Quick Fixes Only: What to do to pick yourself up when u are down?

[princesa]

Therapy and medication will work in the long term for most but I ask this question for myself and for others on here that may also be down in the dumps with anxiety/depression etc...

If I didn't have children I'm sure my list would be longer as I would be able to take long walks or take the subway to Central Park and stay for hours etc....but, as it is, I must wait for them to go to bed before attempting some remedy for a quick healing of the spirits.

What do you suggest. Short and sweet is fine. Thanks.

[Chrs]

- Subscribing, if anyone has any tips...

[Philosophickle]

1) Read: picking up a good story always cheers me up, even if it is by escapist means.

2) Play with my daughter: I can't stay mad when she's rolling on the ground giggling.

3) Exercise: I know you can't leave the house, but you can find stuff to do in the house. It's a quick way to release some tasty chemicals into your brain.

[KingsGambit]

I go outside, and this doesn't even necessarily mean exercising, but I find my walls can be very confining and even a brief change in scenery can make a big difference. Admittedly, this is hardly a long term solution, but the thread does say "quick fixes".

I wonder if our reluctance to go out in the cold, especially when depressed, is a major factor for seasonal affective disorders, something about which I will freely admit I know little.

[mossrose]

Dark chocolate. Maybe with almonds.

[Alcoth]

Draw or write.

Art and storytelling are a release for me.

[KingsGambit]

Another major release of mine is playing chess. A couple of years ago, I was going through the worst depression of my life (borderline suicidal), and I went to a nearby city to play in an urban chess club one night, which gave me the first chance to genuinely smile in awhile.

[Cow Poke]

1) Dark chocolate (maybe with almonds)
2) Shoot something

Seriously, Chrs181818 and I were talking about this today... I've had a number of people come to me as their pastor, concerned about the "downs"... YEARS ago, I had heard somebody say that anything that changes the focus from "me" to "others" helps a lot, so I have suggested things like volunteering in a hospital, animal shelter, soup kitchen... one lady started volunteering in a children's ward of a cancer hospital, and it CHANGED her LIFE!!!

Realizing that a lot of people can't "get out", one lady said she started sending anonymous "thank you" cards to people in the Church for stuff they did, and it made her feel better. My mom, who suffered depression for a few years (after having 9 kids including ME, how could this be? ) started a prayer ministry, and began spending time praying for people. She would say "I have time to watch TV, why don't I have time to pray".

Finally... I only suffered a major "down" one time in my life, when my right hand was injured and I (at the time) thought that I was going to lose most of my fingers, and POSSIBLY my whole right hand. My career path was "police" and "military", and, being right handed, that would put a very serious damper on my prospects. Lying in bed in the hospital one night, hand bandaged as big as a football, agonizing over my poor helpless condition, I noticed a plaque next to the clock on the wall....

"I once complained I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet"

I began to cry. a GOOD cry. downright cathartic! And then my whole outlook changed.

I cannot tell you how that impacted me! No matter how "down" i get, there is ALWAYS somebody "worse off" than me.

[Manwë Súlimo]

I listen to "ES Posthumus" (YouTube them if you haven't heard of 'em), play video games, and feed my Inner Nerd by visiting Tolkien forums.

[NeilUnreal]

Do a small chore I've been putting off. The lift comes from a combination of the distraction and the relief at finally getting it done.

-Neil

[mossrose]

Huggle the cat.

[mossrose]

Sing a hymn of praise to God.

[shadowmaster]

chocolate ice cream

and

http://www.amazon.com/How-Stop-Worry...5471900&sr=1-2

Both have worked for the Shadowmaster

[Cow Poke]

When our girls were little (3 and 7) we were very "broke" - not much money and really struggling. So we found things to do that were fun but didn't cost much. One of our favorites was to move the living room furniture (such as it was) out of the way, and use sheets and blankets and "whatever" to make "tents" in the living room. We turned off all the lights and used flashlights, cooked some s'mores* on the gas stove**, sang stupid kid songs (not songs about stupid kids) popped some popcorn and just had a great time "campin' out" in the living room. No bugs, dirt, skeeters... told spooky stories...

We would get the girls to gigglin' and tell them they could stay up "all night". (they usually conked out by 9:30)

I had forgotten all about this!

*notice that "chocolate" is a recurring theme in this thread!
**the "real" gas stove in the kitchen, NOT a Coleman thing that might suffocate you indoors

[Michelle]

I clean something or iron clothes. It works for me.