Playing Opposite Day with Depression

Remember when you were a little kid and you’d have opposite day? Whatever someone said to do, you’d do the opposite. This fun (sometimes annoying) little game may offer some insight into how to battle depression.

Stick with me here…

Depression is tough. During a depressive episode you feel down, hopeless, critical, unmotivated, tired. You desperately want connection and understanding with others, but you also want to stay in your bed watching Netflix and not see anyone at all. When you’re in a grounded place, you can battle the negative thoughts, but when you’re feeling depressed they sound so compellingly true.

Enter - Opposite Day.

One way to battle depression is to do the opposite of what it’s telling you to do. Depression telling you to stay in bed all day? Get outside for a walk in the sunshine. Depression telling you to isolate? Reach out to a friend. Depression telling you to binge watch Netflix? Get some exercise. Depression telling you to not eat? Prioritize a healthy snack. Depression telling you everything sucks? List 5 things you are grateful for. Depression spreading gloomy thoughts? Practice positive self-talk. 

One of the trickiest hurdles of depression is the drop in motivation. Feeling depressed often means you just don’t feel like doing anything, even things you typically love. Doing the opposite sometimes requires faking it til you make it. Hopefully on the other side of that phone call, walk, journaling, workout, etc. you’ll feel a smidge better. 

DISCLAIMER: I want to be clear that depression is a real mental illness affecting millions of Americans. It is not the result of laziness, nor is the technique above a quick fix to pervasive, chronic depression. The tool described above is just that, a tool that can be utilized in the moment to reduce depression over time.