Ten Things to Do Instead of Killing Yourself

David Yerle tries to come up with ten things you can do instead of killing yourself, if you’re considering it. He is not trying to be thorough and is sure other people will have their own. He welcomes them to share them in the comments section.

1 Go travel. If everything goes wrong, especially if you live in a first-world country, you always have the option of running away. With very little money it is possible to start a new life in a developing country. Worse comes to worst, you’ll have enough stories to impress any prospective partner when you come back.

2. Try meditation. Apparently, in the meditative state you don’t care about anything anymore. Any material object, including people, becomes a temporary merging of properties which is destined to dissolve. Even your own precious self. By detaching yourself from all that, all suffering stops. All pleasure seemingly stops, too, but desperate times require desperate measures.

3. Spend some time with your family, if they’re not the reason you’re depressed. Feeling like a kid again, protected and cared for, without a worry in the world, is sure to bring back that childhood feeling of all being right with the world.

4. Create something. Art is a means of escape for many people, why should you be different? Make something valuable with your pain. Write a song or a book or make a painting. Or invent a totally new form of expression. Anything that will let you release your sadness and place it somewhere else where it can’t hurt you anymore.

5. Escape to a book or a movie or a TV show. Even though it leaves much to be desired as a long-term strategy, a little escapism can help you bring back a little joy and a little balance. If you don’t like this reality you don’t have to stay in it: there are plenty of ways to get away. Including computer games.

6. Focus on the moment. Don’t allow yourself to think about anything else apart from “I’m having a shower” or “I’m having breakfast.” Enjoy the little things, like a nice coffee or the sunshine. Animals don’t worry about the future and they seem perfectly happy. You don’t have to either. The future is a mental construct, don’t let it spoil a perfectly pleasurable present.

7. Take things more lightly. Life is probable a big cosmic joke, anyway. Don’t let God be the only one who’s laughing. Have a good time too. Don’t take anything seriously. Yes, this seems like not a good strategy in the long run. But, again, desperate times, desperate measures.

8. Cry. Yes, you read right. Crying releases a lot of endorphins, which soothe you and bring a nice, warm feeling of well-being. It is a protective strategy wisely crafted by nature. Don’t be afraid to let it out. You will feel better after you have.

9. Exercise. Just like crying, exercise releases a number of hormones that make you feel relaxed and happy. Not only it will make you healthier, it will make everything look a little rosier. Don’t be lazy and break a sweat!

10. Join a cult. OK, maybe not a cult but a religion. Anything that will tell you things are going to be alright. It is probably a lie, but a lie you could use right now. It’s not ideal as an escape route, but it can give you the self-confidence you need to come out of the hole you’re in. And it’s easier to come out of a depression if you don’t have a fear of death – or the future – constantly nagging you. You can drop your new beliefs after you feel better or keep them if they did you good.

So, that’s it. David Yerle is sure to re-read this post every time he’s feeling down. It’s probably one of the reasons he wrote it. Now he has a way of remembering what to do when he is too upset to recall it on his own. He hopes his little hints may help other people. Or at least bring a smile to their lips.