I can feel the tendrils of low mood beginning to wrap around my brain and the negative self talk has started creeping in to poison my thoughts against me.

Luckily, I've had many years of recognising the pattern and my plan to stop it spiralling goes like this...

Tell my husband. Instead of rolling his eyes and shouting "oh for gods sake you titchy fat self indulgent boring person" (wch is what my depression alter ego thinks he should say) he chats to me about it and just starts to keep an eye on me. Such a RELIEF.

I have a shower and brush my teeth. Like a lot of women, my self worth is very much wrapped up in how I look, so being clean and wearing clean clothes helps stop the "omfg you can't even clean your TEETH, you disgusting person" talk that spools through my brain.

Organising children and house helps. So the kids' packed lunches are made and the washing is done and everyone is fed. I do it step by step. And that stops the "omfg you're such a terrible mother and wife".

I ignore the Facebook. And Instagram (apart from ufo stories )

I get interested in something. Reading a book is impossible (something else that I shout at myself about) but I get into reddit and read stuff online. (Currently going down a rabbit hole about the Zimbabwe Ariel school playground UFO sighting). Fascinating.

I go outside. Just for a walk and to see my pony.

Normally I'd see my friends who I love to bits but we're locked down.

I'm fine. I KNOW it will lift. It always does.

All the lovely over thinking anxious/low mood suffering people out there, how do you cope?

#mentalhealth