for that problem? Do you really need it or are you feeling the pressure to keep up with others?
Complete One Thing at a Time
We are only neurologically capable of doing one thing at a time. Multitasking is a myth and, when attempted, has been shown to take up to 40% longer to complete a task.[7] Don’t waste your precious time and energy doing many things at once. Instead, focus on one task at a time.