Depression can feel like a heavy weight that is impossible to shake off. With about 280 million people worldwide who have experienced depression, the demand for coping skills that can help ease the symptoms of this condition is high.
If you are someone struggling with depression, it can be difficult to find and execute coping skills that can help you navigate daily life. You are not alone. Even if you don’t always feel your best, you can still take up helpful habits that can empower you to mitigate the burdensome symptoms of depression. .
Note: It is essential when learning coping skills for depression that you build a toolbox of different techniques to utilize when your symptoms spike. What works today may not always work the same another day. It may mean you need something different today, and that’s okay.
Learning new coping skills can help you feel more confident in navigating your symptoms, and empower you with the skills you need whenever you need them. Let’s jump into the first skill: Get organized.
1. Start with One Small, Manageable Task and Build Momentum
One of the common symptoms of depression is to have a lack of energy or motivation. It can feel daunting to have all of the projects and chores you have yet to do looming over your head. One skill that may be helpful for you is to build momentum with what it is you feel you do have capacity for, and move from there.
Consider picking one tiny, non-intimidating task first. Build up small wins so that you can “snowball” your successes. After a series of smaller tasks, you may feel motivated to do more. If not, at the very least you won’t regret doing one small, manageable task in a day!
For example, if your house is a mess and it feels impossible to keep the whole place clean, focus on keeping your bed made after you get up in the morning. The one small task of making your bed when you get up will help your room feel neater and give you a sense of accomplishment that can carry over into other things…
After the bed is made, you could assess whether or not you can pick up some of the laundry. Have the plan be “just put laundry in the hamper”, rather than “do all of the laundry in the house”. Remember that every small task accomplished counts as a win. You can build yourself up to more, bigger tasks after finishing the smaller things.
When depression makes everything feel overwhelming, break up tasks – whether that be work-related things, projects around your home, or managing things on your social calendar – into the smallest possible steps.
Feeling overwhelmed in a low-energy state can make any upcoming task feel difficult, so building yourself up to accomplish little goals is a good way to make sure that you’re moving forward even when you’re not feeling your best.
2. Focus on Creating Gentle Goals
Rather than going and trying to take on large tasks you feel like you should complete even if you aren’t sure whether or not you can actually finish them, set yourself up for success by setting goals that reflect what is possible for you.
Setting realistic goals for yourself can be a great way to start making progress on what it is that you are hoping to get done. The goal is to be able to stretch yourself to get things done, without overloading yourself and making unattainable goals that leave you feeling discouraged.
When you are feeling down, setting achievable and manageable goals is crucial. This doesn’t mean that you should set the bar low. Your goals should be something that you can reasonably achieve in a given amount of time.
For example, you may make it a goal of yours to wake up around the same time of day and set up a time to eat a snack, if not breakfast. This builds a foundation without feeling like you have to take on a complex morning routine.
Depression can make time feel endless or shapeless. Introducing a gentle structure – without harsh deadlines so that you don’t feel like you’re failing – can offer a sense of stability to work from.
If you set your goal too big, you will likely become discouraged and give up. If you break down your goal into smaller steps, it will be much easier to accomplish. As you check items off your list, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and progress.
Reasons setting realistic goals can be helpful:
- Helps you feel more in control of your life
- Makes progress feel achievable and manageable
- Allows you to celebrate small accomplishments
It can be difficult to know what goals are realistic, versus what goals set yourself up for failure. One helpful framework is to make hi-low goals rather than making up goals for yourself without any guidelines.
Setting hi-low goals
The hi-low method can also be good for you if you struggle with consistency and tend to give up on goals once you feel you have “failed.”
To utilize the hi-low method, pick a goal. Suppose you want to drink 80 oz of water per day. Currently, you may only get about 30 oz of water and drink soda a few times a day.
Making it your objective to jump from some water and sugary drinks to 80 oz of water per day may be too drastic to commit to overnight. Especially if you struggle with depression, to expect 100% consistency every day may be setting yourself to feel like you failed to complete what you set out to do. Here is where hi-low goals come into play.
The hi-low goal for your water intake should be as follows:
Hi: 80 oz
Low: 40 oz or and no sugary drinks
This gives you a minimum and maximum range for success, which shows a range in which you will consider your efforts a win for the day. This take on goal setting should ease the perfectionism around goal setting and set you up to succeed on your terms. Baby steps in the right direction are much better than a pass/fail grade. Any bit of progress should be celebrated.
Seeing progress and reaching your goals may take some time, depending on your chosen objectives. Celebrate your successes, no matter their size, and it can keep you feeling motivated long enough to reach whatever it is you set out to achieve.
3. Ask For Support From Those Around You
Spending time with loved ones can help improve your mood and provide some support . It can be difficult to reach out to those around you for a variety of reasons. While it may be emotionally draining or feel like trouble to ask for help, getting support from those around you is a great way to be able to navigate your depression symptoms.
If you struggle with feeling isolated, being honest with someone around you opens you up to actually receiving help and feeling better, instead of trying to navigate your symptoms solo.
If you don’t feel comfortable talking about your depression with family and friends, try spending time with them in a more casual setting. Grab dinner, have a game night, or watch a movie together. Studies show that there is a strong link between having a good support system and feeling connected to others, and decrease in symptoms of depression and anxiety. The goal here is to find ways to connect and spend time with those who make you feel seen and known.
Reasons connecting with family and friends can be helpful:
- Getting connected to others can help you feel like you are not alone day-to-day
- Talking about your symptoms can help others know how to come around you
- Connection doesn’t have to feel like a big deal; you can make connections casually, around likes and interests you have, in the midst of not feeling your best
- Talking about what is going on in your life can help you process big emotions more thoroughly
- Laughing can help to lift feelings of depression
Reach out to your friends and family and see if you can get a plan to meet up soon to connect.
If reaching out to trusted people you know feels difficult, consider reaching out to a professional who can help. At Makin Wellness, we have caring online therapists ready to talk to you about your journey with depression. Click here to schedule an online therapy appointment.
4. Spend time in nature
One of the best coping skills for depression is to spend time outside in nature. Being in nature has been shown to improve mood and reduce stress.
If you live in a city, try to spend time in a park or nature reserve. If you live in a rural area, hike or walk in the woods. Any way you can get sunshine and fresh air is ideal.
You can be active by riding a bike or going for a walk. If you would rather relax than break a sweat, you can still reap the benefits of nature by finding a park bench, laying out a blanket over the grass, or sitting on your porch.
Make your time in nature something you look forward to. This experience is for you, so make it something you will enjoy and stick with.
5. Get more restful sleep
If you are struggling with depression, it can be difficult to develop a sleep routine that works with your body’s needs. It is crucial to get enough sleep so your body has time to repair and restore you for the next day to come. Without enough sleep, you can put your body under stress that exacerbates your depression symptoms, which may affect your work, personal life, or ability to accomplish daily tasks.
When you get a proper amount of sleep, it can help to improve your mood and increase your energy levels. It can also help to reduce stress and anxiety.
If you struggle with depression, you may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This may be because you have trouble setting yourself up for sleeping well, or because your brain is having difficulty regulating stress responses (ie, you feel “alert” right before bed, or wake up feeling wired). Here are some ways you can support your sleep schedule:
- Regulate the stress response by engaging in a relaxation technique. Direct attention to releasing muscular tension while gradually redirecting focus away from stress-inducing stimuli.
- Exercise earlier in the day to tire yourself out for bed time later.
- This will help your body be ready for sleep, and exercise can also help aid in neurotransmitter function, which will ease other symptoms of depression as well.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol intake.
- Both caffeine and alcohol intake poorly affect sleep. While alcohol may seem like it helps you feel sleepy, it also inhibits REM sleep, which your brain needs to be able to stay regulated during the day.
- Wind down from the day for at least 30 minutes. Doing things like light stretching, dimming the lights, putting on soft music, or reading sends the message to your brain that it is almost time for sleep.
A consistent sleep schedule affects your circadian rhythm, which is the physical, mental, and behavioral changes you experience over 24 hours. Get some evening sun and set your sleep schedule. Try it and see if that helps you get more restful sleep.
It can be incredibly frustrating and exhausting if you are having trouble sleeping for long periods. Talk with your doctor about your sleep to see if there is something they can do to help.
6. Take breaks to relax during the day
Taking breaks during the day to relax can be a helpful coping skill for depression. When you feel overwhelmed, take a few minutes to relax and rejuvenate. Even a tiny break can make a significant difference in your day.
Reasons taking breaks can be helpful:
- Improves mood and energy
- Reduces stress and anxiety while resetting your stress tolerance
- Can be done in a variety of ways that fit what feels good best for you
There are a few different ways you can take breaks during the day:
- Take a walk
- Go for a run
- Read a book
- Listen to music
- Have a snack
- Take a hot shower or bath
- Practice a set of deep breaths
Find what works for you, and take breaks throughout the day to gain the benefits of this practice.
Need help implementing coping skills for depression?
Each of these coping skills for depression can help you manage and possibly lower the severity of your depressive symptoms. Remember that it’s essential to find what works for you and practice it until it becomes second nature. This helps it be a solid part of your symptom management toolbox, which you can use to find some relief at any time.
Do you need more help figuring out why you feel the way you think? Perhaps you have experienced hard times, issues with family, or a significant life change that has sparked feelings of depression. Connecting with a Makin Wellness specialized therapist can help you identify the root causes of your symptoms and set you up with a personalized plan to reduce your symptoms through online therapy.
If you are ready to make a change and start managing your depression, schedule an appointment or call us at (833)-274-heal to get set up with one of our empathetic and caring online therapists. We are here to help you feel supported and heard. Start the road to relief with a simple call.
This Post Has 2 Comments
Thank you for sharing these practical coping skills! I found the tips to be very insightful and actionable. It’s comforting to know that there are strategies we can actively apply to manage depression. I especially appreciated the emphasis on self-compassion and mindfulness. Looking forward to implementing these in my daily routine!
Thank you for sharing these practical coping skills! I found the tips on mindfulness and journaling particularly helpful. It’s comforting to know that there are actionable steps to take when feeling overwhelmed. Looking forward to implementing these strategies in my daily routine!