Bad Day Boxes

When a wave of depression hits it can be extremely difficult to pull yourself out of a funk. You feel tired, alone, hopeless, frustrated and as if nothing really matters.  With all of these emotions pulling at you, it can be really difficult to come up with a coping mechanism.  The last thing you want to do is create a plan to feel better. That’s why I am a firm believer in the Bad Day Box: a strategy already put in place to help combat bad days before they even happen.

This idea was based off of a suggestion given to me by a therapist who was trying to help me cope with my binge eating issues.  And much of what she said applies to any range of mental illnesses.  I described to her the feeling of having no control over your body.  It feels like this part of your brain is pushing you towards these unhealthy thoughts and behaviors and you simply don’t have the strength to fight it.  She then advised a box of things that I could immediately pull out when I had these thoughts that would help me to not eat, or cry, have a panic attack, or whatever was about to happen.  With my Bad Day Box I don’t have to think about what it will take to feel happy.  I just pull it out and it is full of things already prepared to help keep me from falling into a dark place.

You can easily make one of these for yourself filled with whatever personalizes it for you.  I’m just hoping my inspiration and ideas will be helpful to you!  The first thing to go in my box is a list of people that I can call if the situation became dangerous or I needed any support.  It’s important in these situations to feel like you’re not alone.

I also included a list of things to get up and do at that moment that didn’t require much thought.  Behind this list are coloring books, word searches, and simple activities to get my mind occupied.

Next I decided to include pictures of people I love, places that make me happy, or mementos that mean a lot to me.  This can be items such as a picture drawn by my little brother and a piece of art I brought back from Paris.  These things remind me that I have good friends, good memories, and a good life.

My gratitude journal fills another part of the box, with pages full of things I am thankful for, goals I want to accomplish, and other notes.  The journal shows me what I have along with all the things I want to have.  It makes me want to keep pushing forward.

A few of my favorite quotes on happiness and strength sit in the box as well because for me words have always been the most powerful motivators.  A good quote by an inspiring person can immediately change my mood.  And sometimes I just need to hear the logic and power behind someone else’s words in order to snap me out of my depressed demeanor.
Lastly in my Bad Day Box are a few popsicle sticks with traits written on them that I like about myself and what I feel like I am good at.  It’s essential in these moments of my life to realize that I do like myself and there are things other people can appreciate about me too.

I hope that some of you can create your own Bad Day Boxes and feel better next time you’re falling.  Start taking these little steps to pick yourself back up and before you know it you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.