6 Ways I Cope With a Bad Day as Someone With Depression

If you live with depression, you likely know what it’s like when a bad day hits. For us, nearly every day is a “bad day,” but some days are worse than others. On these days, we struggle more. I’ve had depression for practically my whole life, and I still have it now. But over time, I’ve found a few things help me cope with bad days, and I would like to share them with you.

1. Cry. Yes, cry. Just cry it all out. Let all your emotions spill. I always feel better after a good, long cry.

2. Listen to your favorite songs. They don’t necessarily have to be happy songs; they can be sad songs if you like. My favorite song is “Faded” by Alan Walker; listening to it makes me realize I’m not the only person in this world who has an invisible disease.

3. Have a long, warm bath — or shower if you’re more into that. Somehow a warm bath always calms me down. I’m not sure why exactly, but if it works for me, it might work for you, too.

4. Consider making a “positive box.” I have this box I call “The Positive Box.” Each night, I write myself a little positive message and put it in the box. Then on a bad day, I just take out one (or more) of my messages, and it helps lift my spirits. I quite like this because when I’m having a good day, I write myself long, moving messages that really power me on when I’m having a bad day. I suggest everyone make a positive box. You can write anything you want on your messages. Sometimes I write a deep quote, and sometimes I write something as simple as “keep going.” But this tiny little exercise is by far one of the best things that help me keep going.

5. Write a story. I love to write, but I believe my best stories are the ones I wrote in the darkest times.

6. Tell someone. I know this is by far one of the hardest steps for most of us. It took me years to open up about my depression and suicidal thoughts, and to be honest, right after I did, I regretted it. There were people who didn’t believe me or cut contact with me. But today, looking back, I’m so glad I did, because I learned who my real friends are and aren’t. And now I’ve opened up and can talk to my friends about it, I feel so, so, so much better. Now that it’s no longer My Big Secret, I can be open with my feelings. Just the feeling of being open already makes a huge difference.

If you or someone you know needs help, visit our suicide prevention resources page. 

If you need support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. 

Image via Thinkstock Images