Ask HN: What helps you improve your mood and keep your sanity?
In case you are suffering from an actual depression (or suspecting that you might do): you definitely should talk to someone qualified and not take advice from randos on the internet. And be it a helpline where you can just dump your worries to and get ideas what to do about them.
So, this out of the way: what does actually you help to keep our mood up? The cheaper, easier and more practical it is for most people, the better.
Among other things, activities that help me are:
- Going outdoors, somewhere where I do not need to be too careful, i.e. away from roads where I would need to pay attention to not being overrun, also not too muddy cart tracks where I would have to be careful not to step into puddles,... Just anywhere where I can more or less walk and look without anything requiring my attention.
- Doing sports feels very good afterwards, sometimes for days if the activity was intense enough. Running or walking might be the easiest thing to start, the latter does not even require comfortable clothes. Just go out and walk. Bodyweight exercises can also be intense and do not necessarily require any weights or machines. There are exercises that require no more than a yoga mat or a carpet to train on. Cheap and effective, imo. Check the web for details.
- Sauna (if you have access to one)
- Spending time for oneself if domestic bliss is lacking (running or walking is great as does not require one to justify why one would like to be for oneself).
- (Offline) reading is great, it really helps me focus on something and to silence other thoughts. This doesn't work with every book for me and I usually need to read into a few to find a good one.
- Anything that makes you feel in control to boost your (perceived) self-efficacy. (And be it something as simple as taking a pill of vitamine D each day because you are convinced that it might help you avoid a severe cases of Covid in case you ever catch it)
Other ideas?
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 107 ms ] threadHumans are social beings, so living with someone is usually the better option. If one is feeling depressed, it might be due to hanging out with bad company, not pursuing your quest in life, simply lacking the stimulus you need or being too inactive. The worst is when people try to help you out of it, which makes one feel even worse. Some phases in life might be expected too, which changes over time. So having the perspective of impermanence and adventurous investigation can help explore any situation.
In many ways I'm still just a kid. Just trying to avoid being a spoiled entitled brat and act responsibly too.
At first, it was uncomfortable, but then his whole world slowed down. He started noticing things he hadn't noticed before: a particular color, a detail on a flower. It was like a different reality.
I use this idea of heading towards boredom to clear my own head. I find it incredibly helpful to sit in a dark room with no sounds and no goal for about 2 hours. After the initial discomfort (might last 20 minutes, might last an hour) my brain feels renewed and free. And the quality of my ideas goes way up.
I don't do it to be more productive though. I do it because it helps me get to a better, more attuned experience of reality. Closer to joy, peace, and acceptance, and further from always thinking about what's next.
Avoiding being too hectic is good too though, or it becomes more of a mental gymnastic. The benefit of that is calmness and clarity to make better decisions and priorities.
There is a dive bar close to me(in Chicago) that had no TVs, no wifi, and no cell service(at least for my provider). Pre-COVID, I would go there regularly to just be forced away from it all. I would read, sketch, talk to regulars, or just stare into the void.
When I lived 2.5 miles from work, I would just walk to work. Some days I would listen to a podcast, but mostly I was just stuck alone with my thoughts. It helped me level out a lot.
- Going into nature (walking, running, hiking, etc.).
- Corollary to (1), have a form of activity, maybe throw some Yoga in the mix.
- Interpersonal relationships (it's more difficult in these times but I believe necessary).
- Mindfulness exercises (a form of meditation).
- Sometimes doing absolutely nothing is nice / contemplation.
- Maintaining a healthy diet.
- Consistent sleep schedule (and healthy habits/routine in general).
- Relaxation, which includes sauna but also breathing exercises for example (see Wim Hof breathing method / connected breathing), massages.
- Work on your passion if you have one.
- Is maybe going to be a bit controversial, note that I am not advocating for illegal drug use (should they be illegal in your area): using psychedelics (both in microdose/macrodose format) shows very promising results with regards to regulating mood (especially for those suffering with med-resistant depression) and re-connecting with one-self/others (especially with higher doses). I recommend reading "How to Change Your Mind" from Michael Pollan as an introduction, but there are also pretty good videos on Youtube.
- ~1 hour vigorous exercise 6 days a week
- ~45min of rucking with a 30lb pack most days
- Skype music lessons once a week to learn a new instrument
- Playing tabletop RPGs over discord 2x a week
- quitting my stressful job for a new job that's got a very different set of challenges
- hiking and tent camping whenever the weather is not rainy
- trying to embrace Hygga now that it's getting darker here
- signing up to get access to medicinal flowers that are now legal in my state that I use sparingly to keep my tolerance low
- quit drinking alcohol
These all really combined to put me into the best place I've been in a long long time. My heart goes out to the people struggling, and maybe something here can help you!
I've found that high-intensity workouts several times per week are very important for my mood. St. John's Wort also works very well for me. If I start feeling a bit down, I need to make sure I get out on the weekend and don't let myself sleep in much past 10 a.m. Breathing/mindfulness exercises also help keep my mood steady.
Edit: I was right about the source [0] and the explorer he mentioned was "Henry Morton Stanley".
[0] https://www.amazon.de/Willpower-Rediscovering-Greatest-Human...
I notice how my mood goes down quickly (specially approaching winter) if I don't exercise even if other parts of my life are ok. It doesn't matter that I have some nice goals set, good books to read, side projects, nice games... I just feel very apathetic if I don't do it.
Oh yeah and no alcohol and definitely no coffee.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23001396
There is something about it that kinda resets the brain and it can be quite meditative.
1. meditation/self-reflection (could even be journaling)
2.talking with friends/family
3. Small pleasures (brewing that perfect cup and sitting somewhere quiet and enjoy it, taking the dog for a spin around the block in the evening
4. Limiting your news (e.g. just read the Sunday edition) and social media intake
5. Limit non-work/non-essential screen time
6. Go to bed and wake up at reasonable hours (don’t stay up late or sleep in a ton)
7. Eat healthy - don’t over eat, cut the processed foods and sugars, eat more green vegetables etc.
It doesn't really "make me happy", but it can remove that deep depressive feeling. Or if I'm in a good mood, it can kick-start an intensive programming session.