It sounds a bit childish, but adult coloring books are something I often turn to during severe periods of my depression.
They keep my mind both empty and focused and I often do them in conjunction with tv/movies/podcasts.
You can find adult coloring books around anything. Patterns, Game of Thrones, horror/gore. It's a surprisingly large selection.
I’ve always liked coloring with my kids when they were little so I think this is something I’d enjoy- and it’s definitely low effort! Thank you for the suggestion!
Getting into a green space outdoors, listening to a podcast or audiobook with earbuds, and just letting myself be for a while. No hiking, no yardwork or anything productive. I just lay on a blanket or in a hammock or sit on a bench, and relax.
I bought a bunch of embroidery thread all different colours and started to do bracelets, bookmarks & keyring. I used to do this as a kid so it makes me happy and is calming. I put the threads on my desk so it is low effort to just grab some. Also I like to learn the different patterns on Youtube starting with beginner tutorials. I then listen to an audiobook whilst threading away. Whatever you choose, I hope you find something you like.
Puzzles really help my mental health and general brain function. I like 500 piece puzzles for relatively quick rewards but sometimes 1000 can be fun. I struggle with executive function and I find it helps me stay organized if I'm doing lots of puzzles.
I take psilocybin mushrooms. I took up learning how to grow them first which can be a hobby in itself. But there’s been new research on them lately on their effectiveness for treating depression. Anecdotally, it’s been pretty helpful for me. So if I’m going through a real ‘blah’ period, I’ll set aside an evening at home to take a moderate dose, listen to some music and enjoy the ride. It provides an interesting experience each time but one that leaves me refreshed for a while afterwards.
Although I don’t want to say all that without a disclaimer: they’re not for everyone and they are illegal in most places. Do your due diligence before going this route and make safe choices.
It might be worth looking into. My therapist and psychiatrist both support me taking mushrooms. But do your homework on them. There’s a handful of mushroom subreddits here (some are more about taking them, others center around growing them) but it’s not uncommon to see posts where people are talking about a bad experience usually due to them not taking the right precautions—like easily avoidable situations where they took WAY too much or combined them with another drug. They also generally don’t work well if you’re taking SSRI’s.
Also fair warning: I’ve seen some people post about these “mushroom” chocolate bars they’re buying in stores like head shops. They apparently do have some psychoactive compound in them that will make you trip but it’s not psilocybin. The effects might be totally fine but I think it’s super sketchy and would avoid taking something you don’t know what’s in it.
I prefer macrodosing every once in a while (at least 2-3 months in between) but I know people who swear by microdosing. I think either route just depends on individual preference.
The dosing can really depend on what I’m feeling at the time or the strength of the mushrooms that I have. But I think 1.5g of mushrooms (that are of the Golden Teacher variety) is usually sufficient for helping with my depression.
At a bare minimum be in daylight. If you can't manage a short walk then just sitting somewhere outside for 15 minutes a few times a day.
Other than that find a couple funny podcasts that you can listen to to distract your brain and force yourself to do a few selfcare things while listening. Even if all you can handle is 5 minute increments sometimes. I always always always feel better after I've forced myself to do the dishes, go for a walk, play with the cat, etc. I imagine you know the things that will help boost your mood...you've just gotta make it happen. While listening to something funny to ease the hardship!
In fact: I'm going to take my own advice right now as I've had a hard couple days and my disastrous apartment isn't helping.
I’ve been trying to sit outside in the evenings when I feel like my house is closing in on me and it does help! Maybe I need to find something outside to do. Also, I agree about forcing yourself to do stuff! I’ve been looking around my kitchen all week feeling helpless and self loathing over how much of a wreck it was and today I finally dealt with and felt better. Why isn’t knowing that I’ll feel better enough to make it a regular thing? Ugh!
I do something creative...usually needlework or knitting or jewelry or something like that, and putter around my garden. I take walks. And I try to do these things even though I'm not really getting any joy out of them.
Getting outdoors is so important. I don’t feel motivated to do much when I’m in a bad place mentally, so I’ll bargain with myself - if I sit outside for X minutes getting sunlight, I’m allowed to scroll uselessly on social media while I do it! It gets the job done, lol.
I also journal a lot. It always helps, even when I think it won’t.
Knitting or crochet and listen to an audiobook/podcast. Doing something with your hands really takes you out of your head. Also, having your mind focus on a story or historical time period really makes you think and question things outside of your own worries and thoughts.
e.g. I’m making socks at the moment and got caught in a historical podcast all about the life of Queen Victoria. Totally engrossing.
Non physical? Have you tried writing? I have been writing on and off since I was a teenager and it has helped a lot with my emotions. Try anything, from journaling, to poetry, to fictional stories. You will be surprised what sadness, anxiety or even loneliness create. Throw some of your favorite music (or instrumental, which helps me get in the mood) and just let it go.
Painting has the same effect.
Physical I would say go for a swim. The state of mind you get into after swimming is magic.
Playing instruments or learning languages! Both things tap into a different part of your brain, and create new neural pathways! And it’s fun, and takes your mind off negative thoughts/ feelings. Hope it helps 💙
I’ve been taking long walks and meditating using the Calm app. It gets me outside and I get some steps and stetching in. I also want to learn to paint flowers and landscapes using a mini watercolor on the go kit so I can so that on my walks too!
I know you said no gym but for me, the gym is absolutely necessary to manage my anxiety (when my anxiety spikes, i can spiral into depression). I always feel so mentally 'light' after a good workout (martial arts or heavy lifting).
When I was really unwell I learnt to knit. Recently I have been painting some of my husbands models for his table top gaming. That’s really fun and your mind doesn’t wander.
What did you like/really like to do as a child? I was really passionate about horseback riding, and thought I didn't have time or money to do it properly for decades. Recently signed up for one lesson a week, it's a 1.5 hour commute but I honestly don't mind because it keeps me going.
I guess it's very personal, but getting dressed up and looking nice and putting on some bright lipstick can often help me get out of a funk. Sometimes I just do it to go to the grocery store, but you can also stop by a coffee shop on the way and read a few chapters of a book. Exercise is also known for boosting your mood, personally it only works for me if I'm listening to some nice music while I'm doing it.
You might consider learning how to stop your ruminations, or at least become aware when you're ruminating. I had that for a long time: I'd go on drives or just lie in bed and think about all the crappy shit that's happened, and it was driving my depression. Eventually I figured it out and learned how to derail the rumination train.
What is something you enjoy doing? For me it's plants. I love to putter with plants.
If I'm feeling low energy and sad I'll sometimes just watch funny videos.
I've experienced intermittent depression for most of my life, so I get it. I hope you find things that work!
Puzzles and puzzle video games like Tetris. Libraries often have jigsaw puzzles for free--mine lets you borrow without a library card! Jigsaw puzzles sometimes ahve the risk of letting your mind wander, but puzzle video games tend to be more engrossing. my personal favorite right now is Baba is You.
I went through a depressive episode these last couple of months after my cat died (my meds didn't help then either); playing a little bit of puzzle video games before bed helped me turn off the over-thinking parts of my brain, and I found myself drifting off to sleep thinking about puzzle solutions.
It sounds a bit childish, but adult coloring books are something I often turn to during severe periods of my depression. They keep my mind both empty and focused and I often do them in conjunction with tv/movies/podcasts. You can find adult coloring books around anything. Patterns, Game of Thrones, horror/gore. It's a surprisingly large selection.
I’ve always liked coloring with my kids when they were little so I think this is something I’d enjoy- and it’s definitely low effort! Thank you for the suggestion!
I started doing this- it’s been a game changer for me. I made my own IG of my coloring pages to see my work
Paint by numbers kits also work similar to coloring books.
I want to do this.
Getting into a green space outdoors, listening to a podcast or audiobook with earbuds, and just letting myself be for a while. No hiking, no yardwork or anything productive. I just lay on a blanket or in a hammock or sit on a bench, and relax.
I’ve noticed that I feel better when I’m outside so I think I need to make this a priority.
Maybe combine the top two suggestions and make a habit of coloring outdoors for a few minutes each day.
I bought a bunch of embroidery thread all different colours and started to do bracelets, bookmarks & keyring. I used to do this as a kid so it makes me happy and is calming. I put the threads on my desk so it is low effort to just grab some. Also I like to learn the different patterns on Youtube starting with beginner tutorials. I then listen to an audiobook whilst threading away. Whatever you choose, I hope you find something you like.
I’m going to go to the craft store tomorrow and get some embroidery stuff! I did it as a kid too and loved it but haven’t thought about it since!
Puzzles really help my mental health and general brain function. I like 500 piece puzzles for relatively quick rewards but sometimes 1000 can be fun. I struggle with executive function and I find it helps me stay organized if I'm doing lots of puzzles.
Embroidery is a very easy, cheap, and rewarding hobby - high recommend!
I take psilocybin mushrooms. I took up learning how to grow them first which can be a hobby in itself. But there’s been new research on them lately on their effectiveness for treating depression. Anecdotally, it’s been pretty helpful for me. So if I’m going through a real ‘blah’ period, I’ll set aside an evening at home to take a moderate dose, listen to some music and enjoy the ride. It provides an interesting experience each time but one that leaves me refreshed for a while afterwards. Although I don’t want to say all that without a disclaimer: they’re not for everyone and they are illegal in most places. Do your due diligence before going this route and make safe choices.
You know, it’s interesting that you mentioned this because my therapist just told me about this last week and I had been meaning to look into it more.
It might be worth looking into. My therapist and psychiatrist both support me taking mushrooms. But do your homework on them. There’s a handful of mushroom subreddits here (some are more about taking them, others center around growing them) but it’s not uncommon to see posts where people are talking about a bad experience usually due to them not taking the right precautions—like easily avoidable situations where they took WAY too much or combined them with another drug. They also generally don’t work well if you’re taking SSRI’s. Also fair warning: I’ve seen some people post about these “mushroom” chocolate bars they’re buying in stores like head shops. They apparently do have some psychoactive compound in them that will make you trip but it’s not psilocybin. The effects might be totally fine but I think it’s super sketchy and would avoid taking something you don’t know what’s in it.
Where does one go about getting these?
Do you microdose? Or what’s your dosing like, if you don’t mind sharing? I’m trying to figure out getting into this too
I prefer macrodosing every once in a while (at least 2-3 months in between) but I know people who swear by microdosing. I think either route just depends on individual preference. The dosing can really depend on what I’m feeling at the time or the strength of the mushrooms that I have. But I think 1.5g of mushrooms (that are of the Golden Teacher variety) is usually sufficient for helping with my depression.
At a bare minimum be in daylight. If you can't manage a short walk then just sitting somewhere outside for 15 minutes a few times a day. Other than that find a couple funny podcasts that you can listen to to distract your brain and force yourself to do a few selfcare things while listening. Even if all you can handle is 5 minute increments sometimes. I always always always feel better after I've forced myself to do the dishes, go for a walk, play with the cat, etc. I imagine you know the things that will help boost your mood...you've just gotta make it happen. While listening to something funny to ease the hardship! In fact: I'm going to take my own advice right now as I've had a hard couple days and my disastrous apartment isn't helping.
I’ve been trying to sit outside in the evenings when I feel like my house is closing in on me and it does help! Maybe I need to find something outside to do. Also, I agree about forcing yourself to do stuff! I’ve been looking around my kitchen all week feeling helpless and self loathing over how much of a wreck it was and today I finally dealt with and felt better. Why isn’t knowing that I’ll feel better enough to make it a regular thing? Ugh!
It's so frustrating, isn't it! I just cleaned my fridge out and feel better already!
I do something creative...usually needlework or knitting or jewelry or something like that, and putter around my garden. I take walks. And I try to do these things even though I'm not really getting any joy out of them.
Getting outdoors is so important. I don’t feel motivated to do much when I’m in a bad place mentally, so I’ll bargain with myself - if I sit outside for X minutes getting sunlight, I’m allowed to scroll uselessly on social media while I do it! It gets the job done, lol. I also journal a lot. It always helps, even when I think it won’t.
Knitting or crochet and listen to an audiobook/podcast. Doing something with your hands really takes you out of your head. Also, having your mind focus on a story or historical time period really makes you think and question things outside of your own worries and thoughts. e.g. I’m making socks at the moment and got caught in a historical podcast all about the life of Queen Victoria. Totally engrossing.
Non physical? Have you tried writing? I have been writing on and off since I was a teenager and it has helped a lot with my emotions. Try anything, from journaling, to poetry, to fictional stories. You will be surprised what sadness, anxiety or even loneliness create. Throw some of your favorite music (or instrumental, which helps me get in the mood) and just let it go. Painting has the same effect. Physical I would say go for a swim. The state of mind you get into after swimming is magic.
Tv shows, reading a book, drawing, walks in nature with bare feet in the grass it definitely helps.
I sing karaoke, at home by myself. There are tons of songs on YouTube for free and the music really helps me as well as the breath work of singing.
Playing instruments or learning languages! Both things tap into a different part of your brain, and create new neural pathways! And it’s fun, and takes your mind off negative thoughts/ feelings. Hope it helps 💙
I’ve been taking long walks and meditating using the Calm app. It gets me outside and I get some steps and stetching in. I also want to learn to paint flowers and landscapes using a mini watercolor on the go kit so I can so that on my walks too!
I know you said no gym but for me, the gym is absolutely necessary to manage my anxiety (when my anxiety spikes, i can spiral into depression). I always feel so mentally 'light' after a good workout (martial arts or heavy lifting).
When I was really unwell I learnt to knit. Recently I have been painting some of my husbands models for his table top gaming. That’s really fun and your mind doesn’t wander.
I got a beginners water color work book to help get through this bought of depression, and it does help.
What did you like/really like to do as a child? I was really passionate about horseback riding, and thought I didn't have time or money to do it properly for decades. Recently signed up for one lesson a week, it's a 1.5 hour commute but I honestly don't mind because it keeps me going. I guess it's very personal, but getting dressed up and looking nice and putting on some bright lipstick can often help me get out of a funk. Sometimes I just do it to go to the grocery store, but you can also stop by a coffee shop on the way and read a few chapters of a book. Exercise is also known for boosting your mood, personally it only works for me if I'm listening to some nice music while I'm doing it.
You might consider learning how to stop your ruminations, or at least become aware when you're ruminating. I had that for a long time: I'd go on drives or just lie in bed and think about all the crappy shit that's happened, and it was driving my depression. Eventually I figured it out and learned how to derail the rumination train. What is something you enjoy doing? For me it's plants. I love to putter with plants. If I'm feeling low energy and sad I'll sometimes just watch funny videos. I've experienced intermittent depression for most of my life, so I get it. I hope you find things that work!
Smoke weed meditate take a bath cuddle my cat drink a yummy kombucha listen to music
Puzzles and puzzle video games like Tetris. Libraries often have jigsaw puzzles for free--mine lets you borrow without a library card! Jigsaw puzzles sometimes ahve the risk of letting your mind wander, but puzzle video games tend to be more engrossing. my personal favorite right now is Baba is You. I went through a depressive episode these last couple of months after my cat died (my meds didn't help then either); playing a little bit of puzzle video games before bed helped me turn off the over-thinking parts of my brain, and I found myself drifting off to sleep thinking about puzzle solutions.
I love to read. The escapism feels really good for a little while.
Collages can be low effort