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Looking after ourselves

MsNc
Casual Contributor

Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

I'm struggling at the moment to do the basics. Get up shower,  wear clean clothes, brush my hair. I am letting household tasks get overwhelming because I can't do a loud of washingn without feeling like I have to tackle the 16 baskets... or getting the load in the washer only to lose all motivation until it's damp smelly then hang out then stinky clothes make me feel more I motivated argh.

I need an app or a thing that prompts me to complete one thing in the household and one show of effort for.personal grooming. Starting small here people. Now is hard. Any tips from the collective welcome

 

8 REPLIES 8

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

Hi @MsNc 

Welcome to the SANE forums! It's great to have you here and thanks for telling the community a bit about yourself and for seeking some advice.   I'm sure the forum members will be able to offer you support, information and connection. I'm the moderator on duty right now.   

 

Feel free to ask the SANE forum team or the members if you need help with how to use the forum. You might like to check out the Guidelines as they can be pretty useful in understanding how it all works  https://saneforums.org/t5/help/faqpage#community-guidelines

Take care.

Whitehawk

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

Hi and welcome, @MsNc ...I understand how difficult the basics become. We have an excellent thread called Daily goals motivation and check in , where you can set your goals for the day then report back at the end of the day...can be as small as you like, as we all understand how hard it is just to get up and have a shower. Some days you can only do one thing a day, and that's fine.

 

I hope you find it useful...

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

@MsNc  Hey MsNc and welcome and yes it is really difficult sometimes to get the energy to do the simplist of things .... you are definately not alone there. I find having a support worker or family member helping me with let us say the garden for 30 mins a day works for me. No longer as I dont have the energy.  You are right baby steps once a day and then a rest works for me. I need a sleep during the day to give me the energy to get up and do the dishes for example. Dont be hard on yourself. Take care. Love greenpeax

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

Thankyou. I'm only just beginning to realise all these tasks that seem like I can't get done are a symptom not just because I'm lazy or disorganised. I washed and hing out a loan of washing today. And I made dinner and sat to eatvwi t h my daughter even when I felt like I wanted to hide from the world. Calling it a win

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

Welcome @MsNc 

 

Baby steps...

 

a load of washing and dinner is a great start.... a huge win

just little things each day

 We are here when and if you need to talk... need someone to listen... need someone to kick you in the butt and get you moving 

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

I woud call it a win too @MsNc 

Smiley Happy

The truth is that parenting takes a long time at least 20 years, and doing it to perfection is impossible.  SO its those small steps that matter.

Cheers

Apple

Smiley Happy

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

I got myself a little journal, bought for $3 in the opp shop and started to log each day the little things I was doing for my wellbeing.

 

Someone once said to me that we often write 'to do' lists but not 'I did' lists. It made an impression. Noting the little things starts to look like a pattern.

 

For example - I write down when I eat an apple, do 'small exercises', take a walk outside. All really small but you can see how you ARE doing stuff every day. 

 

I hope this helps.

Re: Any help out there on how to prompt small steps when depression is making it hard?

@MsNc , like @Kip, I've kept a diary of what I did today. In it I rated my mood out of 10, three things I did today, one thing I did that I was especially proud of, and I planned one thing that I would do tomorrow. Even on a crap day, I would put 'took my meds, got dressed, ate breakfast by myself' and that seemed to help. That was under the guidance of my OT.
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