Okay, I realize I’m rambling. I promised to share my list of depression coping strategies. Some of them I have been referring to for ages, others I have recently discovered and others are influences I realized I needed to remove from my environment. It’s a constant learning experience.
Often I begin with questions, because understanding WHY can be half the battle.
· Am I bored? Sometimes I seem depressed when I am in fact bored. Boredom can also lead to depression.
· Is it PMS? For me, PMS is disabling and hard to get through. But watching the calendar and knowing when and why I feel so crappy does help a bit. I just need to get through a few days and treat myself well. I do this with herbal tea, a hot water bottle, plenty of rest and fluids. And let’s not forget Midol. I’m not promoting Midol for people with Crohn’s, as I don’t know how great it is for us. All I know is it makes me want to strangle people less.
· Is my B12 low? Injection time! I had anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency for many years. Now I inject myself monthly and my energy levels have improved significantly!
Next I turn to my list of tried-and-true coping strategies:
1. Are my meds still working? Talk to your doctor about your type and dose of antidepressant medication. Maybe it is time to try a new kind or up the dose. If you aren’t on treatment and aren’t sure about what to do – try talking to a doctor or counselor to see what your options are. There’s no point in suffering silently. Having a chronic illness put us at greater risk of depression.
2. Avoid alcohol. This seems like an easy and obvious one, but it’s harder to do for some of us, especially during this time of the year when everyone seems to be enjoying some “holiday cheer”. Remember: it feels good at the time, but haunts us both physically and mentally for days after.
3. Stay on top of your vitamin and supplement regimen. Make sure you are getting what your body needs, and enough of it. We chronies missing parts of our small bowel have malabsorption issues. Get your doctor to order some blood tests to check your levels. Then see a naturopath to recommend what your body needs and the best way to get it. My list: monthly vitamin B12 injections, daily: vitamin B6, primrose oil, magnesium, calcium, zinc, vitamin D (droplets).
4. Try to eat clean. Carbs and sugars are evil, even though they taste so great. That’s an extra challenge around this time of year. Just like not having enough glucose in our blood levels, having too much can wreak havoc as well. And sugar is hidden in just about everything these days.
5. Stay hydrated. This first thing I do when I get up is drink water (hard to forget with the handful of meds), then I keep a bottle of ice water at my desk all day and try to fill it up at least three times. When I get home, I chug another couple glasses of water and always have a glass of water at my bedside. Water is the drink of choice in our home: we don’t buy fruit juice and rarely have pop or other crap around. I love the taste of water, so it’s easy.
6. Sip tea. Passion flower, hops, valerian or other herbal tea that promotes relaxation. I add a passion flower tincture to my tea (found at any health food store). This reduces anxiety and irritability and helps me get to sleep better.
7. Go for a walk or jog. I know these sound like impossible feats when you can barely imagine getting out of bed some days. But trust me, it’ll be worth it. Endorphin release is like a natural high.
8. Practice yoga. It helps you to feel at one with your body and mind, stay in the present and keep your mind from roaming to those dark places. It also improves circulation and digestion.
9. Chat with someone you haven’t in a while. Pick up the phone! What? If you are anything like me, the last thing you want to do at the end of a day at work is talk on the phone to people. But sometimes what we are lacking is that true connection that texting and online communication can’t give us. Even better – GO OUT OF THE HOUSE for coffee or tea with someone!
10. Distract yourself. Read a book, do a puzzle, watch a funny movie. Get out your favorite chick flick and a box of tissues and let it out. You will feel better after. My go-to girly movie right now is Bridesmaids.
11. FEEL it. Don’t be ashamed of anything you are feeling. It’s not wrong and there is nothing wrong with you. It’s just something you need to go through at this time and you are not alone. I find that writing down my thoughts and feelings at this time to be very therapeutic. You don’t have to keep what you have written; it just helps to get it out.
12. Have a hot bubble bath. When I need a lift, I go to my happy place. I fill the tub with bubbles and hot water, light candles and incense, put a few drops of lavender in the water, hit play on some soothing ocean or nature music, flick off the lights and submerge. I forget about the rest of the world and pretend I am floating in the ocean off my favorite beach in Thailand.
13. Positive affirmations. I don’t care if I’m seen as “that damn cheery girl” by my co-workers. I do it for me, and it really works! I save photos and positive quotes that I come across in my iphone and then browse through them when I am feeling down. Tape your list beside your mirror so that you have to look at them every morning when you are getting ready for the day. Some of my favorite affirmations are: “Act the way you want to feel” and “This shall too pass”.
14. Do something nice for someone. Hold the door open; let someone go ahead of you in line or traffic. Smile at stranger; buy the person behind you a coffee. Seems like a small effort on your part, but you can’t imagine what impact your kind gesture has just had on that person’s day (and life)!
15. Make a list of goals. For the day, for the month, for the year – even a bucket list! This gets me excited about the future and feeling productive. It feels great to be able to cross things off my list.
16. Listen to music. Never underestimate the power of a good tune. It can get you singing and even dancing! I try to have music playing as often as possible. My mood nearly always lifts.
17. Keep a diary. I’m not talking about a place to keep your deepest, darkest secrets (but if you want to do that, feel free) but as a daily practice to show gratitude. Every night before I go to sleep I think of and write down 10 things I am grateful for that day. From small things like having a roof over my head, to having the fortune of spending my life with my best friend. Remind yourself how lucky you are – no matter how bad the situation, there is always SOMETHING you can find to be grateful for.
18. Try the Happiness Project. In this book by Gretchen Rubin, she forces herself to closely examine the details of her life and “happiness”. She provides exercises and shows us how to conduct our own happiness project. I highly recommend it!
19. Remove yourself from negative people and situations. Step back and take a look at your life – work, home life. Is your job stressing you out? Are you constantly hearing negative verbal diarrhea from the people around you? Maybe it is time for change.
20. Volunteer. Make a donation. This year I chose to donate to Canine Second Chance. I met the couple that runs the non-profit and gave blankets, dog food and toys. I got to spend time with the dogs and I left feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Animals have an amazing ability to heal us.
21. Get a puppy! Most of my life I was a devoted cat-lover. I would not even entertain the thought of befriending “man’s best friend”: the loyal, needy canine. I became highly allergic to my favorite feline friends in my late 20’s. We decided to get a dog. My sidekick Harley loves me unconditionally and is always excited to see me. She will sit with me for days in bed when I am sick and give me kisses and cuddles. I don’t know how I survived without her and she makes me happy during every waking hour.
Okay that’s enough for now. I applaud you if you are still with me and reading this! I hope some of my suggestions help you out. I am off to shovel the driveway. We got about two feet of snow last night. No, I don’t enjoy this chore but the exercise and fresh air will make me feel good AND I know my boyfriend will appreciate it when he gets home from work.
Happy holidays, everyone!
