I’m not a professional, but I do know things that help me with my depression.
I know that if I’m feeling very uneasy or upset it’s not good for me to just sit and dwell.
I need to DO something.
I can write a million tips for exercising BUT that post can come another day. There are things that I do that keep me distracted enough that I know I’ll be able to calm down. For me the best thing is cleaning/ organizing. There is a lot of structure and hard-set rules that come with these kinds of tasks. Depression and anxiety are the enemy of structure and rules. They break ALL of those!
I like to find something that really needs my attention. I can thoroughly clean the bathroom, every morsel and by the time I’m done I’ll feel very accomplished, a sense of pride will possess me and if that’s still not enough then I’ll move on to something else.
Some might just call this OCD and say that I’m choosing the lesser of two evils. I don’t know that I agree. People throw “OCD” around like it’s nothing. It’s a very real disorder and the idea of enjoying organization doesn’t automatically mean you have OCD. I don’t have a compulsion to clean that keeps me awake are night or anything, I just enjoy things being “just so”. I think a lot of people do.
So maybe give it a try. If not cleaning, maybe something else! I’m sure there are tons of productive things out there that can help you to snap out of a the blues, at least for a little while.
In case you want to steal my idea, here are a few random cleaning tips that help me…
A toothbrush is your best friend! Use it to clean caulking in your shower, grout in your tile, or even around the edges of fixtures.
Always dust and clean your counters/tables BEFORE you vacuum, otherwise you are wasting your time
Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean your ceiling fans. It saves you from having to clean up the mess all over the floor.
To keep sheet sets together store them all inside their associated pillow case (like a storage bag)
Baby bottle cleaners are GREAT for cleaning out reusable straws. If you just throw them in the dishwasher they don’t get very clean.
Soap and cold water actually do the best to clean up carpet stains. Just remember to blot and not scrub!
Nail polish remover works wonders for getting hairspray off of counter tops!
If you notice your drain is clogged don’t waste your time with liquids, buy a drain stick.
Make sure your towel is super clean if you’re drying glass dishes. Otherwise they won’t look clear. I find it best to use a paper towel.
Don’t forget to vacuum your stairs. I know it’s a pain but SO much dirt gets stuck in the crevices.
Most importantly… listen to fun music and dance a little- it will make a BIG difference. 😉
