Techniques!

Fragrances help in my case. Putting on some nice hand cream for instance. I don't allow myself many treats like that (childhood traumas still tell me I am not worth any of them) but I sometimes allow myself one.

And then: if I can set my mind to it, and my courage, I start cleaning. I find cleaning the fridge very helpful: it's a small compartment, it's all smooth, all shelves are glass, it's pretty once it's all done. Very satisfying.
I also like to, well errrr... clean the toilet. Now don't get me wrong: I clean it daily. But to really use Stuff And So On That Smells Good helps. It's, again, a small space, the tiles are smooth, it's great to do that.
What helps me as well is vacuum and then mop the floor. While doing the laundry. Then hanging out the laundry and it smells so nice, makes me feel good. I usually finish this with a shower (although i can't really afford many of those anymore because of the crisis) but when I can it's a real treat! I am clean in a clean house, jump into a clean bed, oooh... 💖

@507 Gosh, so many members here will have many different responses, I am sure of that! Something that stimulates your "feeling good" center in your brain can really be a challenge, and you might need to try several things.

-Exercise, gentle on yourself please! This will release endorphins in your brain. Get outside and simply walk. Focus on your environment, and all the assorted smells, sounds, and sites.
-Treat yourself to something you have been putting off. An ice cream cone, a nice meal out, a meander through a bookstore.
-Do you have a hobby or pasttime you have gotten away from? Maybe it's time to reintroduce yourself to it.

Do any of these ideas sound doable for you?
Ginger

Yes, many tips may follow 💖
For me all these tips, sadly, are 'too much' when I have a depression. The thought of a walk is already too much, as well as 'having to do something'. To actually get started i need ground level, hobbies and so on depress me when i think about how I enjoyed them.
Making everything very small is usually the best for me, this is what helps me overcome them. No pressure at all, not even encouragement because this triggers the 'now I HAVE TO' response. It's very fragile, really. I think this is even more difficult because I am alone. If someone was around to just 'be there' and wait until I get out of it, or if someone just put an arm around me, or even two arms, it would be easier.

When I have a depression it pretty much boils down to making things small and doable, and keeping triggers out, as well as not having too much on my plate.

When people begin to 'encourage me' it usually has the opposite effect. Everyone is different 😀
I saw an episode of The Big Bang Theory in which Sheldon had retreated to his mum's house. His friends came over to try to make him come back. At some point he came out of his room to get something out of the fridge. Leonard enthusiastically said "Hi" even though his mum said "He's like a little deer, he's easily freaked." and this proved right; Sheldon ran back into his room 😹

Thank you for responding.

Thank you for responding to my comment. I use a walker and I spend most of the time in my bed. I live alone. I have a lot of emotional pain and I'm unable to do many physical things like I did before. I hope that one day I can look like I did before. Maybe then I could go walking

Ty! 💚

Just now decided to check out some depression and anxiety threads.

I have both major clinical depression with anxiety (all my life) and fairly recent situational depression due to major medical problems that cannot be cured and their hugely negative impact on my life.

I had taken antidepressants regularly for years with good results but had to stop due to side effects and my depression "came back" full force when I was diagnosed with gastroparesis after fairly successfully managing kidney disease for 3 years and on top of heart failure, COPD, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic conditions.

Since I can't walk, that kind of endorphin-stimulator is not available to me nor can I do much physically in the way of cleaning or laundry and due to respiratory issues have to be careful about scents and smells which, if too strong, also can trigger nausea and worse. A friend who also is a psychologist suggested I try to find something I could use to help with cognitive changes and mitigate some of the worst negative feelings - read a poem, listen to or even just remember a particular musical selection, anything which might help re-set mood. My therapist agreed.

So I decided to sing a favorite song (in my old lady cracked voice but the dog doesn't care and otherwise I live alone.) Sometimes I'm weeping when I sing but most often it does "take the edge off" the misery of anger and fear fueling the depression.

I would be delighted to read about other techniques people use to battle deep depression whether the depression is situational or otherwise. Thank you for letting me share.

Feeling deeply for you.
Identifying with much of what you said.

Amanda

🥺🥺🥺🌹🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌹

I like to have a good cry in bed with my sweet little dog snuggled up, I have my lavender near by and my phone with Pandora and Calm. I’ll do an Emergency meditation from Calm and then listen to something relaxing and just chill. No walks or hobbies at this time.