depression tips

[firecat]

The other day I was picking on posts that have unhelpful-to-me tips for handling depression. In this post I'll mention a helpful-to-me depression aid, and ask for some advice.

Helpful-to-me thing: http://boggletheowl.tumblr.com/
This is a depression support blog where a cartoon owl offers a lot of encouragement and a little bit of advice. Some of the people writing in say upsetting things and sometimes Boggle is a bit too sweet. But I find the high encouragement to advice ratio helpful. (When you're depressed, what are some helpful things for you?)

Advice request:
I used to e-socialize a lot via mailing lists. These days it seems all the topical activity that used to occur in mailing lists has moved to Facebook. I check Facebook once or twice a day. But I've noticed that I usually end up feeling worse afterward. Part of it is that people post so much bad news. And OK, I do belong to some groups there where the whole purpose is to post bad news. But it's not just those groups that make me feel bad. I guess I could just quit reading FB, or limit myself to reading only a few people I have no other way to connect with. But it would be nice if there were a less drastic option or some way to approach FB that doesn't get me all riled up. (Does this happen to you?)

Comments

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

The best thing for me when I'm depressed is to have someone come and take me for a walk. This someone is Mike about 98% of the time. He knows that I don't want a walk and he knows that I know that it'd be good for me and he tells me this and it makes sense so most of the time I go with him and walk.

And we talk about what else I can do to make myself feel better. Sometimes I think there is nothing that will make me feel better, but if I can find something to physically do, even if it's something dreadful like housework, if someone does it with me and talks with me while we're doing it, I will begin to feel better.

[firecat]

Thanks.