Occupational therapy advice
Living with anxiety or depression
Living with anxiety or depression
Anxiety and depression are very common. Around one in four people experience these mental health issues each year.
You can still lead an active, full life and achieve your goals when you have anxiety or depression. If your symptoms are mild, there are lots of simple things you can do yourself to help you manage.
Take care of yourself
- Eat and drink healthily, including lots of fruit, vegetables and water.
- Reduce or cut out alcohol – it can make you feel worse.
- Exercise including walking, will help lift your mood, increase your energy and keep you fit.
- Sleep helps, but if you’re struggling, try avoiding stimulants (including tea and coffee), taking a bath, using blackout curtains, listening to gentle music or deep breathing exercises.
Manage your activities
- Identify the triggers that make you feel stressed and look for ways to reduce or manage them.
- Identify what you already do that helps and make them part of your daily routine.
- Set realistic goals by breaking each task into small steps – they will seem more manageable that way. Don’t try to do too much.
- Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to carry out tasks and activities – it will help you feel more in control.
Manage school, college or work
- Talk with someone at school, college or work so you can review your workload. If appropriate, ask about flexible working, working from home and taking longer or more mini breaks.
- Set boundaries so that you can walk away from your work when it is done. Try not to think about it once you’ve finished for the day.
Ask for support
- Talk with family and friends to help them understand how you feel and how they could support you.
- Use social media to stay in touch with friends and family, but be careful that it doesn’t ‘feed’ any negative moods you may be experiencing.
- Get advice and support by using online resources and joining support groups. Sharing ideas and experiences with other people can help.
