Survival Toolbox

[teresa]

Listing one item at a time, let's share the ways we have found to help with our sufferings with depression, including any and all aspects of it, from well sleeping to anxiety reduction, increased energy, and so on.

Add on one idea here and there and let's slowly fill our toolbox up

 

[teresa]

To help with being more relaxed at night time, I've discovered the smell of Lavender on my pillows to actually work to calm me.

I bought a small bottle of lavender oil at the store, added a few drops of it into a small spray bottle filled with water, and misted my bed pillows with it.

 

[Roseonathorn]

Flowers make me happy, I grow perennials and buy those that last a year. I use to think, tomorrow is another day, what is not dealt with today can be done tomorrow. Write a plan and try to stick with it. When You get depressed You might not want to plan again but an already planned plan is easier to follow. It does not have to be a hard plan. Sometimes a simple Go to bed at 21.00-21.30 and get up at 6.30 have a nap at 18.00-19.00 a mealplan and a getting the kids to schoolplan, slight excercizeplan in between pauses or half hours or an hour here and there. I have tried sleepingpills but most make me too sleepy during day, melatonin sleephormone works best taken at late evening. A walk or energy rush around 14-16.00 helps sleep come in right time. Computer screen time or iphone screen helps You stay awake all night. If You worry over a bill or other matter like a relation with a spouse that is hurtful, read a book go to a therapist, the bill might make You depressed so be sure You have a upbuilding therapist, argueing in bed at night might not help and kids might suffer too. If You have to argue rather do it at the therapists office or go outside so Your kids do not have to hear it and think it is their fault. My parents went arguing outside and that was fine for us when we were kids. They did not have much to argue about however. In every relationship there are limits but it seems many men say no like automatic but they do not want an unhappy wife either so if the wife does not ask and is happy the He does not have to say no and is also happier...and He rarely notice a new haircut anyway.

 

[teresa]

Washing my face, no kidding! For some reason, it wakes me up and gets the cobwebs out of my brain a little.

Sometimes, it's any little thing that can help

 

[Roseonathorn]

When I died my hair very red I didn´t ask. I simply got bored. Everybody except His mom and Him thought it was great though, He did react and saw a change however. Now it is back to blonde again. Smells get me in good mood as well. I have lavender growing outside, different perfumes with floral or fruity tones are nice too. Cheaper than a therapist. I also have noticed that if I keep my mouth shut and work more and add some nice smell to myself, flowers on the table or shelf from the garden I end up happier, than having to tell my opinion to a person that usually is a stingy person. Try to see the positive, even when it needs some humour because the situation is so horrible, like somedays I´ve said to myself...ok but we are still alive, but then again I have been thinking, is that good? And again maybe it is good, although we long for heaven, we should live here for 70 years at least. Give the angry fellow a sleepy chamomile tea, that will calm Him down and You will get peace and quiet. Sleep is good, sleep makes us happy.

 

[SpiritofaDove]

I take walks outside in nature. It really helps me disconnect from my problems and helps me to focus on something else for a bit. The distraction is great for my mind, and the exercise helps me burn off some of the anxiety I have. Plus, seeing birds, animals, brings me great joy and makes me feel closer to God, which always helps.

 

[Roseonathorn]

I live in the forest and the animals are around us for most of the time. Some of those animals are less comforting, like the wolfs. The bear got shot because it started wandering towards town. The big birds like eagles from seaside sometimes visit, here are ravens, swans land here, live here other big birds, small birds as well, we have flying squirrels, bats squirrel and fox and a few rare plants and our forest belongs to a nature preserve programme. That means we leave some dead wood in the forest for the animals and use less mashines or none as it is now. So the moss is looking good too. It is so spectacular, walking there gives me a feeling of fairy land from a movie. It is as it is not real because it is such a beautiful forest. Forest smell good in summer too. Pine is actually an antidepressant smell according to science.

 

[teresa]

Knowing about those bad days when I cannot get out of bed, I've purposely placed a large radio next to my bed, with the dial set to a Christian radio station.

I reach over and flick a switch.

Then try and sooth and comfort my soul with sermons, prayers, scripture, music and call in shows and discussion.

Its currently set to WVCY America

Why suffer alone in darkness?

 

[Jeshu]

Drinking a cup of strong peculated coffee to get the cobwebs out of my head when I get up after sleeping. They reckon of coffee and P.T.S.D don't go well together but that has certainly not been true in my life, very much the opposite has been true. I find that when my mind is dulled by lack of sleep, or sleeping medicine then I find it very much harder fighting the wicked trying to steal my mind away with their lies.

Once I drank only one cup of coffee a day for a whole year I hardly slept a wink that year and went psychotic anyway, just to prove the doctors wrong.

Praise Jesus for bringing coffee into my life!

 

[Jeshu]

The biggest help I got in my battles with mental illness has been Scripture in song.

Like this one

 

[Roseonathorn]

Hearing the winds way through the leafy forest and seeing the tulips sway in the wind before I decide which one to pick. Randomly it seems they became beatiful but the clematis was arranged a bit more. The dried tulipleafs become a dry keepsake of floralleaf in a box with some pearls. All flowers from my garden make me happy.

 

[Roseonathorn]

Another project is longtime embroydery and patternknitting. I started this angel of the sea a long time ago. It keeps the mind occupied.

 

[TimAM]

Walks tend to help me.

 

[ChristopherK]

Listing one item at a time, let's share the ways we have found to help with our sufferings with depression, including any and all aspects of it, from well sleeping to anxiety reduction, increased energy, and so on.

Add on one idea here and there and let's slowly fill our toolbox up

The gym. Putting those endorphins into hyper-drive help me to release everything that's frustrating me in my life. Aside from that I write in my prayer journal daily.

 

[Roseonathorn]

The gym was not enough for me, but it was a good place for some hours. Eventually I grew too big. But I should do more excerzise again. I do not seem motivated enough though.

 

[Roseonathorn]

Todays fun project. Plus a bunch of extra crownleaves that smell good. I'd like to try to make roseperfume this year.

 

[teresa]

Keeping the Sabbath, something I've never tried before is really, really comforting.

Watched a Messianic Jewish church service tonight online and loved it.

No tv at all, no work after sundown. Only resting in Him, praising Him, reading scripture, fellowshipping with Christians, etc..

Jesus did this too, as He was Jewish and followed the traditions and so I tried this and it is wonderfully freeing!

I allowed myself the freedom of just relaxing at home and being with my Lord.

Shabbat Shalom

 

[Tempura]

Making use of fear and/or confusion. Got worried about my breathing again (asthma+20 years of smoking), so the next morning I went for a jog (or more like walking, can't run much). I've been meaning to do that but haven't got around to it this year. Fear can be useful when you turn it into motivation, instead of just being afraid of it/with it. Fear can also lead one to pray, or to remind us what things are important. But about confusion, I used that too. Because just when I've woken up, I'm very confused. I don't understand anything for at least 15 minutes. So I went for the jog right away after waking up, without giving my brain time to realize what's happening. I gave myself no chance to come up with stupid excuses, because I wasn't capable of it. 4 days in a row now. I'm smoking a little less too, but that's nothing, I should just quit.

 

[teresa]

Here are some ideas

 

[Roseonathorn]

Grow some rosebushes and some lilies, Knit a soft piece of fabric or buy at fleemarket, sow it together. When the flowers bloom, buy floral glue and get artistic. My art from our garden. Afterwards I edited a bit. The lily should be more orange. In the back it has an arrow shape or heart shape for slightly open back dresses. Works for fully cowering dresses too. What You see is the front and it smells wonderful.