If You're Depressed, Keep it Simple.

Depression is a bitch. She’s cruel, heavy, and oh-so-hard to come out of. I’ve had multiple (and by multiple, I mean dozens) of depressive episodes that have lasted from weeks to months. I know how unbelievably hard it is to simply get up and do the basic shit that is required to be a human. So when someone says to me, “just smile more, you’ll feel better!” I want to smack them, but don’t have the energy to because, well, I’m depressed.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m depressed, cooking breakfast is a chore, and showering is a marathon.

In my eating disorder treatment program, I learned a skill called P.L.E.A.S.E., which at the time felt less like a skill and more like a WTF?

Developed by Marsha Linehan, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) queen-extraordinaire, P.L.E.A.S.E. focuses on the bare minimum of keeping ourselves well taken care of when we are about to fall into a state of depression.

*Please note, if you are deep in a depression, these will be really difficult. I invite you to do these things to help prevent a depressive episode, and if you’re deep in a depression, do the best you can to do at least 3 of these every day. I know it’s hard. I believe in you.

Prevent and manage mild Depression from getting worse by paying attention to the following:

Physical ILness:

Are you sick? If not, what types of activities might you do that could keep you well? What types of activities might make you vulnerable to becoming ill?

Eating:

What are you eating? Do the foods you eat make you feel energized and well? Or weighed down and sluggish?

Mood Altering Substances:

Are you drinking alcohol? Taking drugs? Smoking cigarettes? These will alter your mood, and will only putt off the day you come out of a depression.

Sleep:

Do you go to bed at the same time every night? Do you wake up at the same time? Finding a regular sleep pattern and getting enough rest will trigger the part of your brain that believes it is safe and OK.

Exercise:

Are you moving? Maybe just walking around the block? Getting a little blood flow and fresh air—even just 10 minutes, will stimulate your body’s nervous system and activate a small amount of dopamine to improve your mood.

For some, these might seem like no brainers. Of course I should eat well and get enough sleep. Of course I should avoid alcohol and get my blood pumping daily. Of course these are ways to keep depression at bay and stay happy!

But when you’re depressed, these activities seem so out of reach.

As someone who has been depressed many times (and still gets depressed), I can attest to the shift in the brain and body that makes basic self care seem like an after thought. When I’m depressed, not only do I have low mood and energy, but I’m also incredibly self-deprecating. I beat myself up for oversleeping. I beat myself up for not being happy. I get down on myself for struggling to cook myself a proper meal.

Knowing that someone created an acronym around basic self-care to remind me in my depressed state that these are probably the bare minimum activities I can participate in also validates the fact that these things are hard right now, and it’s ok if they are all I can do for a few days. It gives me permission to focus on those things and those things alone until I start to notice a shift in mood.

When you’re depressed, remember it’s ok that these things are all you need to focus on. You might think to get out of your depression you have to conquer the world by meeting all your deadlines, smashing all your fitness goals, or seeing all your frienz. But you don’t. You literally just need to function at a bare minimum. I invite you to take the pressure off to do ALL the things, and just start with these things. You’ll be surprised at what they can do to get you up from baseline to one level above baseline.

P.S. Yes, that’s it. Because if you’re depressed, this is probably as much as you can read right now, and I’m not going to make it any longer or complicated.

Happy Coping!

XO -Rach

This is a nice printout from DBT therapy. P.L.E.A.S.E is a handy acronym developed by Marsha Linehan, the genius woman who competes daily for my affection with Brené Brown. Marsha Linehan is the founder of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) which blends CBT, Mindfulness, Acceptance Therapy, Existentialism, and so much more into a thoroughly badass system that is designed to help individuals with personality disorders.