Over the years through episode after episode I’ve learnt certain ways and methods that help me to ground myself. From strategies, like Transcendental Meditation (TM), to Feel Good Tasks (FGT’s) such as tidying the contents of a draw, they all help me to manage my condition. I have also borrowed many from other people, whose books I’ve read or heard when attending wellbeing events.
I am not militaristic about any of this stuff, if it slides I let it go and try again next week or next month or even next year. It’s taken me 7 years to establish it, since I was diagnosed with clinical depression, and I can tell you there have been some huge gaps, as well as smaller ones.
One of the most basic, and relatively easy to implement is a morning routine, I find that if I start the day well, on my terms, then it’s usually a good day, not always but mostly.
Typically I am in bed by 10pm, that way I get a good 6-8 hours of solid sleep. I get up at around 6am, spend an hour pottering then spend an hour organising my day before going for a 30 minute walk.
I may have had a bowl of porridge (a great slow releasing energy option) or a banana (good for depression) and a tea and/or coffee during that 4 hour period, just depends if I’m hungry or not.
I don’t stick to it rigidly, like most of us I have early starts and busy days, when I may skip the routine, but in general I adhere to it as much as I can.
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