Often having the words to describe your experience, learning that you are not alone, and discovering some helpful techniques is enough to get you started on feeling better. Here you will find information to help you understand your experience and some techniques you can use to feel better.
Self Help for Depression
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A low mood commonly follows a negative life experience, a personal loss, long term stress, or anxiety or when we have burned the candle at both ends physically, emotionally or socially for too long.
Low mood effects how we think about ourselves, our situation and emotions. It lowers our motivation to do things and impacts our brain and body chemistry. When we are in a low mood our mind presents us with doubts, problems and regrets, believing that if we get rid of problems we will feel great again! That seems sensible until we remember that we always had some problems, some big, some small and despite them we often felt good, sometimes even great. To lift a low mood it helps to choose the right activities that target depressed thoughts, emotions, actions and sensations. |
Day by Day Mood PlanLow moods are deceptive, they convince us to do the opposite of what helps and they rob us of our ability to think clearly and constructively. If you scored between 0-19 on Measure Your Mood this is a step-by-step, self help plan to reverse the cycle of low mood. It targets our thoughts, emotions, sensations and actions in bite-size, doable rewarding steps.
Each day do activities from TWO categories Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, Sensations. In five days Measure Your Mood to see your progress. *If you scored between 20-27 on Measure Your Mood consider contacting your GP or Therapist in addition to Self Help. |
I can't seem to manage trying out these tips at the moment
If you are finding this Self Help plan too much to try keep the following in mind
1. You now know there are things you can try, when the time is right for you.
2. Your mood can and does change!
3. Contact a Therapist or your GP for more active support.
If you are finding this Self Help plan too much to try keep the following in mind
1. You now know there are things you can try, when the time is right for you.
2. Your mood can and does change!
3. Contact a Therapist or your GP for more active support.
Self Help resources from external sites
Depression Self Help Program from Centre for Clinical Interventions. This is designed to provide you with some information about depression and suggested strategies for how you can manage your mood. It is organised into modules that are designed to be worked through in sequence.
General Anxiety Self Help Program from Centre for Clinical Interventions. This is designed to provide you with some information about chronic worrying and generalised anxiety disorder and suggested strategies for how you can manage your worrying and anxiety. It is organised into modules that are designed to be worked through in sequence
Social Anxiety Self Help Program from Centre for Clinical Interventions. This is designed to provide you with some information about social anxiety and suggested strategies for how you can manage your anxiety in social situations. It is organised into modules that are designed to be worked through in sequence.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Self Help Program from the UK's National Health Service. This is a step by step program to empower you with information and guidance. Follow this self help program to learn more about obsessions and compulsions and develop the skills to cope with them.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Self Help Program from the UK's National Health Service. This is a step by step program to empower you with information and guidance. Follow this self help program to learn more about PTSD and develop the skills to cope with it.
Self Harm Information and Self Help Resources from LifeSigns UK. This is a step by step program to empower you with information and guidance. We all need a little help, support, and love, while we work through our self-harm. Self-help and self-care can replace self-injury. Follow this self help program to learn more about self harm and develop the skills to overcome it.
Contact Pieta House 1800 247 247
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Contact Aware 1800 80 48 48
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Mindfulness Resources
Guided Mindfulness Exercises
| Tuning into Senses - Raisin Exercise |
| Body Scan Exercise |
| 10 Minute Mindfulness of Breath |
| Two Ways of Knowing Exercise |
| Mindful Movement - Stretch and Breath |
| Mindful Movement - Walking |
| 3 Minute Breathing Space |
| Staying Present with Aversion - Sounds and Thoughts |
| Inviting Difficulty - Relating to Aversion in a new way |
| 3 Minute Breathing Space for Aversion |