Regular check-ins with friends
A standing group chat or text that asks how you actually are
Two or three trusted friends who message each other on purpose, not only when something is wrong: a group chat with an agreed signal for a bad day, or a recurring text between two people who have been through similar things. The habit is the asking, and the agreement that the honest answer is allowed. It costs nothing, and people tend to mention it alongside therapy rather than instead of it.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Dwayne JohnsonDoes it
Actor and former WWE champion · The Rock
When a third depressive stretch arrived around 2017 he recognized it and, in his words, leaned on friends, telling them he was feeling wobbly and seeing gray instead of blue. He credits that to having learned what it was; in college and after his divorce he had no name for it and kept quiet.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter: Dwayne Johnson Says He's Had Multiple Bouts of Depression - Michael PhelpsDoes it
Olympic swimmer · Most decorated Olympian in history
Leans on a group chat of male friends. When someone is spiraling, they send a rollercoaster emoji, and he says the check-in texts have arrived at important moments, sometimes for him and sometimes for the others.
Source: Fortune: Michael Phelps does these 5 things every day to be his 'best self' - Simon SinekRecommends
Author · Start with WHY
His site describes a text reading do you have eight minutes as a code between him and the chef Christina Tosi. Eight minutes is short enough that any of us can pause a movie or step out of a meeting, he says. That is the point of picking that number.
Source: The Optimism Company: The Incredible Power of an Eight-Minute Catch-Up with a Friend
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under stress.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 17 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily walking
A long walk most days, often without headphones
On record from 19 of 62 tracked people: 14 do it, 5 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Journaling
Writing to unload the mind, usually first thing or last thing
On record from 14 of 62 tracked people: 13 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Gratitude practice
Writing down a few specific things you are grateful for, daily
On record from 13 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it, 3 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.