25. Do the ‘next thing’ when paralyzed by fear or depression. Life never abandons us without giving us the ‘next thing’ to do. It is security for our sanity and for the healing power of positive behavior. The next thing may just be to take a shower.
24. Look around you if you can’t think of any chores to do. There is always some ‘next thing’ that can distract you from your pain. Any outward-focused action can help you turn away from self-focus on the pain of your depression. Take out the trash.
23. Get yourself up and going with any kind of moving-around exercises. The more you move into physical action, the less depression has a chance to settle in on you. Put on some music, dance around the room. Not because you will feel like dancing, but because depression hates you to dance. Do something your depression hates.
22. Distract yourself from the pain of depression with small chores. Do them while thinking your neutral or nonsense thought. Do your chore. Think your thought. Ignore your depression by thinking objectively about what you are doing not subjectively about how you are feeling. Your stress and pain will begin to lessen.
