Depression Thread IV: Read the first post or...

[Coidzor]

I definitely agree with DD. Having some kind of morning routine helps a lot, especially once you get used to it and really can enjoy it.

Especially if it increases your hygiene and health.

One thing you can do is set various alarms to remind yourself of the schedule you're setting for yourself.

Like, an alarm at 8 or 9 o'clock to turn the computer off for the night and do your hygiene regimen for bedtime. Brushing your teeth, washing your face, changing into whatever you wear to sleep.

Then do some light reading, possibly of books that'll help you get thinking about things more academic, depending upon your preferences for reading and that sort of thing.

Hmm... So you're currently looking at enrolling in university/community college come this fall?

One thing that can help is for you to start doing some math problems every day, even if you don't have to ever take a math class again due to having earned college credit for it. Since doing math helps focus and keep the brain in tune.

Like, say,

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1. Wake up with alarm, around 8 AM. (I'd say 7-9ish, preferably just 8 or a little before 8)

2. Brush your teeth, shower, clean up. (let's just say 8:15-8:20 after this.)

3. Fix or eat breakfast, depending upon the rest of your family's schedule you could additionally beef up your cooking skills by making breakfast for them if you wake up in time. (could put this before showering but after brushing teeth) (let's say, 8:30ish now)

3. Get dressed to go outside for an hour-long walk to start with, moving up later to jogging or biking. If you have a dog this is easier since you just add walking the dog every morning to the chores you do to help the others in the house stand your presence better. If you have pool access and can swim, I'd recommend swimming laps instead after you get used to the exercise of walking and sunlight again. (eventually as you get more fit, you might increase this to 90 minutes or two hours. And you might start out with just a half hour of such aerobic exercise.) (9:00-10 after a thirty minute bit. 9:30-40 after an hour, 10:30-40 after two hours.)

4. Chores - Find out what kind of chores youcan do for the day, like doing the breakfast dishes while your parents leave the house to work so that there's no dirty dishes when they get home. Or weeding the garden if you can learn how. Or just vacuuming every day in a different part of the house. (about an hour or two, can break this up around your other activities as a transition. Several chores also provide a workout as well, such as dusting.) (10:30-40 after intial hour-long workout)

5. Academic/Mental workout - If you have any of your old textbooks, start reviewing them. If you don't, then get to the library and try to pick up some books to get you back in the swing of things for college. Your librarian should be able to help you out with that. If the library can't really help, then some used bookstores might have some slightly out of date college textbooks which are available relatively cheaply and contain mostly correct information, due to the way that college textbooks rotate. (let's say an hour to two hours of studying.) (11:30-40, break for lunch)

6. Lunch.

7. Physical workout - in addition to just the base fitness of walking, hiking, jogging, swimming, or biking, specific stretches and exercises can really help you feel better about yourself, look better, become stronger, and help fitness in general. (30 minutes to an hour would be good, especially since you already have had aerobic exercise and have recovered from it.) Spend time so that you have digested first though. (let's say about 1:30 start. so ending about 2:00-2:30)

7. Reward yourself - allow yourself to finally get online for a little while or play some video games for an hour or two (depending upon how long you budget your time) (3:00pm to 4:00pm)

8. Dinner. Depending upon when your parents get home, you could even start learning to make dinner for them to have it waiting for them and allow you to get some valuable skills. Cookbooks and websites with recipes help greatly for this. (can start at around 4 or 5 depending upon when everyone gets home and what you're making)

9. Open time. Just do whatever. Leave yourself free to go shopping with whoever usually does it. spend time interacting with your family and finding out how they are doing. Go back online. Whatever. I think it's important to have some free time in the day.

10. Evening ritual 9:00 pm, turn off the computer, stop playing video games, stop watching TV.

11. 10:30 bedtime, when one gets into bed. 11:00 lights out.

This of course, would be a normal day, whereas other days would include more time for going out and socializing/visiting places/doing things.