Depression Combat Thread

[⠝⠕⠏⠑]

Another one!

Go to bed early and wake up early! This is a big one my grandparents used to tell me. Netflix fukkin with us. Lol!

But seriously, stop staying up late. Get 8-10 hrs of sleep and wake up with the birds. It changes ur entire perspective.

 

[⠝⠕⠏⠑]

can't forget exercise it is very very underrated. physical activity is vital to combating depression.

So important! It changes ur entire day

 

[kdub83]

Another one!

Go to bed early and wake up early! This is a big one my grandparents used to tell me. Netflix fukkin with us. Lol!

But seriously, stop staying up late. Get 8-10 hrs of sleep and wake up with the birds. It changes ur entire perspective.

I may start doing this. I'm working on getting a stable sleep cycle now so hopefully that will help. I could go to sleep earlier and get up earlier so I can work out.

 

[Hrcules]

In for later

 

[Elle Seven]

Wanted to add a suggestion as well - crave creativity over consumption.

I told someone recently I realized the pattern of my own life for the past few years has devolved into consuming more than I create - almost 90/10. By consuming, I am not just talking about eating, but this could also be partaking in mindless entertainment, non-constructive conversation with others, emotionless sex, and anything else someone does that does not result in something constructive. My goal, as of the past few weeks, has been to flip the ratio and create more than I consume - to give back to Mother Nature and her inhabitants versus just taking from Her.

Instead of reading all the time, for example, seek to express more thru writing, speech, drawing, gardening...anything that is creative and fosters life in some way.

Even when you look at the human body, it seems we were meant for this - we have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and one mouth - all meant for consuming. However, the mouth can also be used to express, command and enliven, while the 20 digits on our hands and feet can be used to craft and mobilize. When all are used in balance with one another, perhaps it helps put the psyche into relative harmony as well (at least, this is a theory of mine)

 

[notoriusbig]

I just came from the UK and that Vitamin D shyt is real as fukk over there

What do you mean? It’s always dark and cold in London.

 

[IronFist]

Subs to this.

And thanks for making this thread.

I think I get my bouts but I believe and it's just me in particular that my temper is a factor with it. Like for me it leads from the inability to change certain things and it leads to me wanting to "regulate". Slow process.

 

[⠝⠕⠏⠑]

Bump because holidays are coming!

I'm going to add the following suggestion
Get Away

Traveling can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Fall is a great time to get some friends, a bottle of wine, pack a small lunch and go to the mountains or the forests.
This weekend, me and a friend are going hunting for waterfalls. It's literally gonna be a two hour road trip and we already getting the playlist ready. Total cost between two people: $20

Sometimes our environments are toxic as fukk. Getting away helps you detox ur mind and spirit.

 

[⠝⠕⠏⠑]

Happiness on a Budget

Sometimes depression can come from economic issues. Being broke can really make you feel worthless and it doesn't help that everybody is trying to pretend like they are celebrities. It can also put a damper on ur social life...but only IF u let it.
For us more humble folk, here is a couple of ways to spend time with people you are dating that elicit some real interaction and intimacy and connections instead of just wasting money.

1.) Short day trips- See post above. I travel a lot and people often ask me how. My department pays for most of my travel but in-between I explore local areas on a budget. As I stated earlier, put some gas in ur tank, pack a lunch, get a great playlist and chart a destination in ur state. There are so many unexplored parts of America that we take for granted, especially if we grew up in the same areas.

2.) Cook at home-Eating out is expensive AND unhealthy. You can literally go in Aldi's and buy enough healthy food for the week for $30 vs spending that per day on restaurants or fast food.

3.) Invite your friends to stay in- Part of the reason I'm a neat freak is because my apartment is home-base for the festivities. At any given time I have friends over for Swedish meatballs or Pokémon monopoly, we've had LAN parties, Sunday brunch, Ghibli Studio movie marathons, chess tournaments, sip and paints. AAAAAALLLL free.
People bring alcohol, snacks, contribute a dollar or two. And if we do go out, we drink before we hit the bar to avoid paying for overpriced drinks.

4.) Make music ya'll-I sing and sometimes I just need an acoustic guitar to lay some melodies over. It's soothing and such a great stress relief. In my town there is a great 24 hr French bakery and it has a piano. Sometimes me and my friends go there and just sing and perform. It's free and fun.

5.) Exercise- Initially if you are depressed you JUST want to sleep. Don't give in! Getting to the gym is the hardest the part. But once you get there, the workout and afterwards is amazing!

 

[⠝⠕⠏⠑]

Bump for the culture...

 

[Abraxus]

This is pretty good, thx

 

[Benefited]

You black women gotta stop babying these nikkas,the power of suggestion is making black men depressed just as much as anything else. But first of all alot of these dudes just need to stop viewing themselves through the eyes of European. This is the biggest mistake I see black men making leading them down this road.

 

[Marzupial]

Workout and get ya endorphins up

For the brothers too lazy to workout here's a gem for y'all

Get a rocking chair, yeah the ones old people got and rock that shyt every morning for 10 minutes

Easy way to get ya endorphins up even you lazy dudes can do it

 

[BelowTheMasonDixon]

Bump because holidays are coming!

I'm going to add the following suggestion
Get Away

Traveling can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Fall is a great time to get some friends, a bottle of wine, pack a small lunch and go to the mountains or the forests.
This weekend, me and a friend are going hunting for waterfalls. It's literally gonna be a two hour road trip and we already getting the playlist ready. Total cost between two people: $20

Sometimes our environments are toxic as fukk. Getting away helps you detox ur mind and spirit.

This is real spit. Travel. And I'm not talking full on vacation or nothing like that. Birmingham can be a very depressing place if you already in that mood. You don't have to drive 250+ miles to ATL or spend a lot of money, you just need to get out of your area for a minute or two, seeing the same skyline or people can easily make you depressed. I'd travel to Tuscaloosa and stay in a hotel for a day. Go to Florence and stay for a day. Huntsville and stay for a day, just to see something different. ESPECIALLY if you don't have big money to stay somewhere on some vacation ish. Just something outside of the norm helps. Walking is another thing that helps. In the south most people don't get a chance to walk cause our transit system is ass. So walking an catching a bus really doesn't make any sense. But walking has always helped me. The biggest thing is being sociable. And I know that's scary to a lot of people. But people are very much social creatures. I'm an introvert and luckily my girl is an intovert(almost to the point i wanna choke her ass out) but if you don't have a mate, the easiest thing to do is find people like you. You don't have to be social at the club. I've attended creative writing classes at the local libraries. Read books to kids at local libraries. Wine Tastings etc. However lame you think you are there are people as lame as you. and there is nothing wrong with it. I think we as Black people pigeonhole ourselves on what black people should or be doing. shyt if you in shape run a tough mudder or a color run. i promise you will see somebody who looks just like you.

 

[eastsideTT]

I do most of the shyt in the OP combined with exercise regularly. But my self destructive tendencies, procrastination, compulsions and need for immediate gratification basically wash any progress away. 1 step forward and like 5 steps back every damn time. Im going to finally make an appointment for CBT this week and get that ball rolling this month i need help brehs