Suffering with anxiety and depression since I was in middle school, I’ve slowly learned different things that I can do that helps ease my mind. Specifically if I’m having a really bad day due to my depression, I have a list of things I can do that usually help cheer me up and relax. So for today’s blog post, I thought it would be nice to share my list of things I do when my depression and anxiety are acting up in hopes that maybe something on my list will help others out there suffering too.
1. Listen to music
So the first thing I tend to do is one that I think many people who suffer from depression and/or anxiety do as well, listen to music. Music truly has a way of relaxing your mind and healing you. When I’m really not feeling okay, I put on my headphones and start listening to music on Spotify. This past Christmas my mom got me the beats solo 3 headphones in white and than also got me Disney tsum tsum skin it for them! These have became my all time favorite headphones and I do not leave the house without them! The music I listen to tends to change but for the last couple months my go to album is Taylor Swift’s Reputation. I’m literally obsessed with every song on this album and something about her music just makes me feel better. I’ve always been a Taylor Swift fan but there’s just something with her new music that really appeals to me. I also recently saw The Greatest Showman and that entire soundtrack has now also been my go to when I’m not feeling right. There are multiple songs on that album that are so inspiring! Specifically, This is me and A million Dreams! It’s not uncommon for me to just have these two songs play over and over because I never get tired of listening to them!
2. Take a hot shower
If I’m feeling really anxious or really out of it, the first thing I normally want to do is take a shower. There’s just something about being in the shower, alone with my thoughts that is strangely comforting. Recently I found out that if I sit down in the shower and let the hot water pour over me almost like rain, it’s very relaxing. The mixture of the hot water, the sound the water makes and the feel of the water hitting my skin creates a calming atmosphere. A lot of times I’ll sit down and just breathe slowly, clearing my mind of anything other than that moment. It’s a weird type of meditation method but it usually helps. Most of the time, I walk out of the shower feeling much more relaxed.
3. Watch YouTube videos
I honestly feel like YouTube was one of the best creations. Not only did it create a new outlet for people to get their voice out there and become famous, but it also created a platform for people to watch videos of all different kinds. My favorite YouTube channel is definitely Good Mythical Morning. Rhett and Link have become idols to me and I know if I’m ever feeling depressed or anxious, I can just watch their videos and instantly I feel better. They never fail to make me smile and laugh with all the crazy things they do on their show. Other YouTubers that I tend to watch when I’m feeling out of it include Jenna Marbles, JonTron, Kalyn Nicholson, Rooster Teeth, and Funhaus. I’m always so inspired by YouTubers and hope this is the year I finally grow enough courage to create a channel of my own.
4. Write anything
When I say anything, I mean anything. If I’m anxious or depressed, writing always helps to calm my mind. Whether it’s working on one of the novels I’m writing, writing a new poem, journaling, or even just writing down my favorite quotes, writing is very therapeutic for me. My dream is to be an author one day so writing is obviously very important in my life. Getting my thoughts down on paper specifically though really does help calm my mind and take the edge off, most of the time.
5. Organize/clean the room
At the moment, my fiancé and I live between both his house and my grandma’s house. It’s exhausting and gets really hard pretty much living through a bag. Due to this, I get very stressed out over the whole situation and both his room and my room tend to get very cluttered and unorganized. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I often will reorganize and straighten up my surroundings. I honestly believe it’s true that when your place is a mess, your life tends to be one too. It’s hard to think clearly when you’re surrounded by junk and you keep losing your stuff because there is no organization. Straightening up whatever room I’m in that day really does help ease my mind, even if it’s only a temporary fix. I also tend to listen to my music while cleaning which helps even more.
6. Watch a TV Show
Lately I’ve been obsessed with watching South Park. When I was younger, I swore I would never like a show like this but Tom got me hooked and now I can’t stop watching. A lot of times if I’m feeling depressed, Tom and I will watch a few episodes of South Park to cheer me up. You can’t help but laugh at the things Cartman and his friends go through on that show. Another show I’ll tend to watch is Jersey Shore. I loved Jersey Shore when it first aired and now years later I decided to re-watch the entire series before the reunion special this summer! Sometimes this helps but other times watching this show just reminds me of the past and who I used to be when this show first aired and it makes me feel worse so this isn’t always the best option to cheer me up.
7. Play a video game
Playing video games is one of the best stress relievers I have found out there. Especially if it’s a game where your character can fight things, lol. My go to game right now is South Park’s Fractured But Whole. The game is a lot of fun and centers around fighting other characters so if I’m really anxious, playing this game definitely helps to take the edge off.
8. Color or draw
I can’t be the only one who was psyched when adult coloring books became a thing. I loved coloring when I was little and love it even more now that I’m an adult. If I’m feeling anxious, pulling out one of my many adult coloring books and my set of fine point markers always helps to calm my mind. If I’m feeling particularly ambitious, I may pull out my sketch book instead and actually draw and color my own picture. Either way, coloring and drawing lets me escape from reality for just a little while.
9. Punch my punching bag
I have wanted a punching bag for years now and this past Christmas Tom actually bought me one, complete with pink boxing gloves. Not only is punching a great exercise routine but it’s an amazing stress relief. If I’m angry, anxious, or just not feeling okay, I put on my gloves and punch the crap out of the bag. Unfortunately, my bag is at my grandma’s so I can only do this when I’m there. When I’m there though, this technique always helps me and I walk away feeling much better than I did before I began punching.
10. Create a Perler Bead creation
I love Perler beads. I loved them when I was little and now that I’m older, I enjoy creating more difficult creations. There is something extremely relaxing to me when I am creating a new perler bead creation. If I didn’t suffer from back pain from being hunched over for so long, I would create so many more creations than I do now. Still though, this is one of my go to tips when I’m feeling super anxious.
11. Read a book
Unfortunately I don’t have much time to read like I used to. I’ve always loved reading though so if I’m feeling out of it or anxious, picking up a book usually helps to calm my mind. Escaping to another world and leaving the stress of reality for even just a little while does wonders. I think this is the main reason I dream of being an author. Of creating a book that helps others escape from their life for just a little bit. Some authors that inspire me include J.K Rowling, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King.
So there you have it, the 11 things that I do to help when I’m feeling depressed or anxious. Of course this list will probably grow as time goes on but for right now, these 11 things usually help me. I hope you enjoyed this post and if there is any tip or trick you may have, feel free to comment below! I’d love to hear how others deal with depression and anxiety! Thanks again for reading! 😀
Life as Kaylee 