What little things help you get through life?

@KnitnNatterAuntie has the same idea! Journels are great

When I feel low and overwhelmed I write things down in my notebook. It's like talking to myself to remind me what I can achieve when I am not working and have no energy.

Also, if I make an effort to put a bit of makeup on and go out somewhere I feel better. It might be just for a coffee and cake.

Agree with @setmestraightplease . The derision you are describing is unlikely to lift because you go for a walk or eat chocolate or buy a new hand cream . Are you getting any treatment for your depression?

A bath, bed, a long sleep in, some nice food, a good chat with a friend, curry and wine.

I've been through several periods like this and what has really helped me is to write in a journal.

Sometimes I just write lists of what I've done during the day, even what I've watched on the TV, meals I've eaten, people I've spoken to.

Then put a star next to things you've enjoyed and a cross next to things that have been stressful, upsetting etc.

After a few days you can see what makes you happy and what doesn't. Hopefully this will highlight the areas of your life that you can build on and those you need to change

All the best, OP, hope all the support you're getting on here will help you

Things that help me are:

Going to the local library and choosing a new book to read. I can spend ages just browsing the shelves and I find it peaceful in there. I only borrow one book at a time which makes me go back regularly to return it and borrow something new.....and stops me feeling overwhelmed with lots of unread books on my "to do" list.

Having a set routine in the morning and evenings. Mornings I get up, turn down my duvet and open my bedroom window to air the room. Then I get dressed, take my vitamins and brush my teeth and hair. Evenings I get straight in the shower after work (I don't wash my hair every time but even two minutes washing my body in the shower makes me feel better.) Then into comfortable clothes or pyjamas. I read my book for half an hour every night before I go to sleep. It means that even if everything else has gone to shit I am clean, I've taken some vitamin supplements, I've aired my room, my teeth and hair are brushed etc.

Going on a walk listening to a good audiobook or podcast.

Getting a surprise message from DGS1 telling me he loves me ❤️ always puts a smile on my face.

To add to the good ideas already given-

A bit of self massage, hands and/or feet- with some nice moisturiser if you've got it.

A colouring book, loads of different themes and style- treat yourself too some nice colouring pens or pencils. Have some favourite music/podcast/audiobook on in the background (BBC sounds has free ones)

Looking after small things: give yourself credit if you're keeping on top of little chores/bits of self care- or if that feels too much right now, maybe pick one or two things to start doing.

It's rubbish to be feeling this way- good luck and take care of yourself as best you can

A nice cake and a cup of tea after a long walk

Reading a good book

Cuddling my dog on the settee

An hour at the gym, even if it's just to walk on the treadmill whilst listening to a podcast

Just noticing stuff around me: people - buildings - plants & flowers - animals - the sky - the weather... there's so much beauty around us if we just take the time to appreciate it!

@SpeedbirdSquawker if you already live with depression and now have work stress on top of that, I'm not surprised you're not 'feeling your best self at the moment'

If you

'don't have a good support system, have a few fairweather friends' , are
'finding life really hard at the moment' and' each day you wake up feeling disappointed I haven't died in the night'
then you clearly need more help than you're getting at the minute

'Life seems to consist of me crying, going to work, crying there and going to bed.
I don't like where I live, which I know only I can change. My neighbours are arseholes'

Is there anything you do to make life a bit more fulfilling? Just little things.

Honestly (and meant as kindly as it can be) ........... all the advice given here isn't really going to help at the minute because you have no motivation.

You don't need to do this on your own - and you shouldn't be trying to do this on your own.
When you feel this low, it's so hard to find the motivation to do things.

Speak with your GP (eek! if you can get an appointment😬) and ask for advice on how to get through this.

They may recommend anti-depressants as a short term solution -- which would surely help??

And then, when you're feeling more positive, you'll feel able to take up some of the excellent suggestions on this thread to keep you going x

Spending as much time outdoors as possible. Doesn’t matter whether you’re gardening, exercising, reading or snoozing. It resets and rebalances you, is calming and refreshing and never a waste of time.

Swimming in the sea

Firstly I would suggest spending some time in the company of little children, ie children aged between about 2 1/2 and 5. They have such an inquisitive, positive outlook on life, it's contagious. They are too young to be cynical. Everything is interesting, everything is exciting and new, everything is fun.
They are challenging at times of course but, on the whole, young children are a joy to be around. They help you to see the world through fresh eyes and see the wonders in the everyday things we adults take for granted.

Secondly, I would suggest trying group singing. Join a local community choir and belt out some songs in the company of others. Singing forces you to breathe deeply, which is good for you, and it also releases some feelgood hormones.

Thirdly (and this is not from personal experience because I'm scared of water) I've heard that cold water swimming wakes up the senses and invigorates the spirit. If you like swimming, maybe you could join a local wildwater swimming club and give it go? Alternatively, I've heard that a cold shower can have the same effect - but you wouldn't of course have the social aspect of being part of a club.

ChinaBlueBell · Today 16:15
Is there a nice small local church (or whatever faith you follow if indeed you do)? I am seeing people increasingly isolated as they no longer have a community which is exactly what places of worship provide. Anyway, it’s an idea if that appeals to you.

You know, I think there's a niche for a kind of 'secular church' for people who don't have religious faith to go to regularly. For those who do have faith, going to church gives you so much: a ready-made social circle, clubs and activities, support when you need it, the chance to enjoy singing together and other social events.

I think someone did set up a secular church somewhere in London??

Is there a nice small local church (or whatever faith you follow if indeed you do)? I am seeing people increasingly isolated as they no longer have a community which is exactly what places of worship provide. Anyway, it’s an idea if that appeals to you.

Another thing, OP - although it's usually frowned on to 'live in a bubble', in your situation where you feel so vulnerable and say you have little support from friends and family, please don't feel guilty about creating a nice, safe bubble for yourself.

I could see myself doing this - listening to lovely music, watching TV etc about art, history and things that interest me. Making my personal space as nice as I can and sod everybody else! There's nothing wrong with that in the short term when you are feeling vulnerable, and especially if you have horrible neighbours who make you feel insecure. Could you sew something - a cushion cover, simple curtains etc or do another creative project which calms you and will improve your home? Are you any good at painting - could you create greetings cards for friends?

But in the long term, you also need to try and get out to do something which you love and where you'll meet other people who enrich your life. I see that you work, but does that leave time for a bit of volunteering? My friend is involved with the Cinnamon Trust (a charity which provides help with pets for people who are too ill or infirm to walk their dogs etc). If you like animals, you could apply to them and get involved in walking someone's dog, or looking after someone's cat. You also get involved with the people as well. Go online and look for something you would like to join or attend - there's bound to be something.

The gym!

When I was depressed if someone had suggested the gym, I would have rolled my eyes and thought they knew nothing of how being depressed makes exercise feel impossible.

But I've been consistently weight training in the gym for 5/6 months now and love the happy buzz I get from a great workout. It gives me something else to focus on, which I really needed as depression keeps you locked in your negative thoughts.

Wishing you all the best, you've got this!

some really fantastic ideas on this thread for when everything gets a bit too much
🙏✨

Subscribe to a magazine (or two) I love. Subscriptions are soooo cheap vs the cover price, you'd be amazed. Like £20 a year for something that's otherwise £3-4 an issue. It's such a lovely treat when they arrive each month and I sit in bed and read them with a cup of tea.

Find interesting local walks in my area. There are always local history/nature societies that put walks online or in leaflets and walking around discovering interesting things about your area, be it city, suburb or country, and seeing things you'd never even noticed before, is very enriching plus it gets you out the house.

Commit to learning a bit about birds and plants. I was on a walk once with people who could identify every plant and tree in the hedgerows and every bird we heard and it made me realise how little I knew about the world around me. It's fun to go out even into a park and learn about things.

Browse in a really good bookshop.

Cross stitch (as someone else has suggested - it really is very therapeutic as it's a sort of meditative concentration) with a great audiobook. You can find things like Agatha Christie audiobooks uploaded for free onto YouTube.

Just bumping this thread!

Ooh that sounds tough, OP. It's awful having nasty neighbours and all you can realistically do sometimes is to keep your head down and avoid them as much as possible.

I love nature, especially birds, but I don't know if you can access any nice outdoor areas where you live?? Would it be possible to have a bird feeder so you can watch them - I could do that all day if I had nothing else to do!

I also enjoy listening to music and reading, which are things you can do in your own space. I enjoy trying to create the perfect cast of actors for any book I've read - it's like a game and it might take some time to get it right to your satisfaction!

Something I enjoy is keeping scrapbooks of news events and things I've done. I was inspired by a lecture about scrapbooks kept by a schoolgirl during the war in which she combined a sort of personal diary with recording events in the wider world and stuck in all sorts of leaflets, adverts, pictures, newspaper cuttings, pressed flowers, drawings etc. It's fascinating to look back on and you can actually make the scrapbook as attractive as you like. It might sound childish, but you're making a record for posterity!

On a more ambitious level - could you start a blog on some topic of interest to you? The quality of blogs varies enormously, so don't feel it has to be a masterpiece. Just walks you've been on, places you've visited, thoughts and interests you have etc. A friend writes about interesting historical London pubs, for eg, and I do one on the local waterfowl on a nearby lake, which sounds crazy but I've had a lot of positive feedback!!! I think for a basic blog you can find info online about starting and it becomes really absorbing and takes you to another place. And you'll get others interested too.

Good luck, OP, and I really hope things get better for you soon. Of course, there's TV and other media - loads of good things available to take you somewhere else for a while.

Go for a potter round areas you might like to move to. See if there is anything affordable to you. Are you renting or selling?

Walking in nature
Borrowing neighbour’s dogs
Good body care - nice shower gel/oil and body lotion.

Reading
Looking at old photos

Nature, sunshine, listening to the birds.

Get a bicycle. Any old thing and a pair of shorts to protect your bum. I wear them under working trousers as I don't want to be seen as one of those men.
Cycle into the country...not far to start.. You will see things that gladden your heart...this week swallows, a lamb sat next to a preening goose, swans building a nest, a gang of ducks making an dreadful noise, a toddler in a scooter rolling downhill with mum running like is in this year's Olympics.

You will get an endorphin rush, you will feel a sense of achievement as you explore more and more. Plus you can carry a picnic, I even carry a stove and kettle in the winter.
It's the closest to flying that a human will ever achieve