Unusual Depression Coping Skills Suggested by the Community

Sometimes unusual coping skills for depression work. There are some days that my depression symptoms are too stubborn to cooperate with my typical coping methods, so I have to get creative. Dancing, focusing on tactile experiences like snuggling in a soft blanket, running my hands through cool materials, and cooking have all proven to pull me through the especially testy days. Curious as to what others do to get through their stubborn days, I looked around and found that a ton of people recommend making art, meditating, practicing yoga, playing video games, and masturbating. These might be unusual coping skills for depression, but that doesn't mean they might not work for you.

Making Art Energizes Your Mind

Creativity is good for the soul, and the rhythm of making things is soothing. Practicing creativity during the simple, inconsequential task of making something encourages utilizing creativity when addressing more serious stuff, like how to take care of yourself on a bad brain day. Additionally, making something that you are proud of is an incredibly positive experience, and it manifests good energy that spreads throughout other experiences.

Depression Coping Skills: Meditation and Practicing Yoga Calms the Body and Mind

According to many of my practicing friends, daily meditation and/or yoga benefits the brain in many ways, such as calming the mind, promoting a smooth flow of thoughts, and steadying breathing. The point of both meditation and yoga is to be in tune with oneself and to focus on the process of the activity rather than the progress made; though so far, the two have only reminded me that I lack balance and patience.

An Unusual Depression Coping Skill: Playing Video Games

Video gaming helps distract your brain by focusing on something other than your troubles. Games have rules, things make sense, and success happens at each checkpoint. Structure, sensibility, and steady success are often hard to recognize in the face of depression so practicing them in a virtual reality can establish a certain mindset that eventually makes its way into real life (How A Video Game Gave Me My Life Back). Plus, video gaming can be exciting and fun so it is a pleasant distraction from a bad brain day.

An Unusual Coping Skill: Masturbation

Masturbation is often made out to be taboo, but it is perfectly normal, and science suggests that it can actually help decrease depressive symptoms. Lucy Vittrup from yourtango.com spoke with Danish sexologist Lene Alexander about masturbation and depression in which Alexander says that she was able to bring herself out of a depression after a three-hour solo session. Alexander explains that sexual activity releases the hormones oxytocin and serotonin, which amps up one’s mood and cools down symptoms of depression.

It Takes Time to Find Depression Coping Skills That Work for You

Coping with depression is tough (tough is an understatement), and actively working to soothe oneself during a bad brain day is exhausting. I find that my own depression coping methods are active and varied due to my shifts in moods, so creating my own exercise circuits or dancing to new music accommodates that need for activity and uniqueness.

No two depression coping routines are alike and that's why some depression coping skills seem unusual, but it is important to figure out what works best for you. The most important thing to remember about coping mechanisms is that if the method is healthy, safe, and effective, then it can be anything.

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Information about masturbation and depression: Vittrup, L. (2016). You can masturbate your way out of depression, says science. YourTango. Retrieved from http://www.yourtango.com/experts/lucy-vittrup/medication-or-masturbation