These are my go-to methods I use to snap me out of a depressive funk
HALT method
Hungry (or thirsty)
Drink water
I might just be a little dried out. It’s amazing what two glasses of water can do!
Eat something
This one is variable for me. It depends on what I eat. Something heavy or sugary will likely make me feel worse.
Energy bars (see note about caffeine in the “Tired” section)
Angry
What’s the fear behind the anger?
Can I do something to mitigate that fear?
Lonely
Can I reach out to someone?
Do I have unanswered messages?
Tired
Resting My Eyes
Even if I don’t fall asleep, just closing my eyes and resting my visual cortex can work wonders.
Can I sit and close my eyes for 5 minutes?
Can I take an 18 minute power nap?
Can I move my body?
Sometime, getting the blood moving just by going for a walk can wake up the internal environment.
Even doing housework or washing the dishes.
Do some yoga, stretching or dance.
Work out if I haven’t already today.
Can I get some cold exposure?
Splash cold water on my face?
Take a 1-3 minute cold shower? (Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it at least a few times)
Can I get a caffeine hit? (last resort)
I don’t habitually consume caffeine, so when I do, it’s a real booster.
Drop in to the present moment
Mindsets
Subtractive thinking
This is a Stoic practice where I think of something that I take for granted and imagine, in detail, what it would be like if it were taken away.
For example, unfortunately, I often take my legs for granted. So the chance to use my legs to show up for a meeting that I thought was an obligation, can turn that meeting into a gift.
Radical gratitude
Is it possible that I could be grateful for what is happening?
For example, if I am having an argument with someone.
If I took a step back, I’d realise the reason why the argument is bringing me down is because there is some thing at stake.
And to have something at stake means there is something worth arguing for, which is a gift.
This is an advanced level skill but gets easier the more I practice it.
If there’s enough interest, I might expand on this in a separate post.
It’s a powerful practice.
I also have a “reserve bench” of tips that I haven’t used yet because the above cast are just so good! If you want to know more or want to share your favourite tools, just let me know