Tell me, if you are feeling sad, what small things do you do to prevent depression

I'm bipolar and had ASD and I'm going through the start of my annual dip. It's not too bad right now but Im still putting things in place now to help myself in the near future.

I've put all of the things I can on regular subscribe and save or recurrent deliveries. Washing up stuff, laundry stuff, toilet rolls, soap/shampoo/conditioner. I'm currently decorating the second to last room in my new house and it's made me realise how having a messy house directly impacts my mood so I'm working as hard as I can for the next few days to try and get it sorted out. I'll get the stairs and landing decorated/carpeted in the new year and I'm paying somebody to do that. I'm not doing any more of I can help it.

What really helps me is to be creative when I can. I'm a glass artist and I also enjoy crochet, house plants and propagating them. I find doing something nice for other people makes me feel great. I make a cake or fresh fruit loaf or cinnamon rolls etc, and take some to my family members or even give them to my DH to take to work. I collect a pack of dog treats/tins/cat food every for shop and take them to the local animal shelter every 6 weeks or so. But the biggest thing that's made me happier is to make a very direct effort to compliment other people. It was hard at first but if I see somebody and think "she has nice hair" I actually say it out loud to them and it's like a domino effect. Bringing a smile to another woman's face is contagious. It comes naturally now and I love it. I've never had a negative reaction either. I also really enjoy mindfulness and if I'm feeling terrible or sad I make an effort to write down things in grateful for and happy times in my life.

Love this, thinking of hot milk for that extra nice drink, and turning the flower so you see it and it creates another pin prick in the black sheet of darkness.

Exercise. Speak to another person and get absorbed in a conversation. Change of scene.

Hope you feel brighter soon BlairAtholl. This thread has helped me already as every day feels like a battle with my own brain at the moment.
The Audible version of the Julie Smith 'Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before' book has been really good listening so far too as it's accessible and bite size-y.
I must take the walk idea on but getting presentable eluded me yesterday...

OP I just wanted to thank you, so this has been so helpful.
I have been going through a particularly low phase at the moment and to all those who have said about going for a walk I have to say totally agree. I have forced myself out of a walk every day for the past few days and whilst it doesn't solve the root cause it so helps to lift the mood in the moment.
I have made a note of all the advice that I think will work for me so thank you to everyone who has posted and shared their tips and experiences.
Sometimes knowing you are not alone helps.

Get off the internet and talk to someone. This is not the right place to be when emotionally fragile.

When I'm feeling on the verge of depression, I avoid social media and the news for a while, I clean the bedroom, put fresh bedding on and lose myself in a good book whilst cuddling my daft Border Collies.

In the evening, I treat myself to a long shower with my favourite shampoo and shower gel, light a scented candle in the bedroom and sink into bed (with my book)

I totally agree with this. Give your head space to take a second or two to access all the free joy in the world. Even if you are so down that right now you can't experience the joy, you can practise making space for it and acknowledging it.

Today, for me: feeding wildlife in the garden, going for a walk by the river and seeing the sky and trees reflected in it, saying hi to some cute dogs, turning around a potted dahlia so the best bloom was visible from the kitchen sink window, heating milk and frothing it for coffee, playing a song I'd forgotten I loved in my teens on you tube - all small things but they add pinpricks of light and those pinpricks eventually add up and break right through.

Walk, rain, hail or shine, with the dogs.
Podcasts.
Clean , clean, clean ! Very therapeutic.
Declutter!
Cup of hot herbal tea. I have a big selection.
Time out in my flower garden.
Visit my elderly neighbour. Always puts everything into perspective.
Brush my Maine Coon cat. He loves it.
Watch a favourite movie - often You’ve got Mail.

@TuVuoiFaLamericano so I can give you an instant one for reversing the rude people, you tell yourself that you are so thankful for X,Y,Z people in your life who bring you happiness when you think of them rather than being surrounded by these rude people who you wouldn't choose to be around. Also that they must be very unhappy themselves because why be rude? The rudeness makes you see the politeness in others.

It is a bit like if you have been in a shit relationship (haven't we all at some point?) and that makes you realise what a good relationship is because it is the opposite of the shit one.

Delayed flight, I am grateful that I am getting on a plane to go on holiday or that I have a job that allows me to travel. You just tweak it to whatever doesn't sound wanky to you.

I'm going to try this. I know it takes time to rewire your thinking but I could do with learning this so I don't get so annoyed about things outwith my control like delayed flights or rude people

Exercise. Eating vegetables. I am worth taking care of.

Showering, and doing my hair and make up. This is really hard but usually makes me feel better. If I don’t feel better after I have done those things, at least I LOOK better which is not to be sniffed at.

Exercise is always good for me. I find cycling particularly useful for brightening my mood. You do not have to go fast but a decent ycle does help. Under more severe pressure i went for counselling which i found very uswful if u r prepared to.engage.

Don’t watch the news.

Dance to music you love. Cheesy disco, house music from when I was a student, stuff my kids love so we can dance around together.

PG Wodehouse short stories - so delightful.

Diet and exercise for me helped - I had weight to lose. Fitness and exercise helped massively

Exercise, tidy the house and light a wax melt, clean bed sheets, bath, face mask and pj's.

Walks in nature

Hot baths with Epsom salts

Family time (or spending time with people that make you feel safe - might not be family)

Nutritious food - not sugary refined stuff as tempting as that is, as that makes my mood worse when my blood sugar crashes

Yoga nidra

Early nights

(I basically think about how to ‘mother’ myself. My mum has dementia so I’ve been very low at points, but feeling like I have the power to look after myself in a loving way has been a massive help)

💐

I hope the suggestions work for you and things improve OP.

Cold water swimming or any outdoor swimming
walking
music

They are great. Thank you for starting the thread.
I also like listening to Michael Moseley's podcasts. I find doing one of his 'things' often boosts my mood.

Cleaning. I find cluttered and messy rooms make my mood worse. Change the sheets, I love a nice fresh bed. Get some fresh air. Re watch tv shows that make me laugh.

Hope you're ok OP.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/COGOO_sgsPH/?igsh=eHd0azdiZmlobTM=

I hope you can talk yourself out of your downward spiral and do something not easy I know as when I'm like that if I don't put the brakes on it I can withdraw from life and go into self isolation and so the spiral goes ever down.

Find happiness (and take joy from) in small accessible things. And do these happy things daily.

A sunset, sunrise, flowers in the park, blue sky, pooches with boop noses, a nice walk, the peace from sitting with a coffee in silence, tge idea is its small accessible things that you can access in multiples, you encounter and you can always find. (substitute for whatever makes you happy but small things, not expensive, not possessions), don't rely on others to make you happy, don't depend on Susan coming every Sunday etc. You need to be able to create and deliver your own happiness. A hobby or something to do as well, volunteer at a doggy day care, for example if you have the time if you enjoy interacting with the dogs.

And actually do take joy, it makes a difference to say "look at that, it's beautiful, isn't it nice, isn't it peaceful, it makes me happy" etc. It's not immediate but it works over time.

Stop saying negative things, "this is shit, ffs look at that, what the fk, can't be arsed with this, always the fkin same"

Your mood is impacted by how you act, and the people you interact with.

Small things.

I hope you are feeling better OP. I too am currently in a downward spiral. I know the reasons why and there is nothing I can do about the reasons but I was going to post something similar yesterday and then fell asleep early evening until this morning!

Today I am doing my best to get some stuff done but it is hard.

I have a day to myself tomorrow so I am going to get up, turn off my phone and go for a walk or a cycle.