There are three books that I’ve found astonishingly useful for living with mental illness, particularly depression:

Korb’s The Upward Spiral identifies a collection of tools, each of which can, gradually and over time, help to improve one’s mental state and soften the grasp of depression. As Korb explains:

After many years of research, I’ve come to understand that there is no one big solution to depression, but there are many small ones. Simply by making small changes in your thoughts, actions, interactions, and environment, you can change the activity and chemistry of key brain circuits that contribute to depression. Sometimes a small change can have big effects, though the process will not always be straightforward.

Knaus’s Workbook for Depression identifies a similar list of twelve steps. As Knaus explains:

When you are depressed, it can be hard to think of positive steps to take. You may feel that you lack energy. Pessimism may cloud your judgment. This section discusses the best natural and psychological steps that I know of to use. I developed them for myself when I was once depressed. […] I would recommend them to my family and friends. They can help you.

I’ve integrated the lists from Korb and Knaus, and over time I’ve added or changed items on this list based on my own experience, advice from other people living with depression, and recommendations that I’ve received from clinicians/therapists/peer mentors/psychiatrists that have turned out to be helpful for me.

I keep this list on my phone, ready to access. It’s not a to-do list; rather, it’s a menu of options. When I find myself beginning a depressive downward spiral, I pick the option on the list that feels easiest. Maybe I don’t feel quite up to exercising - but maybe sitting in the back garden and watching the clouds feels more accessible, or perhaps texting a friend to meet me for coffee is more what I need. Then, once I’ve used that option, there will usually be a subtle but real upward step in my mood — meaning I can choose the next option.

Some of these options might feel a bit silly at first (eat a new type of food? really?). One clinician echoed this feeling by saying that these actions can feel a bit like being told “to suck eggs” — as I’ve written about previously, I’m no stranger to the all-encompassing, world-shaking agony of an intense depressive episode. But the options do work, whether you examine the peer-reviewed evidence or simply ask people who have learned to navigate depression themselves.

Over time, and as I build these habits into my life, I find myself following the upward spiral more frequently than the downward spiral.

Currently, my list contains these items:

  • Sleep
  • Exercise - move your body, a little or a lot
  • Nutrition - eat the right amount of nourishing foods
  • Community - nourishing your relationships with loved ones, regularly immersing yourself in social connection, and asking trusted people for help and support
  • Hobbies - immersive, engaging activities that can help you enter monotropic focus (also see Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism for a deeper exploration of meaningful hobbies)
  • Executive function - make a plan or a decision, and it almost doesn’t matter what exactly
  • Outdoors - seeing the sky, walking around the block, going to the park
  • Novelty - trying new things, even if they seem silly (e.g., pick a new vegetable to use in a meal, or visit a new cafe)
  • Biofeedback - massages, smiling, relaxation techniques
  • Gratitude - gratitude journalling, which annoys me with how effective it is
  • Take leave from work
  • Cozy fantasy - escapist, low-stakes fiction, often sci-fi or fantasy
  • Therapy
  • Persistence - remain confident in the plan
  • Resolve conflicts - avoid lingering issues
  • Stick to priorities - cut back on non-essential tasks, and use your limited capacity for the activities that really matter (e.g., getting through the work day, feeding yourself, having a shower)
  • Avoid news and social media - living in 2026 is really challenging, and it’s easy to underestimate the emotional burden of simply living in the current geopolitical landscape
  • Seek good news stories - subscribe to the weekly fixthenews.com
  • Contest depressive self-talk - CBT techniques and similar
  • Schedule activities - set a time and date on which you vow to do something that you know makes you feel good (e.g., socializing, playing sport, going for a walk outside)