So, like the rest of the planet, you’re probably hunkered down in your bunker, otherwise know as your home, for a couple of weeks now and perhaps you’re starting to get a little depressed or anxious, and fighting off depression and anxiety can be a lot like going to war, a war inside your head.

 

The following is a general action plan for fending off the darkness and moving you back into the light. You can refine it however you like, but I have tested it in my own life over the past 25 years and it has always helped. I pray that it benefits you as much as it has me over the years.

 

Ten Things You can Do Now!

 

1. Get up, get out of Bed!

Not normally a huge task for most folks, but this can be a challenge for the depressed. Your bed is where your negative thoughts occur, where you might be prone to criticize yourself the most. If you find that you’re sleeping too much, use an alarm clock, and set it on the other side of the room. Use one that doesn’t stop until you get up and turn it off.

 

2. Exercise – Crawl, Walk, Run!

Do something physical! No excuses, if you can’t run, walk, if you can’t walk, crawl. Wheelchair bound, then wheel. The point is that you have to move, or do something that is going to stop you from allowing your mind to eat you alive.

 

I worked with a guy once whom I gave this advice to and he said he couldn’t walk very far because his feet hurt. I asked him how he got to work and he said he drove. I asked him if he had walked from the car to his work area and he said that he had. I told him that it was a good start. He later was walking to his mailbox and to the telephone pole at the end of the street. And with each new goal achieved he seemed to light up just a little bit more as he reported these little victories.

 

When I was in my worst way and absolutely wrought with negative and depressive thoughts, I ran, sometimes to exhaustion, just to combat the junk in my head with a little competition. When I didn’t know what else to do, I ran. I needed a victory somewhere in my life and I found a glimmer of hope at the bottom of a pair of worn out sneakers.

 

If you can add the beauty of some nearby scenic walkway or bike path to the regiment, then all the better. There is something about nature that, in itself, can lift you from the funk if only you take a moment to appreciate it.

 

3.  Wash Your Body & Get Dressed!

Guys – Clean up, take a shower, shave, yes shave, even if you’ve always had a beard, and that’s your thing, shave it off. I have nothing against beards or facial hair, and have sported different looks myself throughout my life, but there is something about a clean shaven face that can make a guy feel just a little better. However, if this is a deal breaker for you and a big deal, then at least clean it up a bit. It’s not a show stopper in the greater scheme of thing, but we are going for a look good feel good kind of thing here.

 

Women – Take a shower, clean up, do something with your hair.

 

Both – Get dressed, get out of the pajamas or sweats and get dressed.   Put on something nice, business casual at a minimum, not the ripped jeans in the corner and that old smelly t-shirt, or whatever you feel comfortable in when you’re an emotional mess. I know if my appearance is a mess when I’m in a depressive mood, then it’s just one more thing to beat myself down with in the mirror.

 

4.  Write down Your Thoughts (Journal)!

Grab a $1 notebook from the grocery store (the only thing that seems to be open right now), journal, or planner and start righting something. You can write your thoughts, brilliant or stupid ideas, or just an ordinary things to do list to help organize your thoughts and your day. Do not do this on your I-phone, I-pod or any other “smart” electronic device. You need to feel the thoughts flowing out of your head, down through your arm, and out through your pen or pencil. It doesn’t have to be meaningful at the moment, it could just be a reflection of how you feel right now, and that would be good.   It could be an absolute rant, but if that’s the way you feel, let it flow.

 

Perhaps your excuse on this one is that I hate to write, or I was never good at it, or I don’t know what to say. Forget about all of that, I’m not asking you to write the next great American novel. All you’re doing here is downloading some junk out of your head and onto a piece of paper. Please don’t complicate it, you can even tear it up and throw it away when you’re done with it. Perhaps burn it if you want, if you’re that embarrassed about it, torch it, just don’t do it on your living room floor.   Keep it locked up if you feel too subconscious about it.

 

This one exercise alone helped the wife of a friend find peace at some of her most anxious moments when her thoughts were getting her all knotted up inside. In fact, at the time, the doctor and some of her other friends were trying to convince her to go on anxiety meds, but to this day she is med free and that was several years ago.

 

Perhaps you’re one of those people who lie awake most of the night worrying about all of the things you have to do the next day and your brain just spins and spins. Keep a journal by your bedside and a good pen. When a task pops up, write it down and release it. Then give yourself permission not to worry about it anymore because it’s in your notebook and you can refer to it in the morning.

 

Let it go!

 

This exercise alone may help with your sleep problems. In fact, you may even want to start a new habit of writing down all the things you need to accomplish the next day before you go to bed. And don’t worry about forgetting something because you’ll have your journal right beside your bed to jot down any random things that may wake you in the middle of the night.

 

5.  Go to work, Clean/Organize Some Part of Your Life

Obviously this one is a little difficult right now if your laid off waiting for this whole virus thing to go away, but if unemployed, getting work should be your job.

 

Unemployment in itself is depressing and a significant trigger for depression as it can rapidly lead to feelings of worthlessness and despair. Finding leads and getting back into the game as quickly as possible will at least provide the movement we’re looking for.

 

If off, as in your day off, ie., weekend or holiday, do something constructive around the house, like clean or organize something. I know when my garage or checkbook is a disaster, I have to clean it up or organize it. This helps me organize my thoughts as well. For you, it may be a different room in the house, but concentrate on one room, or one filing cabinet and not the whole house. The last thing you want to do is get overwhelmed right now and if you do this step right, it will be therapeutic for you and not overwhelming unless you’re a hoarder. And if you are a hoarder, just start with a box of useless ads or something.

 

Remember, we’re just looking for small victories right now and there is something about organizing a mess, like a room, or the checkbook and putting things in order that helps put us in order. Perhaps you think you like clutter, but maybe not. Give it a try.

 

So anyway, there you have it, the first five of ten steps to the action plan, because if you’re going to go to war, then you need a plan for battle, and whatever you do, don’t minimize these steps even if you think they are trivial.

 

Part II, of this list of ten things you can do right now will come next, followed closely behind by a list of ten things not to do in an effort to get you to move in a direction away from your depression and mental paralysis to a better place.

 

Now keep in mind, that this is not an exclusive list or the whole plan, but just the beginning. And I’m sure there are other things you can do, and we’ll talk about some of them later, but this will at least get you jump started. Thus once again, don’t trivialize these action steps because remember, if you think it’s not going to work, then you’re right because you’ve already conceded to defeat.