If you live with depression, you know what itās like be in a perpetual state of apathy, shame, and avoidance. Depression feels as real to me as a hand in front of my face; my body at times feels as if itās made of sandbags, making it near impossible to do anything remotely productive. In reality, my body is filled with as many organs, blood cells, and bones as my normally functioning counterparts. We all know depression is a convincing entity; it makes you believe you will remain stagnant, but itās actually physically impossible for it to stop you from leading a productive, happy life. Here are some tips Iāve learned get on a productive level again:
1.Ā Get up early.Ā
This is a tip repeated so frequently for a reason! Early risers are scientifically proven to be healthier and happier than night owls. Get to bed at a decent hour, and (for your sake) turn off the snooze button setting on your phone. Hot tip: drinking a cold glass of water right after getting out of bed will help fight off the sleepies as well as give your body the needed energy to start the day.
2.Ā Make a (very) short list.
Research has found that the most efficient to-do list has three items on it. When you get up in the morning, sit down and list the top three things that are making you feel uncomfortable. These typically are things that Iāve put off for weeks: homework, laundry, reading that book I bought. Choose one that will benefit your productivity and health the most and dedicate time to that one item ONLY. Repeat this process until the list is complete! I use a bullet journal to help me stay on task.
3.Ā Change your environment.
When you have depression, you mind is finding any excuse to sit around all day. This makes it easy to become stagnant standing in one place for too long, leaving you vulnerable to triggers. Changing your environment could range anywhere from putting on a new outfit/makeup or studying at a new coffeehouse. When you change your surroundings, you are making the steps towards a more productive you!
4.Ā Establish a community of concern.
To put it simply, a community of concern is a small group of close friends and/or family that can ākick you in the assā when needed. Sometimes you need someone to help drag you out of bed so you can start your day, and THATāS OKAY. When I was in the thick of my worst depression spiral, I had two friends who would drive to my house with coffee, drag me out of bed, and get me dressed so that I could get to class. A community of concern will help you stay accountable for your health, which is super important! Ā
5. Get active.
Ā Iām sure youāve heard a million people explain how exercise is essential to positive health. I even tend to roll my eyes at the insistence of running and being healthy. āI just want to be a sad lil potato, get that crap out of my face!ā However, I canāt express the absolute high I get when I actually go for short jog (and I mean shortāI get about a block and Iām done). Serotonin is a brain chemical released when you exercise, and one that people with depression are deficient of. Go on a walk, buy a jump rope, do yoga. Get that serotonin flowing and youāll feel invincible, even if itās for a couple hours.
6.Ā Celebrate the small victories.
Did you finally cross that item off your list? Celebrate it. Did you go outside, even if itās to grab some groceries? Pat yourself on the back! Celebrating any step you take to recovering will not only make you feel good but will greatly increase your productivity levels.
7.Ā Fight isolation.
Believe me, I know what itās like to feel like isolating myself when friends invite me out or text me. There have been days where I just sit on the couch with my phone beside me and continued to ignore the alerts and phone calls. I realize that telling you to reach out and talk to someone is at itās core exhausting, so I will tell you to fight your inherent need to isolate. Go make a connection, even if itās as simple as walking to starbucks and talking to a barista. It will help you exponentially. We are social creatures, and we literally need interaction to survive.
8.Ā Forgive yourself.
I canāt stress this one enough. As someone who lives on procrastination mode, itās easy to get on that guilt train. Forgive yourself for sitting inside all day, flaking on your friends again, or putting off something for the 15th time this week. Didnāt get all your to-do list done? Acknowledge the shame and let it go. Building up guilt is a side-effect of depression, and getting in the habit of forgiveness is essential to your recovery.
I realize that depression manifests itself differently for everyone and that this list will not be helpful to some. I am in no way an expert in depression therapy, I just live it every day and I know what is currently helping me. In writing this, Iām starting to realize that we donāt have to āget betterā, but are perfectly capable of living a meaningful life despite depression. We can strive to be a bit more productive every day. You have potential to do great things. You are anything but alone.
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