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Showerthoughts_Mod t1_j6finkw wrote

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1

Ragged_Town_ t1_j6fiwol wrote

Well, we like to think of it as the glass being half full. Even if you're feeling down, taking a day off to do nothing can give you an opportunity to relax, be kind to yourself, and just enjoy the moment!

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nvanprooyen t1_j6fmn5t wrote

Maybe reframe "nothing to do" with "I can do anything I want to do today". I realize depression can be a fucking bitch and sometimes it's not that simple. But for me, when I'm there I use a 3 step mental process.

1 - Think of something simple you can do that would improve your mental well-being. Cleaning up a little, knocking out something you've been putting off, etc.

2 - Just start. Work on #1 for a minimum of 15 minutes. Set a timer if you need to. More times than not, momentum will take over and 2 hrs later you just got a bunch of shit done.

3 - Take a moment to appreciate how precious time actually is. The wealthiest person on the planet can't buy more of it on their deathbed (to certain extents). It's the most valuable resource on the planet. Make the most of it.

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TheLostcause t1_j6g5fbj wrote

Depressed people don't need to be stressed and depressed. Use those days off.

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Delicious-Garage-278 t1_j6g6fkm wrote

if you’re depressed, it’s for a reason. if you have a day off and don’t address resolving that reason(s), then obviously it’s considered bad.

if you’re not depressed and you have a day off and there’s no pressing issue to resolve, then hell yeah it’s considered good.

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plasmadood t1_j6gejq2 wrote

Two moods:

Nothing matters. :[ and Nothing matters! :D

Either way I'm playing video games.

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comad8 t1_j6gv4g1 wrote

I'm depressed and I would enjoy being able to sleep/play videogames for most of a day instead of having to do actual work.

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Fast_Garlic_5639 t1_j6h9k8n wrote

It's about balance. If you are active and need a break, you probably aren't depressed. If you're depressed then odds are you aren't active for unhealthy reasons.

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Rhonijin t1_j6h9ol3 wrote

My boss gave me two extra days off this week, and I literally did a celebration dance as soon as I got home.

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DrMorpheus991 t1_j6h9poj wrote

I don't see it as bad or good. For me it's scary doing nothing because it reminds me of my depression and it can be harder to get going the next day. It's harder to enjoy unfortunately, but I'm working on it.

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Piipperi800 t1_j6hdq7r wrote

No it is not. My therapist has specifially told me I need to have more days off because working too much contributes to depression

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jlelvidge t1_j6hekkz wrote

Equally, a guilty feeling if you know work is really busy or there is loads to do at home when you don’t want to do it and then you feel guilty for not doing it

0

Sweddy-Bowls t1_j6hk948 wrote

Honestly, thanks for the random breakthrough.

I get so guilty on days off cause I feel like I should be doing something, what I should be doing is not feeling guilty

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thetomahawk42 t1_j6hm5ik wrote

Can confirm.

I look forward to the weekends, and then on a Saturday I sit and mope all day.

I both like having time to do nothing and hate having nothing to do.

1

Insert-a-joke-here t1_j6hnq3t wrote

I'm depressed and right now everyone around me hopes I do nothing during the day cause I'll be honest, I haven't had the brightest ideas lately.

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Rababaja t1_j6hq6l8 wrote

There's a bad nothing and a good nothing.

E.g.

  • I had good long night's sleep.
  • Had a cup of coffee.
  • Went to the swimming pool.
  • Read a book.
  • Played my favourite computer game.
  • Ordered delicious takeaway for lunch.
  • Played with my cat for two hours.
  • Binged an amazing TV show before bed.
  • Went to bed early, feeling good and fell asleep immediately.

​

Vs.

  • Woke up tired.
  • Lied on the floor, face down the whole day sad.
  • Went to bed after midnight, but couldn't fall asleep.
9

aligators_are_neat t1_j6hsiif wrote

Wow it's good if you're happy with it and bad when you feel bad about it. Groundbreaking stuff.

0

nouille07 t1_j6hwrwl wrote

See with my depression days off are bad because they're actually months off

1

ColdFusion94 t1_j6i1uhs wrote

Replying to BlizzPenguin (#1,607,224)

I'm part of a union that goes through slow slumps, ended up spending months at home. No real money to do anything, no real motivation either.

It was cool the first month. Months 2 and 3 had me itching for that call from work telling me that they had a job for me to go to.

12

VicarLos t1_j6i8cgc wrote

Replying to Orakil (#1,610,088)

I think it depends on the personality. I had a ~3 month lull due to the pandemic and it was the greatest. The worst part about it was not knowing when I’d get the call to go back. Doing nothing but gaming, eating, sleeping? Brilliant.

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insufferableninja t1_j6i9tsi wrote

Water is good when you're thirsty and bad when you're drowning, who would have thought

1

vito578 t1_j6ibxt4 wrote

Replying to VicarLos (#1,614,737)

I'm the same, so many I know are always afraid of having nothing to do. Me? I love the everliving shit out of that. I had 2 months of work cuz I broke my hand(and complications with the healing) and it was literally the best 2 months of my life after hitting 20.

4

Propsygun t1_j6iifms wrote

A depressed person can't relax when doing nothing or a simple task that doesn't require focus, it makes them more depressed(stressed), in part because it activate the default mode network in the brain. Depression makes depression worse in so many ways.

6

Th4tRedditorII t1_j6ipyb6 wrote

I wouldn't judge someone for having a day off to just relax, to help recharge their brain. If anything I need to take more time off myself.

The difference is how you see it. You're framing it as a day of nothingness, whereas you should frame it as a free day to be filled with whatever you want.

I won't even slightly implying it has to be a productive something either - sit down and play a videogame, relax and binge a show/movie, take a walk outside, cook yourself a nice treat, if you think it'd put a smile on your face, do it!

1

cellus5000 t1_j6iu3au wrote

Theres a massive difference between taking a day off and feeling incapable of being excitable to do anything.

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-ll_Y_ll- t1_j6j496o wrote

A rainy day is considerd bad if you are a kid stuck inside, but good if you are a farner who needs water for your crops.

1

myalt08831 t1_j6j6o7s wrote

All about balance and building virtuous cycles or setting healthy levels overall, rather than ones that lead further down the rabbit hole of apathy.

1

watch_over_me t1_j6jamrg wrote

It's the difference between taking a day off to stare at a wall and feel sorry for yourself, when you have a million things you need to get done. And taking a day off, after you've worked all week completing everything you had to complete.

1

SamohtGnir t1_j6jzo0u wrote

I'm kind of known around our office for not taking vacation days. I could literally take a month off at this point. My secret is, when I do get a full week off I get depressed and everything in my life starts to crumble (bathing, chores, etc). Having a job with a time to show up and structure to follow is very helpful for my mental health.

1

MellyMoo2010 t1_j6k77bi wrote

There's nothing I like more on my day off than doing as little as possible for as long as possible. I say this to colleagues who ask what I got up to on my day off and they usually follow it up with "Sounds like you're depressed," I'm not depressed. Far from it. I work bloody hard all week and I'll be damned if I have to do shit on my day off just to please society. Duvet Days with endless supplies of biscuits and cups of tea watching some crappy boxset on Netflix needs to be normalised!

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disruptioncoin t1_j6ka21f wrote

Last year I was starting to think I had "gotten over" my depression and anxiety. I was working close to 70 hours a week (while taking a class for my masters degree), almost never had an entire day off, and I loved it. I loved my job and felt like not only was I accomplishing things at work that gave me a sense of purpose, but I was achieving my personal career goals as well. Then I got fired based on one bad managers fake story he made up to screw me over. And I suddenly realized I still had depression and anxiety. However staying busy and tired, as well as feeling good about myself and my future and finances, had been helping keep the symptoms at bay.

I looked for a new job for two months while I appealed my termination, and I hadn't felt so low in years. Now I got a new job but am back at the bottom of the totem pole, hoping I can get noticed and work my way back up like before. My new job is MUCH less fulfilling, MUCH more mentally boring and MUCH more physically exhausting. But even worse, I'm not getting overtime and I dread being at home for 4 days a week (I work 3x12hour shifts). At least it made me realize I should probably start working on my mental health again and maybe seeing a therapist and trying to train my brain to cope with things better. Made me realize that, of course I can handle life well when it's going great, it's being able to handle it when things go to shit that is a real test of how put-together I am mentally.

3

RiC_David t1_j6m9dwu wrote

Replying to disruptioncoin (#1,631,873)

I work 4 on/off 12hr shifts and while I've had long stretches of being without depression, in the three years I've worked the job, it's the days off that get me.

A two day weekend is too short, but four days off is too much for me on the rotations when I'm not free at the same time as my friends. Makes relationships harder and makes being single lonelier.

2