Treatment and Recovery Part 6: Additional Things You Can Do Right Away to Help Yourself Feel Better

 There are many simple, safe, inexpensive things you can do to help yourself feel better. The most common ones are listed below. You may think of other things you have done to feel better in the past or things you would like to try.

• Tell a good friend or family member how you feel. Talking with someone else who has had similar experiences is very helpful because they can best understand how you feel. First ask them if they have some time to listen to you. Ask them not to interrupt with any advice, criticism, or judgments. Tell them that after you get done talking you would like to discuss what to do about the situation, but that first you need to talk with no interruptions so you can get it all off your chest. 
• If you have a mental health provider you feel comfortable with, tell him or her how you are feeling and ask for advice and support. If you don't have a health care provider and would like to see someone professionally, contact your local mental health agency, or ask for a referral from your primary physician. Sliding-scale fees and free services are often available. 
• Spend time with people you enjoy, who make you feel good about yourself. Avoid those who are not supportive. Do not allow yourself to be hurt physically or emotionally in any way. If you are being physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, ask your health care provider or a crisis counselor to help you figure out the safest way to remove yourself from this harmful situation. Until you are in a better environment, your mental health will continue to worsen.
• Ask a family member or friend to take over some or all of the things you need to do for several days, like taking care of children, household chores, and work-related tasks. Their help will give you time to rest and focus on getting well. It may be hard for you to ask for favors like these, but try to understand that others are often glad to do something for you if they know it is going to help.
• Learn about what you are experiencing. This will allow you to make good decisions about all parts of your life, like treatment, living arrangements, financial obligations, and relationships. To do this, read pamphlets about your condition (they can often be found at your doctor's office or other health care facility), books, magazine articles, and reliable internet sources. In addition, try finding a support group for those with similar issues. Most mental health facilities have such groups, and you may also find online groups and message boards to interact with.
• Exercise! Any movement, even slow movements, will help you feel better. Climb the stairs, take a walk, sweep the floor, stretch-whatever gets the blood flowing in your body. Don't over exert yourself, though.
• If possible, spend at least thirty minutes outdoors every day, even if it is cloudy. Let as much light into your home and work place as possible. Your body needs a healthy dose of Vitamin D, and it will significantly help improve the symptoms of depression, much like exercise will. 
• Eat healthy food. Limit your use of sugar, caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, soda), alcohol, and high-sodium foods. If you don't feel like cooking, ask a loved one to cook for you, order take out, or have a healthy frozen dinner. 
• Do something every day that you really enjoy, something that makes you feel good. This could be working in your garden, watching a funny movie, playing with your pet, reading a good book, painting, needlework, carpentry, playing music, or any number of things that you normally find joy in doing.  It may even be a simple activity, like watching the moon rise, smelling flowers, or walking barefoot in the grass. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing and keep adding to it as you think of new things. Refer to the list when you are feeling so badly that you can't remember the things you enjoy. Even if you don't feel like doing it, pick one and do it anyway. It may lift your spirits.
• Relax! Sit down in a comfortable chair, loosen any tight clothing, and take several deep breaths. Starting with your toes, focus your attention on each part of your body; tighten, then relax. When you have relaxed your whole body, notice how you feel. Then, focus your attention for a few minutes on a favorite scene, like a warm day in spring, or a walk by the ocean, before returning to your other activities. 

If you are having trouble sleeping, try some of the following suggestions:

• Listen to soothing music after you lie down.
• Eat foods high in calcium, like dairy products and leafy green vegetables, or take a calcium supplement.
• Avoid alcohol-it will help you fall asleep, but may cause you to awaken early. 
• Avoid sleeping late in the morning and taking long naps during the day. Try to keep a regular schedule of bedtime and wake time.
• Before going to bed:
• avoid heavy meals, strenuous activity, caffeine, and nicotine.
• read a calming book.
• take a warm bath.
• drink a glass of warm milk, eat some turkey, and/or drink a cup of chamomile tea.

Keep your life as simple as possible. If it doesn't really need to be done, don't do it. Learn that it is okay to say "no" if you can't or don't want to do something, but don't avoid responsibilities like taking good care of yourself and your children. Get help with these responsibilities if you need it.

Work on changing your negative thoughts to positive ones. Everyone has negative thoughts that they have learned, usually when they were young. When you are feeling badly, these negative thoughts can make you feel worse. For instance, if you find yourself thinking "I will never feel better", try saying "I may feel bad now, but this will pass and I will feel better soon." Here are a few other examples of turning negative thoughts into positive ones:

Negative Thoughts	Positive Responses
No one likes me.	Many people like me.
I am worthless.	I am valuable.
I can’t do anything right.	I do many things right.
I have no reason to keep living.	I may not feel like it now, but I am important and deserve to live. I am needed here.

Every time you have a negative thought, consciously replace it with a positive one. Repeat those positive responses over and over until you believe it!