[Serious] What's the best thing to do everyday to improve anxiety and depression?

I feel weird responding, like the blind leading the blind in a sense, because I still struggle with my anxiety sometimes and am a bit of a work in progress (I still have my rough patches and some days are more difficult than others), but the things I have found most helpful for me:

  • therapy. CBT, specifically, though there was an element of supportive counselling as well because I was seeing the same therapist and developed enough of a comfort level that I could also talk about things that I'd previously had an incredibly difficult time talking about, get some professional support and perspective, and work on the distorted thinking patterns I'd internalized over time. If you can't see a therapist who specializes in CBT, some really good books include When Panic Attacks by Dr. David Burns (he also writes Feeling Good which has the same premise; When Panic Attacks is more specific to anxiety, though, in its examples, etc.) and The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne. Burns's books are specifically CBT-focused and lay out the different steps in recognizing thoughts/feelings, identifying them and any cognitive distortions, and reframing them. You can also use them in conjunction with seeing a therapist.
  • benzodiazepines (prescribed; these have been incredibly therapeutic for me).
  • exercise. It's the last thing I want to do when I'm struggling but it makes a big difference for me. It doesn't have to be a full out formal workout, I find just taking a walk and getting some air helps in those times. If you ARE up for it, an intense workout also helps (IME particularly higher intensity workouts or things like yoga that force me to focus on what I'm doing since then I'm forced to be mindful)
  • journaling
  • sometimes I don't necessarily want to be super social but I want to be around someone or have that proximity to people. If there's someone you can kind of just "be" with (maybe you end up talking or watching a show together but maybe you are also on the computer while they're doing something else) give them a call or even go to a coffee shop or something where you have some social interaction and people around but not the pressure to interact for a long period of time if you're not feeling like doing that.
  • be gentle with yourself. I make a specific point of making sure not to say things to myself that I wouldn't say to a friend and cutting myself off if I catch myself thinking negatively about myself.
  • break things down and make a list of small goals. If you're going through a rough time, even seeing a list like this one or the replies in general may feel overwhelming. Like "okay, where do I start?!" If I've been having a difficult time and am trying to crawl out of a rut, for lack of a better word, the things on my list may be practically microscopic. I may get 1 done one day, I may get 2 or 3 done, but eventually things get done and crossed off the list and I start to feel less stagnant.

I'd say the first and second things on this list were the things that have made the most significant differences for me - medication is one tool that helps me through the days; therapy made a difference in terms of helping me build a stronger foundation and giving me extra tools and coping mechanisms. The other things are also tools/coping mechanisms that can help day to day. You don't have to incorporate all of the above every day. You kind of take what you need as you need it and you start to recognize what things work the best for you.

Good luck with everything. One day you'll own a lambo. :)

/r/AskReddit Thread