what's good

hygiene: keep some wet wipes, your toothbrush, toothpaste and an old bottle near your bed. you can use the wipes on your face and armpits. if you can get yourself a glass of water, or have someone else do it for you, dip your toothbrush into the glass of water, brush your teeth and spit into the old bottle which you can rinse out when you have more energy. please don’t drink the water afterwards

if the episode has been going on for a while and you haven’t changed your sheets, change your pillow cases so at least you’re not sleeping on dirty pillows

if you can, invest in a big half litre water bottle and just keep that by your bed so you don’t get dehydrated

if you have the energy to get around a bit, bundle up and go for a walk down your street and back. the longer you stay indoors the scarier going outside will be. you could even just walk down the drive

snacks: I keep easy peelers/tangerines, snack bars and something sugary in my room so my blood sugar doesn’t drop too low and i don’t get scurvy. if you have a bit of energy, you could make up a couple of protein shakes to keep in the fridge if that’s something that’s available for you to do. i like to buy microwave meals, instant noodles and bread for quick and easy meals. canned food is also good

dishes: if you’ve used a plate for a meal, wash it straight away so you don’t get a dirty dishes pile up. i also suggest investing in some party paper plates just in case. if you have a dirty dishes pile up, clean a couple plates, bowls, glasses and a couple bits of cutlery. don’t feel like you need to tackle everything, just enough that you have clean dishes to eat from

set small goals: i have a cute little notebook where i write my goals every day, sometimes the lists are long and achievable, but when i’m unwell i start small and build it up every day. the idea is to get yourself out of bed and slowly give yourself more energy. today my goals were to eat twice, take my meds and vitamins and change my pillow cases. tomorrow i hope to go on a little walk and shower.

save the numbers of your local mental health team, your doctor, therapist and crisis hotlines into your contacts if that’s something you feel you might need. you could also forward them to a friend who may be able to talk on your behalf if you agree to it

if you’re prone to laying in the dark like me, keeping your curtains open for 30 minutes can do wonders. if you’re financially able, SAD therapy lights can be a good alternative to this