Which Coping Skills Can Support Adults With Depression Between Sessions?

Coping skills for depression can help adults move through difficult hours between treatment sessions. Useful options include creating a simple routine, choosing one manageable task, moving the body gently, staying connected with supportive people, practicing grounding, and following a personal safety plan. These strategies do not replace professional care, and they may need to be adjusted when symptoms make concentration, energy, or motivation difficult.

Start with the smallest workable action

Depression can affect mood, energy, sleep, appetite, concentration, and interest in activities. The National Institute of Mental Health explains depression symptoms and treatment options, including psychotherapy and medication. Between appointments, it may be more realistic to reduce the size of a task than to wait for motivation to return.

A “smallest step” approach turns a broad goal into an action that feels possible. Instead of planning to clean an entire home, someone might clear one surface. Instead of expecting a long walk, they might stand outside briefly or walk to the end of the block. Completing a small action is not a test of recovery. It is a way to create structure while respecting current capacity.

• Choose one basic need, such as drinking water, eating something, showering, or changing clothes.
• Set a short time boundary for an activity, with permission to stop when that time ends.
• Break a necessary task into one visible next step rather than considering the whole project.
• Notice what was completed without judging whether it should have been easier.

Use routines as support, not a standard of success

A light daily framework can reduce the number of decisions required when thinking feels slowed or motivation is low. The aim is not a perfect schedule. A practical routine may include a general wake time, regular opportunities to eat, prescribed medication as directed, basic hygiene, movement, connection, and a wind-down period.

Adults can discuss sleep changes, medication concerns, substance use, or worsening symptoms with their treatment providers rather than trying to solve them alone. If a routine repeatedly becomes unmanageable, that information can help guide the next session and decisions about the appropriate level of care.

Try movement, grounding, and sensory coping

Different skills meet different needs. Gentle movement may help interrupt long periods of inactivity. Grounding can redirect attention toward the present when thoughts feel overwhelming. Sensory strategies may create a brief point of focus, although they are not intended to erase sadness or force a positive mood.

• Take a brief walk, stretch while seated, or complete another form of movement that fits current health and mobility needs.
• Name several things you can see, hear, and physically feel to reconnect with the immediate environment.
• Use paced breathing without forcing deep breaths, especially if intense breathing exercises feel uncomfortable.
• Listen to familiar music, hold a warm or cool object, or sit in a place that feels calmer and less stimulating.
• Write down one recurring thought and a more balanced alternative to discuss during the next session.

If a coping exercise increases distress, stop and choose a different strategy or contact a treating professional. A skill can be useful for one person and unhelpful for another.

Stay connected without demanding a long conversation

Depression often makes withdrawing feel easier, but connection does not have to involve a lengthy or emotionally intense conversation. An adult might send a short message, sit with a trusted person, attend a planned appointment, or ask someone to join them for a meal or walk.

Family members and other supporters can help by listening without arguing with the person’s feelings, offering specific choices, and checking in consistently. For example, “Would you like company or quiet?” may be easier to answer than a broad request to explain everything. Supporters can also encourage professional help when symptoms worsen, while recognizing that they cannot provide treatment themselves.

Know when coping skills are not enough

Between-session strategies are not substitutes for emergency care or a higher level of treatment. Contact a treatment provider when symptoms intensify, daily functioning declines, substance use becomes harder to manage, or current care no longer feels sufficient. If there is immediate danger, a suicide attempt, or another life-threatening emergency, call 911. For suicidal thoughts or an emotional crisis, call or text 988. The NIMH help resource also explains crisis and treatment-finding options.

Outpatient treatment requires enough stability to remain outside a facility between program hours. Someone who needs medical detoxification, continuous monitoring, overnight support, inpatient care, or residential care may need a different setting. Merrimack Valley Behavioral Health does not provide onsite detox, inpatient or residential care, overnight stays, or emergency care.

Consider what level of outpatient care fits

The right level of care depends on symptoms, safety, functioning, substance use, existing supports, and how much structure is needed. Standard outpatient care may fit some adults who can manage daily responsibilities with periodic appointments. Intensive outpatient programming provides more structure, while a partial hospitalization program offers a higher degree of daytime support without an overnight stay.

Merrimack Valley Behavioral Health offers adult outpatient PHP, IOP, OP, dual-diagnosis care, and Virtual IOP. Virtual IOP is available only while a participant is physically in Massachusetts. In-person treatment takes place at 77 Elm St, Amesbury, MA 01913. The MVBH guide to depression and related care provides additional information about the condition.

What happens when you call about care?

To ask about treatment, call Merrimack Valley Behavioral Health at 978-233-9597. The initial conversation can address the reason for seeking help and begin a prescreen to consider whether an offered outpatient level may be appropriate. No call guarantees admission or confirms suitability.

Coverage varies by insurance plan, so callers can ask to confirm benefits. If the program appears potentially appropriate, the next step is the intake process, where relevant clinical needs and level-of-care considerations can be explored further. If outpatient treatment is not an appropriate fit, the person may need to seek another type of provider or setting.

Frequently asked questions

What is one coping skill to try when depression makes everything feel difficult?

Choose one small, concrete action connected to a basic need, such as drinking water, eating, changing clothes, or stepping outside briefly. The goal is to make the next action manageable, not to complete an entire list.

Can family members help between depression treatment sessions?

Yes. Supporters can listen, offer specific practical choices, provide calm company, and encourage contact with the treatment team when symptoms worsen. They should call 988 or 911 when a crisis requires immediate help.

When should someone consider more structured care?

More structured care may be worth discussing when symptoms increasingly disrupt daily functioning, current appointments do not provide enough support, or depression occurs alongside substance use concerns. A prescreen and intake can help evaluate outpatient options without promising admission or fit.