this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2026
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Hey. I'm here for you, and I understand. Depression is scary and hard and confusing, and very hard to explain to somebody who "feels depressed sometimes". Getting fresh air is really good at clearing your mind and helping you reset. Showering and drinking a glass of ice water also helps me. Try to find safe things to feel or put your hands in, because the sensory and touch are very important, and they help you ground yourself. If you don't have any ideas, here's some exercises you could do when you start feeling dysregulated or find yourself dissociating.
-Fill a medium bowl of rice and put your hands in. Notice how it feels, what the temperature of the rice is (You can heat it up for 15-20 seconds if you'd like) and what emotions you are feeling at the moment. I highly recommend that you record your feelings and thoughts in a journal, along with the day, time, weather, and what activity you were doing.
-Draw or write what you are feeling, what you hate, your trauma (if any), or a person you dislike. Find a safe place outside and clear it of leaves and twigs. Get a bowl or large cup of water beside you, just in case something goes wrong. Crumple the paper into a ball, and place it on the ground. Light it. From the safe distance, sit on the ground and close your eyes. Just listen to the sounds around you. Once you are done with this activity, pour water on the paper and cover it with a bowl, so no extra oxygen can get to the fire and potentially light it. (Op. Write in your journal during/after you're done.)
-Paint or draw to music.
-Find 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste.
-Bury your bare feet in fresh soil and pretend you are a tree. Imagine the things that happened to you (or your trauma) as storm clouds. Remember the time when the bad thing happened, and imagine that as a big storm. Imagine yourself now, as a tree, and raise your arms up like you are growing.
Questions
-Do you find yourself not wanting to do something you used to enjoy? -Do you feel like you want to do something but don't know what to do? -Do you feel like you want to sleep all day, or feel more tired than normal? -Do you feel like you are somebody else and that what is happening to you isn't real? -Do you feel numb and achy? -Do you find that things annoy you when it feels like they shouldn't? -Do you find that you don't feel as sexually active, or the opposite?