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Self Care With Severe Depression
How I take care of myself on my worst days
Living with a mental illness can be excruciatingly difficult sometimes, even if you’ve been handling it for years. I’ve dealt with some form of depression for most of my life, and I still find myself knocked out by it now and again. The importance of self-care during times like these cannot be overstated. But even self care takes energy and effort that just might not be there in the middle of a depressive episode. Eating healthy, going to the gym, taking a walk, taking a bath, using skincare products… all of it can be helpful, and I do all of these things on a regular basis. But what about the days where you can hardly even get out of bed, let alone pour effort into trying to feel better?
When I first started experiencing depressive episodes, the bad days paralyzed me. They still do sometimes. There’s an indescribable weight on my chest some days, and I just can’t seem to lift it. Still, over the years, I’ve developed a few tricks that I personally find help me feel better when all I want to do is disappear.
Stretch in Bed
This one was a suggestion from a friend, and it changed my life. When I feel well, I go to the gym six days a week. When I don’t, however, my chances of making it to the gym hover around zero, even though I know the gym…
