Quick Tips

 ADVICE THAT HAS HELPED ME IN SOME WAY

1. BE KIND TO YOURSELF.

2. ABANDON SELF-BLAME - IT DOESN’T HELP YOU AND IT DOESN’T HELP OTHERS.

3. NO GUILT. IF YOU’VE ACTED WRONGLY, APOLOGISE AND TRY TO PUT IT RIGHT.  SELF-TORMENT DOESN’T HELP YOU OR THE PERSON YOU’VE WRONGED.

4. DON’T SELF-BULLY.  SEE TIP 1.

5. GIVE YOURSELF APPROPRIATE GOALS TO REACH EVERYDAY.

6. KEEP A ‘TO-DO’ LIST AND CROSS THINGS OFF AS YOU DO THEM.

7. REWARD YOURSELF FOR ANY SUCCESS, HOWEVER SMALL.

8. ALLOW FOR SETBACKS AND REMEMBER TO APPLY TIP 1.

9. SLOW PROGRESS = SUSTAINABLE PROGRESS.

10. TAKE CHARGE – YOU KNOW WHAT FEELS ‘RIGHT’ FOR YOU.

11. ASK FOR HELP.  IT IS COURAGEOUS AND EVERYONE NEEDS HELP SOMETIMES.

12. SUPPORT GROUPS BREAK ISOLATION – FIND OUT IF THERE ARE ANY IN YOUR AREA.

13. RELAXATION TECHNIQUES CAN BE USEFUL – BOOKS AND CD’S OR GROUPS CAN TEACH YOU THE BASICS E.G. BREATHING TECHNIQUES.

14. MEDITATION CAN HELP RELAX YOU AND SLOW YOUR THOUGHTS DOWN.

15. MINFULNESS OR ‘THOUGHT WATCHING’ CAN INCREASE SELF-AWARENESS OF THE AMOUNT OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WE HAVE.

16. THOUGHT STOPPING! ONCE WE GET USED TO IDENTIFYING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WE CAN PRACTICE STOPPING THEM.

17. WHEN I BECOME AWARE OF A NEGATIVE/INTRUSIVE THOUGHT I FORCE MYSELF TO SAY ITS POSITIVE COUNTERPART TO ‘CANCEL IT OUT’. 

18. ANOTHER THOUGHT STOPPING TECHNIQUE: NOTICE THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. SHOUT “STOP!!” TO YOURSELF.

19. EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE.

20. BE OPEN TO TRYING DIFFERENT THERAPIES IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.

21. EMPLOY DISTRACTION WHEN YOU’RE HAVING A BAD DAY: E.G. READ, JIGSAW PUZZLES, TALKING, CROSSWORDS, SUDOKU, WATCHING TV, WALKING.

22. EXERCISE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN – ENDORPHINS RELEASED DURING EXERCISE CAN HELP A LOW MOOD.

23. EAT WELL.  THE MIND WEBSITE HAS A DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE TO GOOD MOOD FOOD.

24. MAKE THINGS EASY FOR YOURSELF. ON BAD DAYS I TRY NOT TO INSPECT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR. MY CELLULITE WILL STILL BE THERE FOR ANALYSIS WHEN I’M FEELING BETTER.

25. IF IT’S USEFUL, KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR MOOD EACH DAY, RATING IT ON A SCALE OF 1-10.

26. ACCEPT DOWN DAYS AS PART OF YOUR ILLNESS. OCCASIONALLY YOU MAY NEED A DAY OFF FROM FIGHTING DEPRESSION AND ALLOW YOURSELF TO RIDE THE WAVE.

27. DON’T LET TIP 26 BECOME A CONSTANT HABIT.

28. ONE STEP AT A TIME.  GET OUT OF BED BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT GOING OUT.  HAVE A SHOWER AND GET DRESSED BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT CLEANING THE LOUNGE.  BE IN THE PRESENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

29. SEEK SUPPORT FROM WHATEVER SOURCE YOU CAN. 

30. IF YOU ARE RELIGIOUS LET YOUR FAITH SUPPORT YOU. IF YOU ARE NOT RELIGIOUS CONSIDER WHETHER YOU MIGHT GET COMFORT THROUGH EXPLORING SPIRITUALITY.

31. HELP OTHER PEOPLE WHEN YOU ARE WELL ENOUGH. I’VE FOUND VOLUNTARY WORK HELPFUL FOR INCREASING SELF-ESTEEM AND MAKING ME FEEL USEFUL AGAIN.

32. HAVE FUN AND NEVER FORGET TIP 1: BE KIND TO YOURSELF