Shower or a bath. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.
If you can’t manage a shower baby wipes are a God send, so is dry shampoo and deodorant. If you can at minimum wash your face it makes a world of a difference
Try to brush your teeth if you can but if not use mouthwash, anything is better than nothing
Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire skin.
Put on clean, comfortable clothes. Pick out something cute that will make you feel good. Put on your favorite underwear. Cute black lacy panties? Those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on. Wear something you feel cute in! Not just underwear, but wearing a cute outfit can give a lil boost to the day, even if you’re just at home. It can feel like an accomplishment getting out of your PJs.
Drink cold water. Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost. I always use lemon.
Keep cans of drinks (I like flavored bubbly water) so you don’t have to do dishes to get something to drink and it’s easy to keep cold in the fridge. Any liquid is better than no liquid so whatever you can get yourself to drink.
Make sure to be conscientious of the media you consume. If you follow people/pages/blogs that post depression memes, self deprecating humor, etc. unfollow them and try to replace them with recovery focused content. Mediate how much of the news you watch (when I’m feeling bad I stay away from the news all together cause it just makes me feel worse). Listen to cathartic music if you need to but don’t get lost there. Watch movies that make you feel good and stay away from the heavier stuff until you feel better.
Clean something. Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.
Blast music. Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.
Eat whatever you can even if its weird (I’ve been on an asparagus binge) or the “wrong” time of day. If you manage the energy to cook try and make a lot of food so you can have easy left overs for the next couple of days in case you have low energy and don’t feel like cooking.
Make something. Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, color in a coloring book, scribble, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it.
Go outside. Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.
Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.
Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.
And if it’s been a more than a couple of weeks reach out for help! You do NOT have to go through this alone. You may want to talk to a professional to get the right support to get back to feeling good
(please feel free to add!)
