What helped you most while recovering from depression?

[MarmadukeM]

When recovering from depression what are some things that have really helped you?
I am thinking of trying to have a routine (until I go back to work)
was thinking of daily walk, cook something for tea, go to sauna(I have a membership) and reading/bath at night. Watching stuff on telly that’s an easy watch just to distract me really (can thought spiral quite easy 😖)
be grateful for anyone else’s tips as although I’m on some new meds they are going to take a few weeks to kick in so I’m trying to maximise recovery from other means as well.
thanks in a advance x

Good for you. Yes, very important when our kids start to question and challenge the behaviour - deffo time to act.
I remember my DS (when he was about 12/13) commenting on the excessive amount of Xmas gifts his cousins got, yet they were very grabby and ungrateful alongside it.

They can be perceptive from a young age !

Listening to audiobooks when going to bed. It stopped my mind racing and 5 years in I still find it helpful

Counselling, swimming and comedy programmes helped me.

also… I used to buy those trashy magazines like take a break. For some reason the absolute ridiculousness of the articles brought little moments of light relief for me. You know the ones ‘I breastfeed my dog and have no plans to stop’ ‘I married my son’s ex girlfriend’. Bonkers stuff.

Meds, therapy and a rescue plan.

Sorry this is such a cliché but be gentle with yourself, accept yourself as you are as much as that is possible, accept and ask for help wherever you might benefit from it and do anything (harmless of course) that makes you feel lighter.

I used to watch funny films and tv and I had a few funny books that I saved for when I couldn’t do much more than read. Being completely honest some of the ‘books’ were Calvin and Hobbes comics collections because in the depths of it I didn’t really have the attention span to immerse myself in text. I tried to really milk anything that made me laugh.

And if you have people who love you and are good to you, spend time with them, let them know something about what’s going on. I isolated myself and I think it made it worse.

Hiking in the hills. It’s clinically proven (hiking or walking in the countryside) to regulate your brain.

You can also get some amazing meditations on YouTube, so if you're not yet ready to be out in a group or if budget is tight, you can queue up a YouTube session and do it in the safety of your living room on your phone or tablet.

ive set up a Playlist and spend a few happy moments browsing through YouTube and marking the ones I like the look of. Then you can just select them, quick and easy and less likely to feel overwhelmed if you're struggling to focus,

For me it’s yoga and sewing. Any kind of craft can be mindful as is yoga. All I’d add is all the advise given here is great but don’t push yourself, just do what you can and what you have the energy for. Hope things start to help.

My parents helped me. Even though im
an adult myself. I remember things got so bad I couldn’t get out of bed. I’m crying now remembering that time. I had 2 young children and a great dh who would just go to work and pretend it wasn’t happening.

i remember my parents coming round and having a big talk to me, helped me call GP and my mum come to appt with me.

friends also helped and going for walks.

12 years later I’m in such a better place. You will get there x

Cycling along the riverbank.