On depressed days, I keep self care almost embarrassingly basic. I drink a glass of water before coffee, take a shower even if I don’t feel like it, and open the curtains for a few minutes. Sometimes that’s all I can manage, but it gives the day a little shape.
One thing that surprised me was how much putting on clean socks helps. A few months ago I was having a rough morning and changed out of the same clothes I’d slept in. I still felt awful, but I felt slightly less stuck. Now I try to do one small physical thing, one practical thing, and one comforting thing, like walking to the mailbox, washing a few dishes, and watching something familiar.
What small self care habit helps you get through the worst days?
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The clean socks detail makes sense to me. Small changes that give your body a fresh signal can help when your mind is refusing to budge.
One thing I do is make the bed, even if I leave the rest of the room alone. It takes a couple of minutes and gives me one finished task to point to. Sometimes that little bit of order is enough to get me moving toward food or a shower.
The clean socks thing is surprisingly effective. I’ve had mornings where changing into fresh clothes didn’t fix anything, but it made staying in bed feel a little less inevitable.
One practical thing that helps me is brushing my teeth while the shower warms up. It’s small enough that I don’t have to negotiate with myself, and once I’m standing in the bathroom, getting into the shower feels more possible. Your three-part idea is useful too. I might borrow that on the rough days.