If you are having trouble sleeping, try some of the following suggestions.

• Listen to soothing music after you lie down.
• Eat foods high in calcium, like dairy products and leafy green vegetables, or take a calcium supplement.
• Avoid alcohol—it will help you get to sleep but may cause you to awaken early.
• Avoid sleeping late in the morning and taking long naps during the day.
• Before going to bed:
  • avoid heavy meals, strenuous activity, caffeine, and nicotine
  • read a calming book
  • take a warm bath
  • drink a glass of warm milk, eat some turkey and/or drink a cup of chamomile tea.

Keep your life as simple as possible. If it doesn’t really need to be done, don’t do it. Learn that it is alright to say “no” if you can’t or don’t want to do something, but don’t avoid responsibilities like taking good care of yourself and your children. Get help with these responsibilities if you need it.

Work on changing your negative thoughts to positive ones. Everyone has negative thoughts that they have learned, usually when they were young. When you are feeling badly, these negative thoughts can make you feel worse. For instance, if you find yourself thinking, “I will never feel better,” try saying, “I feel fine,” instead. Other common negative thoughts and positive responses:

Repeat the positive responses over and over.

Every time you have a negative thought, replace it with a positive one.

Things To Do When You Are Feeling Better To Keep Yourself Well

When you are feeling better, make plans using the ideas in the previous section that will help you keep yourself well. Include simple lists:

• to remind yourself of things you need to do every day – like getting a half hour of exercise and eating three healthy meals;
• to remind yourself of those things that you may not need to do every day, but if you miss them they will cause stress in your life, like bathing, buying food, paying bills or cleaning your home;
• of events or situations that may make you feel worse if they come up, like a fight with a family member, health care provider, or social worker, getting a big bill, or loss of your job. Then list things to do (relax, talk to a friend, play your guitar) if these things happen so you won’t start feeling bad;
• of early warning signs that indicate you are starting to feel worse – like always feeling tired, sleeping too much, overeating, dropping things and losing things. Then list things to do (get more rest, take some time off, arrange an appointment with your health care provider, cut back on caffeine) to help yourself feel better;
• of signs that things are getting much worse, such as feeling very depressed, not being able to get out of bed in the morning or feeling negative about everything. Then list things to do that will help you feel better quickly (get someone to stay with you, spend extra time doing things you enjoy, contact your doctor);
• of information that can be used by others if you become unable to take care of yourself or keep yourself safe, such as signs that indicate you need their help, who you want to help you (give copies of this list to each of these people), the names of your doctor, or other mental health professional and pharmacist, all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, things that others can do to help you feel better or keep you safe, and things you do not want others to do or that might make you feel worse.

In conclusion:
Don’t try to do everything or make all the changes suggested in this booklet all at once. You can incorporate them into your life gradually. As you do, you will notice that you will feel better and better.

continue: List of Additional Resources and Organizations

next: Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery: A Self-Help Guide