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Super solid advice here, If I need to only pick 3 immediate actions. * Get at least 7 hours of sleep. Try for 8. * Do a few minutes of stretching and meditati

Super solid advice here, If I need to only pick 3 immediate actions. * Get at least 7 hours of sleep. Try for 8. * Do a few minutes of stretching and meditation every day. (use Headspace or Calm applications) And my personal recommendation: * Sit and stand with your back straight. (This raises your confidence and assertiveness; then makes you feel in control; then reduces anxiety, and finally improve your health).

pdfernhout 8y ago
Seconding and thirding the point on getting good sleep: "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew P. Walker" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep "An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge to inspire creativity."
- taparisbat3 8y ago
  It's difficult to sleep well when depressed. Lately I wake up in panic, with only 3hours of bad sleep
  - raztogt21 8y ago
    I'd agree it is way easier to say "sleep 7-8 hours straight" than giving some advice on how to achieve it. I'd recommend: 1. Avoid having dinner 2-3 hours before sleep time 2. Try to sleep/wake at the same 30-minute interval, sleep 11.00pm-11.30pm wake up at 7.00-7-30am 3. Light reading. An easy to read fiction novel. My picks are usually Murakami or Latin American authors. Routines give stability to people that suffer from a mental illness.
  - pdfernhout 8y ago
    True. And as a feedback loop, lack of sleep causes people to be more anxious because the calming part of the brain is too tired to function well. Good sleep is also needed for the brain to process emotional situations to work through them. Sometimes the situation is so much that we wake up from that. The book on sleep by Matthew Walker has a section on treating PTSD and veterans awaking from bad dreams that they ultimately needed to get through to process their fears. That book also has some suggestions for getting more and better sleep -- many of which have been mentioned in replies to your post. They include things like: * go to bed and wake up at the same time every day * avoid caffeine from any sources after 2 pm (or depending on your metabolism, earlier or maybe even at all) * avoid alcohol as it interferes with good sleep * avoid electronic screens before bedtime * especially avoid blue LEDs before bedtime (use something like Flux on laptops) * have the bedroom be cooler at night * don't stay awake in bed -- get up and go back to bed when you are sleepy to associate bed with sleeping * avoid exercise or heavy eating for at least a couple of hours before going to sleep He even suggests setting an alarm as a reminder to tell you when to go to sleep. Here are some other ideas I collected for moving from depression onto an upward spiral of improvement: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15455259 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15455259 Of course, it is all easier said than done when you are depressed. Sometimes one small positive step can lead to another though. It helps a lot if you have a supportive community. Good luck! P.S. If you decide to change jobs, consider looking at idealist.org and also reading "Disciplined Minds" by Schmidt and "The Three Boxes of Life" by Bolles.

pdfernhout 8y ago

Seconding and thirding the point on getting good sleep: "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew P. Walker" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep "An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge to inspire creativity."

taparisbat3 8y ago
It's difficult to sleep well when depressed. Lately I wake up in panic, with only 3hours of bad sleep
- raztogt21 8y ago
  I'd agree it is way easier to say "sleep 7-8 hours straight" than giving some advice on how to achieve it. I'd recommend: 1. Avoid having dinner 2-3 hours before sleep time 2. Try to sleep/wake at the same 30-minute interval, sleep 11.00pm-11.30pm wake up at 7.00-7-30am 3. Light reading. An easy to read fiction novel. My picks are usually Murakami or Latin American authors. Routines give stability to people that suffer from a mental illness.
- pdfernhout 8y ago
  True. And as a feedback loop, lack of sleep causes people to be more anxious because the calming part of the brain is too tired to function well. Good sleep is also needed for the brain to process emotional situations to work through them. Sometimes the situation is so much that we wake up from that. The book on sleep by Matthew Walker has a section on treating PTSD and veterans awaking from bad dreams that they ultimately needed to get through to process their fears. That book also has some suggestions for getting more and better sleep -- many of which have been mentioned in replies to your post. They include things like: * go to bed and wake up at the same time every day * avoid caffeine from any sources after 2 pm (or depending on your metabolism, earlier or maybe even at all) * avoid alcohol as it interferes with good sleep * avoid electronic screens before bedtime * especially avoid blue LEDs before bedtime (use something like Flux on laptops) * have the bedroom be cooler at night * don't stay awake in bed -- get up and go back to bed when you are sleepy to associate bed with sleeping * avoid exercise or heavy eating for at least a couple of hours before going to sleep He even suggests setting an alarm as a reminder to tell you when to go to sleep. Here are some other ideas I collected for moving from depression onto an upward spiral of improvement: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15455259 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15455259 Of course, it is all easier said than done when you are depressed. Sometimes one small positive step can lead to another though. It helps a lot if you have a supportive community. Good luck! P.S. If you decide to change jobs, consider looking at idealist.org and also reading "Disciplined Minds" by Schmidt and "The Three Boxes of Life" by Bolles.