Thanks Vowel Lady.

For moderate-mild depression,
these sounds like good suggestions. It is also useful to push harder lonce one has begun to emerge from a deeper depression, and as such has greater energy and resources to cope. These steps are useful, in such cases, in preventing depressive behaviors from becoming habit.

HOWEVER, in the midst of severe depression,
the deep dark kind,
the PIT
... pushing oneself can be counterproductive. there are times we can do the one more thing. there are times instead when we must give ourselves permission just to BE because that is hard enough. Not forever and ever, but on some days. cannot push every day.

also i want to note that the line i highlighted in blue sounds like a guideline for pushing the envelope gently.

however the suggestions given to exemplify that statement push the envelope rather aggressively which can be harmful. even if you feel "accomplished" the one day, investing too much of oneself too suddenly is draining, and is asking for trouble. it is better to pace oneself.

for instance, the first example, if too tired/depressed to get out of bed, taking a shower can be a gargantuan addition - and that's TWO more things not one. one more thing would be to get out of bed, since one doesn't feel one can. getting up and sitting on the couch instead would be less aggressve.

~ waves ~ who knows the pit like a blind man and that once you're in you don't just shinny your way outta there by brute force or u fall flat on face again. i have flattened my face many times.