13 Small Things to Do When You’re Too Depressed to Function

Your alarm went off 2 hours ago… yet you’re still in bed.

You know it’s a beautiful day today but despite the fresh spring air, you can’t bring yourself to get up.

It’s not that you’re lazy. It’s just that the monsters in your head are roaring again, and they won’t stop no matter how hard you try to make them go away.

And you’ve tried really, really hard. More than the world will ever know.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 280 million people around the world suffer from depression, and sometimes this illness makes even the most basic tasks feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest.

But don’t despair!

Here are 13 small things to do when you’re having one of those days.

1. Get Out of Bed

It’s easy to lie in bed all day when the black fog is shrouding you, but that only makes the depression worse.

That’s because the longer you lie there, the more you marinate in your mind’s negativity, so give yourself a certain amount of time to stay tucked in before getting up.

It could be an hour. It could be two hours. But you must be out of bed by then.

2. Get Yourself a Glass of Water

Congratulations on getting out of bed!

I know it hasn’t been easy, so to celebrate, get yourself a glass of water. That’s it.

If you feel up to it, go onto step three, but if you only do one thing for today, it should be to hydrate yourself.

3. Brush Your Hair

Okay, so you’re all hydrated but you’re still not sure if you want to proceed or if you’d rather crawl back into the comfort of your bed. That’s alright. We’re just taking baby steps here.

Next, let’s try brushing your hair.

It’s easy enough to do when you have no energy (unless your hair is really long and full of knots… in which case, feel free to skip this step), and it might even give you the momentum to do the next thing on the list.

4. Wash Your Face

People with depression sometimes find it hard to keep clean.

Why is that?

According to psychologists and people with lived experience, depression diminishes your interest in activities as well as makes you tired. Yes, even in basic activities like taking care of your hygiene.

But sometimes all it takes to get the ball rolling is to just wash your face.

If that takes too much effort (no shame, we’ve all been there), you can use a wet wipe instead.

5. Brush Your Teeth

As with washing your face, brushing your teeth is a quick and easy way to keep yourself clean.

What if that takes too much effort though? No worries! You can use mouthwash instead.

6. Make Yourself a Cup of Coffee

Or tea. Or whatever your favourite beverage is.

I know we’ve already talked about hydration, but sometimes the physical act of making a beverage you enjoy (and smells good) is enough to get you going.

7. Fix Yourself Breakfast

No matter how depressed you get, it’s always a good idea to eat.

If you’re feeling up to it, go ahead and fix yourself some breakfast (or lunch or dinner if you wake up late). It could be as simple as a bowl of cereal with milk or as nourishing as freshly cooked oatmeal.

Sometimes when I’m too depressed to do anything, I make myself a meal replacement shake so I don’t have to cook. It’s quick, it’s easy, and I don’t have to think about anything.

Of course, you can also buy your breakfast if you don’t have the energy to make it.

Bonus tip: meal prep on your ‘good’ days so you have something to nourish you when depression hits.

8. Start Doing Your Favourite Activity

When you’re deep in depression, you no longer enjoy the things that used to make you happy. And since nothing gives you pleasure anymore, you tend to avoid doing anything at all, which only makes your depression worse.

So how do we prevent that?

Start off slow and do just the beginning of your favourite activity.

That could mean reading just one sentence of your favourite book, or painting just one stroke on a canvas, or doing just one push up instead of your regular workout.

Hopefully that little step proves to be so fun you’ll take another and another and another, and before you know it, you did something you actually enjoyed!

9. Get Out Into the Sunlight

Research has shown that the amount of sunlight we’re exposed to affects the levels of serotonin in our brains. The less sunlight we’re exposed to, the less serotonin we make, and the less serotonin we make, the more depressed we’re likely to become.

So if possible, go out into your garden or balcony and just sit there.

You can take a walk if you want. You can read or draw or sing if you want. You can even work on the garden if you want. The point is to go out and bask in the healing rays of the sun.

Extra points for being out in nature, which is also another mood booster.

10. Do Just One Small Chore

Chores—they never end, am I right?

Instead of doing them all (and letting the enormity of the task get you down), pick just one chore to do and break it up into small pieces.

For example, if you choose to wash the dishes, you can break it down like this: stack the dishes in the sink, open the dishwasher, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and press the button.

Then just stack the dishes.

If this gives you momentum, continue on to opening the dishwasher and so on. If not, that’s okay too. At least you did one small thing, and that’s a win as it is.

11. Say Hello to Someone

When you’re depressed, you tend to want to hole yourself up in your room and not speak to anybody at all, but guess what? That only makes you feel worse.

We’re social animals. Connecting with our fellow humans is how we survive—nay, thrive—so say hi to someone today. You can do it in person or via text. Either way is fine.

It doesn’t even have to be more than that. But if you choose to continue, this could lead to a conversation, which could lead to a burgeoning friendship, which then leads to less loneliness. Yay!

12. Give Yourself Permission to Cry

Hey, we all need a good cry every now and then. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. In fact, crying is viewed as cathartic and funnily enough, we tend to feel better after we do it too.

That’s great and all, but why is that?

According to research, crying has a soothing effect, helps to relieve pain, enhances mood, releases toxins and relieves stress, and even aids sleep!

So go ahead and shed those tears. Your body will thank you.

13. Finally, Forgive Yourself

Living with depression takes such a toll on the mind, body and soul. It’s no wonder we’re out of energy half the time.

But that’s okay.

All you have to do is take it one baby step at a time and most importantly, forgive yourself when you don’t feel up to task. You’re not weak. You’re not broken.

You’re only human.

And that’s just the way you’re supposed to be.