Grapes are nutritious and delicious, however we are referring to the acronym G.R.A.P.E.S. commonly used to address and combat depression. Symptoms of depression often include having feelings of sadness, even hopelessness, and lack of motivation. During times of depression, it can be helpful to follow these guidelines with the help of the following acronym, and to practice these regularly to reduce the possibility of experiencing depressive symptoms.

•  G stands for being gentle with oneself. It is important to be forgiving of yourself and not to be hard on yourself when you are experiencing symptoms of depression. This is the time to have self compassion and practice resilience. You can do this by saying self affirmations, delegating some daily tasks, and taking more rest when you need it. Think of ways you can show yourself love and care.

• R stands for Relaxation. List some activities that you find relaxing. Each person’s idea of what is relaxing is unique.  You can try deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and/or grounding techniques like the 5 4 3 2 1 technique. Examples of these can be found at www.therapistaid.com.

• A is for accomplishment. It does not matter if your daily accomplishment is big or small depending on your perspective. All that matters is that it is done. Take pride that you made the bed, paid the bills on time, showed up to work, fed yourself healthy meals, even when you are struggling. It will get easier as time passes, but recognize your efforts and give yourself credit every day.

• P is for pleasure. When you are depressed you may not enjoy things that use to bring you joy. However, in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the technique of behavioral activation is simply doing the opposite of what you feel. So think of all the things and activities that bring you pleasure and do them anyway. This may be reading books, dancing, exercising or socializing. Whatever it may be, the act of repeatedly doing things that once made you feel happy will help you to feel better.

• E is for exercise. Try to move your body even if it’s for 10 minutes a day. Then try to slowly build up to 30 to 45 minutes daily doing body movement you enjoy whether it be yoga, biking, walking, dancing or even yard work.

• S is for social. When you are feeling depressed, it is common to isolate more. Therefore, it is that much more important that you make it a point to socialize weekly. If need be schedule it into your calendar as you would any other appointments. Then seek out friends and family either in person, or via live face time to catch up with each other.

Seeking therapy should be a priority for you when you are feeling depressed. Discuss the G.R.A.P.E.S. acronym with your therapist if you need additional support.