How To Deal With Bad Depression Days? Coping Strategies In 2024

When depression strikes, even simple tasks can feel challenging. Here are some hints and hacks on how to deal with bad depression days.

Blurtitout Team

Published at 04:25

When depression strikes, even the simplest of tasks can be difficult. Activities we usually take for granted – washing, dressing, facing the day – become obstacles to overcome. Experience has shown us that although our difficult days may be unavoidable, there are some practical things we can do to help ease us through. Read on to discover how to deal with bad depression days.

How To Deal With Bad Depression Days?

  • Get good sleep and plan for duvet days. 
  • Remember to stay hydrated and eat well. 
  • Simplify hygiene routines and multi-task to make keeping clean easy. 
  • Make it easy to get dressed.  
  • Try to get out every day and get some sunshine. 
  • Invest some time and effort into exercising.
  • Have a to-do list and break tasks down to get stuff done. 
  • Allow yourself to feel what you need to feel.

Tips To Cope With A Bad Day

1. SLEEPING & PLANNING FOR DUVET DAYS

Sleep is vital for maintaining emotional well-being and good physical health, yet it’s something most of us struggle with when depressed. Exhausted, we may want to sleep all day or conversely and frustratingly, we may have trouble getting any sleep at all.

Our community finds that keeping a routine can really help:

  • Have a set bedtime. In the run-up to it, wash, listen to soothing music, and have a warm drink. It really helps.
  • Wake up at the same time each day even if you don’t get up. This keeps your sleep routine from going out.

And have a few ways to help you get a decent sleep:

  • Try to have proper rest breaks throughout the day. It allows the brain to digest things as the day progresses, so you’re less likely to have that ‘wired’ feeling when you get into bed.
  • ALWAYS turn your phone off an hour before sleep.
  • Warm beverages can help you drop off. Consider getting special ‘sleepy’ herbal teas, like the ones in our BuddyBox.

Of course, some days depression won’t let us out of bed. But we can plan for our duvet days:

  • Keep something next to your bed, like a colouring book and some crayons, a science book/magazine, a list of YouTubers you like, writing prompts if creative writing helps, or perhaps candles to light. So, on the really hard days where bed is a prison, you can still easily achieve something and get something done.

2. EATING & DRINKING

We all know how important it is to eat well; good nutrition helps boost our mood. However, when we’re ill, keeping ourselves fed and watered can be a struggle. Since we are low on energy, we tend to lack the inclination to maintain a balanced diet.

Our community had hacks for keeping hydrated:

  • Fill a 2-litre bottle of water up in the morning and sip it throughout the day. It helps you keep track of whether you are drinking and helps on really bad days when even the sink in the kitchen feels like a long way away!
  • If you don’t like the taste of water, treat yourself to extra healthy herbal teas and squash when you’re unwell to try and encourage yourself to drink.

And hints for staying well fed:

  • Cooking in batches is good. If you find the oomph to cook then it takes no more effort to double up the portion and freeze/refrigerate some.
  • If you can’t batch cook, then it’s always good to have a stockpile of easy stuff like tinned soup.
  • Have a stack of cereal bars stashed in the cupboard for when you can’t face preparing real food or can’t make a decision about what to eat.

Plus, if the thought of cleaning up after eating frazzles you, you may want to use paper plates/plastic cutlery!

3. KEEPING CLEAN

Self care is another thing that can go out of the window when depression strikes. If you struggle with this, consider these simple lifestyle changes:

  • If you don’t have the energy to shower properly, just turn the shower on and stand under the water. 
  • Have a bath instead of a shower because it takes less effort than showering.
  • Shower at night so you don’t have to think about showering and getting dressed at the same time.
  • Multi-task to make life as simple as possible, like brushing your teeth in the shower.
  • And if all that is still too much… Wet wipes!!! A god send…

4. GETTING DRESSED

If the effort of choosing clothes and dressing feels too much, these ideas may help:

  • Comfortable clothes are an absolute must on dark days. We opt for our favourite soft pyjamas and dressing gown if we’re not going anywhere, or loose tops with oversized jumpers and jeans if we have to go out. You can consider these too. 
  • Set out some fave comfy clothes the night before to entice yourself out of bed the next morning. If they are already waiting, all you have to do is have a wash and put them on!
  • Get some loungewear! They’re basically the perfect mix of pyjamas and actual clothes so you can be comfy but not have to change to leave the house.
  • If you struggle with getting dressed, just change your pyjamas!

5. GETTING OUT

For some of us, leaving the house is a very real challenge when depression strikes. Here’s how some of our group manage their low energy levels and inclination to stay inside:

  • Try to get out every day, even if it’s a five minute walk round the block.
  • Try to make tasks for yourself so you have to leave the house. For example, only buy vegetables for a meal or two so you have to get more.
  • Spend time in the garden in the sunshine. It’s calming and feels like you’ve made an effort to go out when you’ve not gone very far. Also the sunshine helps to top up vitamin D levels.

6. BOOSTING BRAIN POWER

HOW TO DEAL WITH BAD DEPRESSION DAYS
Our brains cam get tired. Photo: Team Design

Depression can have a significant impact on our memory, concentration, and ability to process information. If your brain is getting tired, these hacks may help:

  • Write a list in your diary of your morning and nighttime routines (get out of bed, clean teeth, get dressed, etc).
  • Get a pill box for when your cognition is crap. You can ask a chemist to help if you’re really stuck.
  • Have a box set of DVDs on the go for easy watching. Choose something that’s simple and doesn’t require a huge amount of brain space.
  • Write everything down!!! Mushy brains need help.

7. DEALING WITH PEOPLE & ACCEPTING SUPPORT 

We all have relationships with others that need nurturing, but depression makes us want to keep to ourselves.

This desire can be healthy, as it helps us maintain our energy levels. When we’re ill or feel irritable, we cancel visitors. 

But it’s also important not to withdraw completely during challenging times:

  • “I’m always the first person to help other people, but when I’m ill, I retreat from the world and don’t tell anyone what’s going on. I do this because I can’t be arsed with the questions and the fuss, but keeping my depression a secret makes difficult emotions even worse. And that really doesn’t help.”

A healthy balance is probably the best approach. Hold back from unnecessary social contact, but try and reach out to people you trust.  And remember, you don’t have to deal with this alone. Stay connected, accept additional support from others, and/or explain to your OH, family members, friends, or flatmates that you really can’t face washing up or cooking your own refined carbs dinner.

8. EXERCISING

HOW TO DEAL WITH BAD DEPRESSION DAYS
Get moving to enhance a bad day. Photo: Team Design

Regular exercise is an important act of self-care that many of us struggle with even when we’re not depressed! However, even minimal physical activity can be really beneficial to our mental health. Here’s what our group suggests for getting moving:

  • “When I wake up, I push myself to do some form of exercise to release my endorphins.”
  • “I make exercise fun so it’s less of a chore when I’m feeling low or when my stress levels are high.”
  • “I set aside 3 and a half hours a week to exercise myself in any way I want – aerobics, running, swimming, etc. I put on loud music and go for it! That helps knowing I can let all the anger and frustration out during my exercise routines.”
  • I find it hard to leave the house when I’m ill, so running or joining classes are a no-go, but I’ve found some videos on YouTube I can use and take at my own pace. Even ten minutes of yoga can reduce irritability and boost my mood.

If you’re just starting out with exercise, know that every little helps…

  • “Exercise has helped me enormously even if it’s only a brief pootle around the garden.”

9. GETTING STUFF DONE

Although depression can make us want to do nothing at all, there are going to be times when we really need to focus and get stuff done.

Our community talked about the power of the to-do list:

  • “I have a set to-do list, chore-wise, so I can manage my expectations. I know what’s coming each day and what’s already on top of or not!”
  • “I set myself a #todayIwill challenge.”
  • “As a to-do list can be overwhelming, sometimes I write a done list. I still tick stuff off but it reminds me of what I have achieved even when my day feels terrible.”

And the power of breaking tasks into chunks:

  • “I found the 5 minute rule from CBT helpful. I will do 5 minutes of X, and if I’ve had enough of it or I’m not enjoying it, then I’ll stop with no judgement to myself. I found it helps with cleaning. It’s amazing what you can actually achieve in 5 minutes! It is also great for getting into interests you may have been neglecting. It doesn’t matter if you find you can’t do it for more than 5 minutes, at least you tried to engage.”

We suggest doing things in twenty-minute blocks. It breaks things up and, sometimes, prevents you from getting overwhelmed thinking about big tasks.

Also, do something easy or something you like doing first. When you finish it, you feel accomplished without having had to put in too much effort/stress.

  • “My bathroom was absolutely gross when I was in the darkest stage of my depression. One day, I thought I’d just pour bleach in the toilet. When I went back to the toilet later, seeing a clean toilet motivated me to wipe down the taps. In a week, I cleaned the entire bathroom but in small easy chunks.” 

You might want to try rewarding yourself:

  • “Allow yourself the little victories and set up some rewards in place for it. For example, getting out of bed even if it’s just to sit on the sofa, you moved! Have a nice coffee or tea because you deserve it.”
  • “I set myself stupid goals that I know I’ll achieve so I get to eat that entire block of chocolate, or I get to spend an hour scrolling through Facebook and surfing the net. e.g. Currently, I have to prepare for an interview. After 15 minutes of researching and note-taking, I came onto Facebook for 15 minutes. My next task is to make and eat breakfast, then I’ll probably spend 30 minutes on the Internet. The next task is to get ready, then maybe watch some TV. Then spend another half hour making sure everything is sorted and ready. My treat? Knowing I can come home, snuggle under a blanket, and watch crap TV.”
  • “I work on guilt. So, if I’ve done something nice, I will try and do something I HAVE to do. If I do it, I go all out and reward myself.”

And planning ahead:

  • Pre-plan things when you are feeling ok. Sort out what to wear the night before and the route to take. That way, you have fewer decisions to make in the morning. (Flip if you are a morning person!).
  • When you have a good day really take advantage, that way when you have a bad day you can think ‘ok I can’t do more than get out of bed today but it’s ok I did a load of stuff on Weds’ ‘ok I can’t do more than splash water on my face today but it’s ok I did a full facial routine on Thurs,’ etc.

But most importantly, remember to give yourself a break:

  • “I cancel anything that requires me to ‘adult’.”
  • “Sometimes I delegate tasks to ‘well me’. ‘Well me’ can deal with that at some point in the future so I don’t have to worry about that now. I also try to do what ‘well me’ would tell me to do rather than worrying about not feeling hungry and not being able to decide what to buy. It might not work for everyone and isn’t a great permanent coping strategy but I find it helps me in short-term things. It also reminds me that ‘well me’ is still there, just a bit squished down and covered up.”

10. CARING FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH

HOW TO DEAL WITH BAD DEPRESSION DAYS
We should never forget about our emotional health. Photo: Team Design

Finally, our community identified a KEY aspect of managing depression that so many of us overlook: allowing our feelings.

Remember, it’s OK to be depressed. We didn’t choose it, or bring it upon ourselves.

Accepting where we are, and finding positive ways to process our feelings, really helps:

  • “Yesterday was a major freak out day. I didn’t get dressed and allowed myself to feel my feelings. I managed to do one bit of cleaning by putting my anger into what I was cleaning and imagining I was healing that. It actually helped and I felt proud of myself for cleaning something. I also painted a mixed media painting of all I was feeling and thinking. So, my thing for the really bad days is basically doing whatever it is you can and speaking to yourself in encouraging and gentle ways. I kept telling myself it was ok. I listened to my favourite music. I wrote out what I felt.”
  • “A good cry can sometimes be very cathartic, like a release.”
  • “I journal each day if I can. If something bad happens, I try to put a positive, brave or neutral spin on it. Especially if I ruminate.”
  • “Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, I try to write down 3 things that I’m grateful for every day. It could be something as simple as what my cat said or I made it through another day.”
  • “Key for me is to stop beating myself up for just needing to sit or having a bad mood. Repeat after me… Sitting is ok, struggling with how I feel is ok.”
  • “I try to just ‘go’ with my hard days, rather than fight them, because fighting depression is exhausting.”

OVER TO YOU

We hope you’ve found these hints and hacks for managing depression helpful. If you’re willing to share, we’d love to hear any additional ideas you may have on how to deal with bad depression days, too. 

Sharing is caring: Please share this post to help others, you never know who might need it.

Kind words
for unkind days