Be Good to Your Mind
Being busy can help you stay focused on the positive things in life—and balance is the key. Doing just one thing all day long can be exhausting and can lead to burn-out. Be sure to make some room in your day for play—even if you are hard at work, you deserve to have fun. Try designating some time in your day for yourself. Call it "me time." Having time for yourself in addition to the time spent with others can make you feel better. Make sure you're balancing the time spent doing physical activities with time spent resting. Your body needs to recuperate and feel refreshed to take on a new day.
Include something fun each day
You can boost your mood by doing something special each day. Knowing that you'll be doing crossword puzzles, sketching, gardening, painting, or reading your favorite book will give you something fun to look forward to every day.
Create simple "traditions" in life
Rituals help us connect with ourselves and the people around us. Having morning coffee or afternoon tea with a friend can be a fun tradition—for example, you know that every Sunday at 11:30 AM, you and your friend will meet for brunch and catch up. Reading books and telling stories at bedtime with your family can also be comforting and fun. Why not take a walk with your neighbor? You can chat and form a new friendship along the way.
Defer big decisions
Depression can cloud your judgment. Some experts suggest putting off all major decisions until depression has begun to substantially improve. Once you feel better, your decisions are more likely to be good ones.
Try to avoid stress
When you have depression, even routine responsibilities such as paying bills can feel like a burden. Be mindful of taking on too many commitments. Getting well takes time—take it easy on yourself in the meantime.
Interrupt negative thinking
When you start to have a negative thought, try distracting yourself with a positive action. This can be anything—making a cup of tea, turning on the radio, or calling a friend.
As you work on developing new, healthy habits, keep your healthcare professional up-to-date on your progress.
