How To Get Out Of A Depressive Episode

When I was going through a really dark spot in my depression, I was always searching for this topic. Looking for anything I could try to get me in a better mood. I didn’t really find a whole lot that helped me, and I think that’s because everyone experiences their depression differently. I’m hoping that someone will be able to relate to this post and maybe it’ll help make you happy, and get you back to enjoying life again.

I’ve come up with 10 things that slowly but surely helped me get out of my slump and helped me tackle my depressive episodes. I usually do a combination of these things throughout the week and that helps lift my mood.

Exercise

This one is everywhere and it sounds horrendous when you’re depressed, but honestly nothing puts me in a better mood than a good strength training session. Throwing weights around, putting all of my energy into a workout, it helps me release stress and tension and all of those happy, feel good hormones. If you want you can also just go for a stroll with music, with a podcast, or with a friend. Anything that gets you up and moving can help you release those endorphins and lift your spirit.

If you don’t live in a safe neighborhood, don’t have access to a gym or any weights, I suggest looking on YouTube for some no equipment exercises, HIIT videos, kickboxing videos, or dancing workouts. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that makes you have fun even if it’s just for 10 minutes. An object in motion will stay in motion, it could help you start your day or kickstart your motivation to do other things!

Connect with Nature

Connecting with nature is just so naturally calming. You can do this by walking on a trail in the woods, going for a hike, or even going camping. You can also just go sit in your yard and soak in the sun and the fresh air. A walk outside is usually best but do what you can. Even just feeling the sun or the wind on your skin can help you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.

If you’re really struggling, one thing that helps me ground myself is going outside, sitting/laying on the ground, closing my eyes and just taking a few deep breaths and really feeling my body. It helps me reconnect with myself and my emotions and my senses. When you have your eyes open you’re processing so much unnecessary information. If you have a safe space you can do this in, I highly recommend it.

Talk to Friends/Family

I know this one has been repeated over and over and over again but it’s true. When you keep the hopelessness in, when you keep the overwhelming sadness inside it just eats at you until you can’t take it anymore. When you actually open up to someone and explain how you’re feeling it’s like a weight has been lifted off of you. Especially if you can talk to someone that can relate. If you have any close friends or family that have dealt with depression, confiding in them can really help remind you that you are not alone in this. You have people that care about you, and people that you can go to when you need them.

I know when I was in my last bout of depression I just didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. I didn’t want to feel like a burden, I didn’t want to add to anyone's problems, I just wanted to keep it to myself. All that did was drive people away because I shut everyone out. When I finally allowed myself to open up to my boyfriend it was a whole different ball game. He reminded me that he is there to help me through my problems just like I am there to help him through his problems. I let myself be open and being able to talk through my emotions really helped me understand what was going on and helped me through all of it.

Journal

Journaling is such a great way to get your thoughts and feelings out on paper. I recommend even if you don’t know what to write, just start writing and let it flow. It’ll be interesting to see what your brain has to say about what you’re going through.

I love doing journal prompts too! If you’re interested in doing them I suggest going onto Pinterest and searching “self discovery prompts” or “prompts to help with depression” and it can really help you get to the root of your depression. I also love the guided journals Burn After Writing and Let That Sh*t Go. Any guided journal will be helpful but those two are really good at getting to the root cause of things and moving on with your life. Here is a list of links to journals that could be helpful!

Listen to Happy Music

This is something that I love to do when I’m in a bad mood or when I can feel the depression starting to seep in. I will go for a drive and just listen to a feel good playlist. I always have a Sunny Days playlist ready to go with happy music to get me in a better mood. I also love listening to podcasts to get my mind off of things. I tend to go towards true crime podcasts which don’t always help with my mood but they at least give my mind something else to focus on while I process things.

On this subject I would also suggest watching a funny TV show or movie. Something that makes you laugh, maybe one you’ve seen a million times and brings you comfort. My main comfort TV show is The Office. I know the whole series forwards and backwards and it’s almost like being with friends when I watch it. Find a movie or show that helps relax you and helps you feel less overwhelmed.

Do Something You Enjoy

This can be really difficult when you’ve got no motivation and no energy. However, getting yourself up and doing something you enjoy can really help get that cloud to go away. Paint something small, sketch a fruit, read a book, go for a walk, play tug of war with your dog. Do anything that normally makes you smile. It might just spark something in you that gives you a little bit of energy and motivation. Maybe get a puzzle, or a sudoku book, or a word search book.

If you’re up for it, you could even try a new hobby. Cross stitch, maybe knitting or crocheting. Anything that can let you zone out and just do whatever activity you set out to do. I’ve found one of the best cures for depression is to get out of your own head and get into the present. When you’re dwelling on the past or the future, whether you realize you’re doing it or not, you just drag yourself down. When you’re fully able to get out of your head you’ll find you have so much more clarity about everything. It can really help put things into perspective and help you manage your emotions better.

Play With An Animal

My dog has been a huge help when it comes to my depression. I love making him howl, it never fails to make me laugh. One thing that really makes me happy is seeing how excited he gets when we play together. He loves playing fetch with his stuffed animals, and he loves trying to make his toys squeak. No matter what animal you have I’m sure playing with them brings you some kind of enjoyment. If you don’t have an animal you can go over to someone's house that has an animal, or maybe even go to your local shelter! Warning if you go to the shelter, if you’re a softie like me, be prepared to come home with an animal!

Honestly, even just cuddling with animals can really help. I love when my pup comes up and snuggles into my chest. It helps me feel loved. Especially thinking about the fact that I am my dog's whole world. He waits for me to come home every day, he depends on me for food, and his favorite place to sleep is under the covers right next to my knees. Sometimes when you realize how important you are to others, even dogs or cats, it can help shift your mindset.

Hangout with Friends

I know for me, this usually only gave me temporary relief, however if you are a very social person, hanging out with people you are close to can really help you. If you draw your energy from others and your depression is making you isolate yourself, it might be time to go see your overly positive sister or best friend. Anyone that will help bring some light into your life. My grandma was always the person that would light up my world even if it was just for a quick 20 minute visit. Now that I don’t have her it’s usually a phone call with my mom, or a chat with my boyfriend.

Even texting a friend saying that you just need a distraction and you want to hangout can help. If you let them know that maybe you don’t want to talk about what’s going on and you just want to hangout like you normally would, it helps. When you let people in even a little bit it helps you see that others care and can help you challenge the voices and the feelings telling you nothing is worth it.

Practice Gratitude

Practicing daily gratitude has really helped me shift my mindset. When you realize just how much you have to be grateful for it can put you in such a better mood. I one day even wrote down that I was thankful for bagels and dairy free cream cheese. And I meant it! I really enjoy my bagels in the morning and being able to enjoy cream cheese without a stomach ache makes me so incredibly happy!

You can be grateful for pretty much anything! I’m grateful for coffee, I’m grateful for the sweater I’m wearing, I’m grateful for the stickers I have on my water bottle that make me smile. Any little thing that makes you smile, that makes your life easier, anything along those lines is something you can be thankful for. It helps you find the positive in just about anything which can really help draw you out of the negative.

Do Anything.

I know this seems dumb, but really, do anything. When I’m really depressed and just laying in bed for days on end, it’s a miracle I get up and shower. It’s a miracle when I even start a load of laundry. It’s a miracle if I make a snack that isn’t toast. Any small thing is a thing to be celebrated. Did you get up and do the dishes? That’s amazing! Did you clean off your kitchen counters? Gold medal! Did you take out the trash that was overflowing? I’m so proud of you! I’m not saying any of this to demean anybody, I actually mean it. When you are in the depths of depression, doing any little thing is better than nothing. Every action you take is one step closer to feeling like yourself again.

Get up, take a shower, put on some real clothes, do your hair, do your makeup, even if you’re not going anywhere. See how much more human you feel. See how much your perspective can change from those tiny little actions. I promise you those small things will make a big difference.

Depression is nothing to bat an eye at, and it looks different for every person. Just remember to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and do things that better your life. If it helps, think about doing things for another person, but that person is the future you. Name yourself something different. When you don’t want to take your vitamins or medications, think about how that will affect the future you. When you don’t want to tidy up your room, think about how future you will be so happy to come home later to a clean room. It helps so much, especially if you’re someone that always puts others ahead of themselves.

I hope this post helped someone get out of their depression even just a little bit.