Intervene With Routine to Manage Depression

Don’t Fall into the Depression Trap!

L.Sterling CPRP

 Managing depression is not a simple task. Often when people are depressed, they do not feel like doing much of anything. Sometimes a negative  “cycle “ or trap if  you will gets into place: You get  depressed, not motivated, poor eating, inactivity, little  contact with others, have negative thoughts, feel worse…repeat  ect. ect.

This is where the ‘trap”can  and  will start to engulf  you…if  you let  it.. In our Peer program , I have a saying “Learning to manage the  depression is saying NO to being entrapped by depression”. Simply: “Manage it, or you allow IT to manage you.”

Think about this in a practical way. When you have a headache…..you take the appropriate medicine for it, usually follow up with a behavior to rest, or use an ice  pack, whatever  you can to make it better.…

You don’t bang  your head against the  wall, ……. making it 10 times  worse.

So why would we not approach managing depression in the same practical way: Basically implement what actually makes you feel better in the long  run. Treat it like it’s your job to protect yourself the “Trap”  or that  never-ending  abyss.

How Do you get out Of ‘The Trap”?

“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” – unknown

Intervene With A Planned Action Step Packed Routine!!

 Make a list of all the things that make you feel better.  Implement  these things  in  your daily routine as well as  the tools  you KNOW will help you. If  you ‘don’t feel like it”…remember your treating this like its’ your job….You  don’t have  to like it always  to get the outcome  you are looking  for.

Now,  Make a schedule starting  with a reasonable  wake up  time and  effectively assign yourself action steps that get  you moving ….away  from the trap…instead of  running into it.

Example of  Intervene with Routine Schedule: Personalize yours but do include exercise, healthy eating, contact with others and rest .

8:00	Wake up, wash face, breathing exercise  for 3 min. Make Healthy Breakfast
9:00	Write affirmations on page and make a goal list on tasks for the day, outside walk 30 min.
10:00	Shower, groom, put on clean clothes, clean up area you sleep in. Call a friend.
11:00	Make a healthy choice snack. Complete one small task.
12:00	Go get mail, complete one small task.
1:00	Make a healthy choice lunch, enjoy it. Watch TV, or Listen to music  Rest  no more then 1 hour.
3:00	Get up have some green tea and a Healthy Snack, Complete a small house task.
4:00	Get some type of physical activity,
5 6 7 8 9	Healthy Choice Dinner, call a friend ,TV Time, Read, work a puzzle shower, relaxation exercise, positive affirmations, plan  goals  for tomorrow.
10:00	Plan to have an even better  day  tomorrow Good Night!
11:00	Sleeping like a rock!

You get the picture!!! Stay out of that trap!! Empower yourself  to “Get to work”  Intervene with Routine” what ever it is  you have  to do to NOT fall into  the  TRAP. Feeling depressed may not be a choice, BUT what you do when you are depressed is. There are multiple recipes and support material throughout our blog ...check the archives and get your plan ready to go!
"Either you run the day or the day runs you." Jim Rhon

Have a Great Day !!!….Unless you have other plans.
 

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." Rosalynn Carter