So we all love the odd lazy day, Staying in our PJ’s, eating junk food and cosying under the duvet. It’s a treat, an indulgence, a necessary part of being Ill or having a cheeky hangover. But what happens when it’s more than the odd day? When you can’t imagine or face life out of the duvet and you’ve been wearing the same PJ’s day in day out. When it’s no longer a treat or occasional thing, chances are that you need to take some care of your mental health.
Wanting to hide yourself away, feeling fatigued and losing motivation are all symptoms of depression. If you are fearful or worried about facing the outside world it might be a sign that you have an anxiety disorder. You might feel pretty despondent and desperate but have no idea how to summon the strength and energy to get out from under the again.
How do you start to break out from the solitude of an everlasting duvet day?
The trick is to start doing! Do anything, any activity will break the cycle of fatigue and despondency. There are 3 components that make us happy; these are a sense of achievement, a sense of closeness to others and a sense of enjoyment. It might seem hard or almost impossible to go back to the person you used to be or want to be. It’s great to have goals to work for but if they are too big to achieve easily, break it down into baby steps. By doing a little at a time it will much more rewarding.
Where to start….
Pick one of the components enjoyment, achievement or closeness and work on that as the first baby step. e.g. to gain a sense of achievement get up and dressed before 11am or pick an area in the house to clean, e.g. Cutlery drawer or enjoy a fresh cup of coffee or relaxing bath.
Once you have done that reward yourself, e.g. Your favourite food or movie. Then maybe pluck up the courage call or text a friend.
Before you know it, you have started on your journey, and you’re ready for the next baby step; maybe go to the shops or for a little walk, or cook a meal. You might be able to start ticking off a more than one component with one activity.
It’s easy to slip back under that duvet, a good way to prevent this is to schedule things on, plan ahead and make yourself do it. Ask friends or family for help, let them know what you are trying to do.
Before long you will be out and about again, duvet days will be a treat once again and solitude a welcome break not a prison.
If you need help getting out from under the duvet CBT therapy can help you escape and stay well. If you would like to find out more please get in touch.
Make therapy your first step.
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