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Iāve been struggling with anxiety and depression since 2015. I remember feeling numb 24/7 and always assuming how to act and respond around everyone else. It went on for several months. Ā Then, for a while, it seemed to go away. I thought life was great. I thought I was back to normal, except now that I look back on it, there can never again be normal. At least not the kind I was familiar with. Then last year, during December 201 7 it came back with a burning vengeance. My life entered turmoil and my mental state eventually drove me to the hospital.
Ever since Iāve been actively working to not have a repeat. Yes, I still fall back into my old patterns, but with these few tips, itās been easier to get out.
Get Creative With Lighting
So, earlier this summer on a trip to Barbados I purchased these beautiful grey curtains that also acts as blackout curtains. They help block out light at night allowing me to sleepā¦ and also enable my habits of cocooning myself to hibernate when I get depressed. Yikes. My room gets all the sunlight during the day which can make my head hurt whenĀ both curtains are pulled to each side. Therefore what Iāll do to get sunlight and avoid granting myself the privilege of total darkness during the day, I only open up one panel, or I pull both to the middle leaving the outsides of the window exposed.
Another thing Iām prone to is undereating. Naturally, if I donāt eat every two-three hours, my naturally low blood pressure drops and I get dangerously lightheaded. When Iām experiencing an episode of depression I eat like one meal a day. One thing Iāve found helps is keeping a container of biscuits/crackers in my room along with juice boxes and other snacks that are easy for me to stomach when I donāt have the will to eat.
No matter how I feel, I always find the energy to take care of others rather than myself. A good and bad thing rolled into one. However, once I realised this, I decided to invest in some plants. Rather than taking care of my fully capable and not so grateful siblings (sorry, not sorry) I decided to invest in plants. Watering my plants and making sure theyāre thriving, in turn, motivates me to get at least one thing Iāve been putting of doing,Ā done.
Iām definitely contemplating making a post solely about this. What a self-care box is, is a box (decorative, cardboard, plastic) that you fill with items to please/soothe your senses. Some items I have in mines are, play doh, a colouring book, coloured pencils, body oil, aromatherapy hand sanitizer, chocolate, a glitter globeā¦. and thatās all I can think of off the top of my head.
This isnāt something I do every night although I would like to. I tend to journal if Iām really caught up in my head, or I need to talk to someone but I donāt have the courage to say the words out loud at the moment.
Although I love hugs, I have to say I donāt give or receive them quite often. However, if Iām in one my sad-depressed episodes, copping a hug from my older sister or most commonly my mum makes me feel a little bit better.
This can go for anyone. My idea of an alternate routine is instead of going to whole nine yards when it comes to say taking care of my face, I substitute steps. Iāll clean my face with a face wipe and micellar water before following through with toner and lotion. When I donāt have the energy to brush a full two minutes, floss, then use mouthwash, I cut it down to a quick brush and finish off with mouthwash. You still get the basics done, even though itās not in full.
My closet is fairly simple. I have a few printed and trendy pieces, but for the most part, my clothes are in neutral colours ( white, grey, black, beige). Regardless of how Iām feeling I can pair a casual look or a more sophisticated look using shoes and accessories. It eliminates some of the headaches of what to wear and when Iām not feeling up to life I still look like I tried which helps me feel a little bit better.
This one only works for me when Iām aware that Iām slipping into a depressive episode. Ā If I notice Iāve been exposed to a trigger, and I go take a walk it definitely combats the urge to just give in about 60%. 100% if I take a walk with my mum.
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