We’ve all seen that red battery icon on our phones. That warning that it’s time to conserve energy and recharge. If you live with depression, you know that feeling intimately. Some days, you wake up already running on 10%, and the charger feels impossibly far away. The problem? When depression hits hardest, that’s exactly when it becomes most difficult to remember what actually helps. Your brain gets foggy. Making decisions feels overwhelming. Even simple tasks seem impossible. This is why creating a Low Battery Plan during your better moments can save you during your harder ones.
What Is a Low Battery Plan?
A Low Battery Plan is basically a personalized guide you make for yourself when you’re thinking clearly. It removes the burden of having to figure things out when depression makes everything feel impossible. Think of it as leaving breadcrumbs for your future self. A compassionate roadmap that says, “I know this is hard. Here’s what might help.”
Unlike generic self-care advice you see everywhere, this plan is tailored specifically to you. What you need. What has actually worked in the past.
Why You Need This Plan
Depression has a cruel way of erasing our memory of what helps. You might know logically that a shower makes you feel better, but when you’re deep in it, that knowledge just disappears. You forget that talking to your friend usually lifts your mood. That taking your medication at the right time makes a difference.
A Low Battery Plan becomes your external memory when your internal one stops working. It makes decisions when every choice feels paralyzing. It’s a gentle guide that doesn’t judge where you are. And it’s proof that you’ve gotten through this before.
Creating Your Low Battery Plan
Identify Your Warning Signs
Start by recognizing the early signals that you’re entering a depressive episode. Maybe you’re sleeping way more than usual. Or you can’t sleep at all. You start canceling plans or leaving messages unread. Getting out of bed feels like moving a boulder. You’re more irritable or just feel nothing. Food tastes like cardboard or you can’t stop eating. The shower seems like a marathon. The negative thoughts get louder.
Write down your personal warning signs. When you notice two or three of them showing up, that’s your cue to pull out your plan.
Create Tiered Tasks Based on Energy Levels
Not all low battery days are the same. Think about creating three categories for yourself.
When you’re at 10 to 30 percent battery, you’re in crisis mode. These are the absolute basics, survival tasks only. Take your medication. Drink one glass of water. Eat something, anything, and keep a list of easy options ready. Reach out to one person, even if it’s just a text. Have your crisis resources listed where you can see them with phone numbers and contacts.
At 30 to 60 percent battery, you’re functioning but depleted. You can do slightly more, but still need simplicity. Maybe you can complete basic hygiene, even if it’s just washing your face. Try to get outside for five minutes or sit by a window. Do one gentle movement like stretching or a short walk. Connect with someone briefly. Engage in a low energy comfort activity, and make sure you’ve listed your favorites ahead of time.
When you’re at 60 to 80 percent battery, you’re managing, but it still takes effort. Follow your normal routine as much as possible. Attend therapy or your support group. Do a fuller self-care activity. Tackle one small task that’s been weighing on you. Practice a coping skill you’ve learned in therapy.
List Your Actual Helpful Resources
Be specific here. Don’t just write “call a friend.” Write “Text Jordan because she always responds with kindness” or “Call Mom between 7 and 9pm when she’s usually free” or “Message my therapist through the portal.”
Make sure you include supportive people’s names and how to reach them. Crisis numbers like 988 or your local crisis line. Your therapist’s emergency protocol. Things that bring you comfort, like specific music playlists, shows that help, books that ground you. The grounding techniques that have actually worked for you before, not just the ones you read about online.
Prepare Your Environment
When you’re having a decent day, set yourself up for the harder ones. Stock your kitchen with foods that require zero effort. Protein bars, crackers, fruit cups, anything you can eat without cooking. Keep water bottles everywhere. Make a “comfort box” with things that help your senses feel better. Lay out clean clothes so you don’t have to dig through laundry. Write little notes to yourself and stick them where you’ll see them. Load up a playlist of songs that help or download some guided meditations. Make sure soap and shampoo are within arm’s reach of your bed if possible.
Add Self-Compassion Reminders
This might honestly be the most important part. Write down things like “You’ve survived every low battery day before this one.” Or “Doing one small thing is enough.” Maybe “Depression lies. Your brain is not telling you the truth right now.” How about “You don’t need to be productive to be worthy” or “This feeling is temporary, even when it doesn’t feel that way.” Sometimes you just need “It’s okay to just survive today.”
Include What NOT to Do
Sometimes knowing what to avoid is just as helpful. Don’t make major life decisions right now. Don’t let yourself isolate completely for more than a day. Don’t spend time with people or content that makes you feel worse. And definitely don’t believe everything that harsh inner critic is telling you.
Sample Low Battery Plan Template
Your plan might look something like this. Start with your warning signs. List the specific things you notice when depression is creeping in. Then add your support team with your therapist’s name, contact info, and emergency protocol. Include trusted friends and family with their names and the best times to reach them.
For your 10 to 30 percent battery actions, keep it simple. Drink water, eat something specific that you’ve listed as easy, or text that specific person you trust. At 30 to 60 percent battery, add in showering or washing your face, going outside for five minutes, doing your comfort activity, and connecting with that specific person. Then list the things that usually help you. Be very specific to your own experience, not what you think should help. Add your self-compassion reminders that speak to you personally.
Making Your Plan Work
Keep it accessible. Put copies everywhere. Your phone, bedside table, bathroom mirror, even in your wallet. Review it regularly. Update your plan every few months or after episodes when you learn something new about what helps. Share it with someone. Let a trusted person know where it is so they can remind you to use it if you need them to. Practice using it. Don’t wait for a crisis. Try following your plan on a medium difficulty day so it feels familiar when you really need it. Be flexible. If something on the list feels impossible, skip to the next thing. This plan is a tool, not a test you can fail.
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
Creating a Low Battery Plan is an act of self-compassion. It’s a way of taking care of your future self when they need it most. But this plan works best when you’re also getting ongoing therapy and support.
If you’re struggling with depression and would like help creating your personalized plan or exploring what treatment could look like for you, we’re here. Therapy can give you the tools, insights, and support that make these low battery days more manageable and less frequent. You deserve support. You deserve compassion. And you deserve to have a plan that meets you exactly where you are. Reach out to us today and we’ll help you get set up with the best therapist on our team for you.
