1.  Mindfulness Exercise
Start by taking a few deep breaths … breathing in through your nose … and then out through your mouth … in through your nose … and then out through your mouth. Then, while you continue to do so, gradually try to make yourself aware of:

• 5 Things You Can See:  For example, the table in front of you, the nice painting on the wall, the fridge magnet that your daughter made, the clear blue sky outside, and the leafy green tree across the road.
• 4 Things You Can Feel:  Once you’ve gotten in touch with five things you can see, then – while you continue breathing in through your nose, and out through your mouth – try to bring awareness to four things you can feel. For example, the chair that’s holding up your weight, your dress against your legs, the soft carpet beneath your feet, or a loose strand of hair brushing against your face.
• 3 Things You Can Hear:  Next, bring awareness to three things you can hear. For example, the ticking of a clock, a bird chirping outside, or the sound of your children playing in their bedroom.
• 2 Things You Can Smell:  Then, try to get in touch with two things you can smell. If you try but don’t find yourself able to smell anything, then try to summon up your two favorite smells. For example, the scent of freshly cut grass, or the aroma of a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
• 1 Emotion You Can Feel:  Lastly, be mindful of one emotion you can feel.

Put all together, this 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise is really helpful for when you’re trapped in the “depression fog” and sinking deeper and deeper. It does this by getting you out of your head and in touch with your surroundings – thereby creating some separation between you and your racing thoughts and thus calming you down. Not only that, but it can be used as a preventative exercise too, for the purpose of helping you relax a little bit before something difficult – such as a job interview you’re really nervous about, or meeting someone who’s capable of triggering your depression or anxiety.

2.  Grounding Exercise with Picture Frames
If you find yourself somewhere, where you cannot do a full mindfulness exercise, this is a strategy that works almost anywhere. Find a picture on the wall, or any rectangular framed objects, such as a mirror. In school, and office, classroom, or home, you will usually be able to find something. Walk over to the framed picture. Look at the framed object, and note  the four corners.  While breathing in through your nose slowly, and out through your mouth slowly, mentally count the four corners of the picture. Keep repeating until you find yourself feeling calmer.

3.  Give yourself a timeout
When you’re trapped in the “depression fog”, it’s extremely helpful if you can calm yourself down and put a stop to your racing thoughts. As an alternative to a grounding exercise, another effective way of achieving this is through relaxing self-care practices – for example, by going for a walk, getting lost in your favorite video game, playing with your dog, taking a hot bubble bath, listening to your favorite playlist, reading a good book, watching your favorite series on Netflix, or doing anything else that mellows you out.

4.  Journaling
When you feel yourself suffocated by negative thoughts, worry, fear, or any other difficult emotions associated with “depression fog”, then another way of dealing with them is to try to “release” them. This is not only extremely cathartic – and therefore likely to calm you down – but also, when you have a healthy way to release your pent-up emotions, you’re also able to distance yourself from them, which makes it much easier for you to be able to gain clarity over those thoughts and be able to work through them.

A great way to do this is by journaling. Start with a pen and a blank piece of paper, take a few deep breaths, and then, just write what you feel (you could type your thoughts up on a computer as well, but using a pen and paper is generally recommended since it doesn’t come with distractions like Facebook and your email). Like I said, the process of writing down your thoughts is likely to relax you a little bit, and by “getting them out there” instead of keeping them trapped inside your head, you’ll find it easier to sort them out and gain some control over them.

Write down your thoughts without editing. It’s been shown to be very cathartic.

5.  Talk to an emotion buddy or coach
Just like journalling, talking to someone who you feel comfortable with and trust can also be really cathartic when you’re experiencing “depression fog”. Not only that, but someone you’re close with can also give you a new perspective on the thoughts or the situation that you’re struggling with. This can be particularly helpful, because when you’re in the midst of “depression fog”, your perspective is often negatively distorted, so talking with someone can often result in you seeing things in a more positive or less catastrophic light.  Find one or two trusted people you can talk to in times of trouble.