People's Favourite Activities To Do When They Feel Depressed

Blog posts People's Favourite Activities To Do When They Feel Depressed Blog posts People's Favourite Activities To Do When They Feel Depressed

Like we often talk about at The Depression Project, when you're deep in a depressive episode, it helps to do things that give you a sense of safety; comfort; and quick, short-term relief from depression's symptoms. On that note, a little while ago on social media, we asked members of The Depression Project's community:

What are your favourite activities to do when you feel depressed?

And, in this blog post, we'd like to share some of the responses with you :)

People's Favourite Activities To Do When They Feel Depressed

  • "Listen to music with lyrics that I can relate to."
  • "I do a 30 minute cardio workout. It feels hard, sometimes impossible at times, but I'm never, ever sorry afterwards. It's always a mental boost for me."
  • "I struggle when I am really depressed to do things. I feel unmotivated and usually just want to sleep, but aside from that, being with my dog is top of the list. She helps to lift my mood. A nice hot shower too I crave. But when I am just mildly depressed, I like to get out and shop. Sometimes a day out of your regular surroundings helps."
  • "I go for a walk outside. I like to be out and about in nature."
  • "I do arts and crafts. It's a nice distraction from my thoughts, and I always feel better than if I'd just stayed in bed all day."
  • "I don't have the energy to be around people when I'm depressed, so I keep to myself and do solo activities. Usually this is painting or drawing for me."
  • "The thing about being depressed for me is, I don't want to interact with others, but I also feel lonely when I'm by myself. At these times, I've found it helpful to do activities with loved ones that don't involve talking - like a puzzle, video games or just watching a movie."
  • "Yoga and meditation."
  • "Hug my dog, bake a cake, and pray."
  • "I usually crochet or knit or sew to keep my mind busy."
  • "In all honesty, talking to my stuffed toys. This somehow helps me release the heaviness of my emotions."
  • "I journal to try to make sense of my feelings. It's better than bottling them up inside me - and you can journal from the comfort of your bed."
  • "I re-watch some of my favourite movies once I've come out of the sleeping and restless mind phase. I often can't concentrate enough to follow the plot of a new movie - which is why re-watching old ones is particularly good for depression."
  • "I sing sad songs out loud while crying it out the best I can."
  • "I try to exercise - in whatever capacity I can. If I'm too exhausted to run, I'll go for a walk. If I'm too exhausted to go for a walk, I'll try to move about the house. If even that's too much, I'll try to stretch in bed. But I always try to do something, because even that is better than nothing."
  • "Nature. I go into the woods. Or to water. I walk barefoot and reconnect, which helps to get me out of my head."
  • "Diamond art. I love it."
  • "If it's summer, then I like to get out in the garden and plant something."
  • "I like to treat myself to my favourite food. If I feel up to cooking, that will be spaghetti bolognaise. If I can't manage that, then it's a bowl of chocolate ice-cream or my favourite soft drink."
  • "I'll do something really soothing and comforting - usually drinking a hot chocolate with candles or having a bubble bath - and tell myself positive affirmations."
  • "I paint my nails a new colour. Sometimes put on my favourite dress and a spray of perfume. I usually don't go anywhere, but it still makes me feel a little bit better."
  • "I call a friend. Thankfully I have a few good ones who understand. I'm also part of a couple of support groups online. Depression can make you want to isolate, but it can also be comforting to talk to people who know what it's like."
  • "I have a couple of podcasts that I like to listen to. The familiarity of the voices is strangely comforting. Same for watching old television re-runs."
  • "I go to my local pet shop to look at the puppies. This never fails to give me a lift."

Of course, not all of these activities may appeal to you, our friend. But, we hope that reading this blog post has at least given you a couple of new ideas for activities you can do when you feel depressed.

All our love,

The Depression Project Team. 

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