How to ‘Get Through This Night’ With YouTube Sensation Daniel Howell

By
Amy Morin, LCSW

Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," and the host of The Verywell Mind Podcast.

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Amy Morin, LCSW
Published on May 24, 2021
Daniel Howell

Verywell / Julie Bang

Every Monday onThe Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews experts, authors, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life.

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Meet Daniel Howell

Daniel Howell is a comedian and entertainer whose videos have attracted over 1 billion views on YouTube. He’s also an award-winning host of a BBC radio show.

He’s written several New York Times bestselling books, including The Amazing Book is Not on Fire and Dan and Phil Go Outside.

His newest book, You Will Get Through This Night, isn’t funny, however. It takes a close look at the strategies and coping skills that can help people deal with the uncomfortableemotionsthat often crop up at night.

Why Daniel Howell Is Mentally Strong

Daniel’s entertaining videos helped him gain millions of social media followers. His followers expected his content to be funny. Sharing his personal story about his struggles with mental illness was a risk—but it was one that he was willing to take.

He created a video to talk about his depression and bravely shared his story with the world. He explained how he was able to keep his depression hidden beneath his funny exterior. Then, he decided to write a book about the coping skills and strategies that helped him in hopes it may help his audience as well.

What You’ll Hear on the Show

  • Why night time is so difficult for so many people
  • Why Daniel decided to share his struggles with mental health
  • The best strategy for dealing with the uncomfortable feelings that arise when you can’t distract your mind with your usual activities
  • How to get through tomorrow after a bad night
  • Strategies that will help you become mentally healthier over time
  • The strategy Dan uses to keep his anxiety at bay at night
  • Why we self-sabotage
  • Why routine is so important
  • Why some people are really good at hiding their mental health struggles
  • What Dan learned when he made a video detailing hisdepression

What You’ll Learn About Depression and Mental Strength

Night time can be the hardest part of the day. There aren’t any distractions and it’s just you and your mind.

Whether you can’t shut off your brain or you are feel so anxious you can’t sleep, problems often feel worse at 2 a.m.

Sometimes people feel pressure to hide their depression because they fear that other people will view them as weak.

But, in reality, it takes incredible mental strength to get help for a mental health problem, especially depression.

If you’re depressed, your brain will tell you that you’re never going to feel better. It will try to convince you to hide your feelings and mask your symptoms. It may even tell you that there’s no hope for you to ever feel better.

But those thoughts aren’t true. And learning how to address unhelpful thoughts, cope with uncomfortable feelings and take positive action is the key to becoming the strongest and best version of yourself.

Quotes From Daniel

One of the realizations that I've had in the recent years of my life is that there is so much that every single person should know about how their minds work, how their emotions work, and what they can do to improve their own mental health.

—
  • Mental health is a universal human experience. It's not just something that people have and struggle with.
  • When your head hits the pillow and everything else falls away, it's just you and your mind. There is this reckoning moment of honesty with yourself when there's nothing else—no excuses, no distractions.
  • We all have this ability toself-sabotagethat comes naturally to humans. And it's us trying to defend ourselves from a place of fear where we assume the worst.
  • If you commit to a routine, eventually it becomes second nature. The hardest part is starting.
  • People can function and show absolutely no signs that they're struggling with mental health.
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