Doing things to relieve depression... Motivation and ideas

Hello @mscosette Nice to e-meet you here on Connect! I am Scott and I came to connect out of a need to battle the isolation caused by my role as a primary caregiver for my spouse for over 14 years. I found and loved Connect for a variety of reasons, but one was that I could connect (pun intended) at anytime! This helped me a lot knowing this avenue to share was always available!

The more I posted on Connect the more I realized there were many additional folks traveling the same path I was and it felt good to share with them. Plus I have found Connect to be an open, accepting, and listening community.

As I struggled I found two things, which helped me. One was I kept a running list of things I wanted to do. From the smallest (clean out the kitchen junk drawer) to clean the garage and from iron the clothes on the chair to write a note to an old friend. I pledged to do at least one thing on the list a day AND when marked it off, I never did so without adding something on the list, which I felt would be a fun thing to do as a reward of sorts. Soon my list was just as many fun things to do as 'chores'. I still do this!

The second was I taped up a quote at my desk. It says "Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow'". It helps me remember my goals don't always need to be to move a mountain!

Courage, strength, and peace!

I find helpful, among other things, 1) having a great therapist, 2) exercise (enjoyable exercise, like walking in nature or even around the block, to start), and lots of social activity and a supportive network of people. Still working on it!

I just joined and I'd like to follow this group. But I don't see the word "follow" with the plus sign to click on. Where did I miss that?

Hi, @edithanne, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. If you'd like to just follow this discussion (the one titled Doing things to relieve depression... Motivation and ideas), you are now subscribed and following it by virtue of posting in this discussion. If you'd like to follow the whole mental health group, you can do so here, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/mental-health (see bottom right of top gray-blue banner with the photo). If you would prefer to follow specific discussions, you can look at the list of discussions on that same page, click on one you're interested in, and then click on the blue-color "Following" in the gray-blue at the top that includes the initial post on that topic.

Would love to know more about you, @edithanne. Are you in treatment for depression at the moment?

I, too, have had MDD for years going back to when my mother died of Lou Gehrig's disease and the things that help me include walking walking walking and good nutrition and doing things I enjoy like playing and listening to music. And the worst thing is when I "hibernate," I HAVE to get out of the house and be with people and volunteering helps, you can't help someone and not feel better yourself, I've found and there are so many lonely seniors in nursing homes who would LOVE to get a visit from a volunteer. May we all have a complete recovery and soon and feel better! Exercise, Music, Volunteering are 3 biggies.

Thankful our goals do not need to move mountains. I am a list person and I find satisfaction in crossing something off of my list-yes, a goal oriented person who struggles daily with major depression. I enjoy drawing and painting when I can push through the gray fog. the hardest thing is picking up the paint brush. Something I enjoy so much seems daunting and I would say this is the depression weighing me down. Hard to battle my way through even though I feel better when I do.
I am sad you are struggling with this illness too.

Lonely and vulnerable are uncomfortable. I am lonely because of not wanting to be vulnerable to others. The old push me, pull me thing. I am in too much physical pain to volunteer. I try to get motivated to do things and can not find a valid enough reason to try and accomplish anything-why bother?

@edithanne Hello Edith Anne:

I was just thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. I hope you are enjoying the spring weather. Did you find where you can "Follow" the group?

I would enjoy hearing from you.

Teresa

Best advise I’ve heard and need to keep doing is to get out of the house and connect and get exercise

Hi, @bykrchic -- getting out of the house, connecting and exercising all sound like great tactics to help relieve some of the symptoms of depression.

If you feel comfortable sharing, @bykrchic, do you also have a diagnosis of depression? If so, how have these tactics helped you?