That sounds like a good plan. Exercise might help you sleep better as well. Could you go for a walk or bike-ride somewhere, take a book and a drink, and then just stay there the whole afternoon, to be out the house?

I found it helpful to write a self-care list, of simple things that keep my body and mind functioning - nutritious food, a comedy program to laugh at, meditation, a phone call with a supportive or fun friend, etc. Then the times when I feel terrible I don't have to try to think about what to change, I just have to say 'right, go back to the self-care list', and then I pick something on it that I've been missing out. It often lifts my mood or stabilises it, or at the least it makes me feel like I've done something useful, even if it's only a small thing.

And I don't think there's anything at all wrong with needing empathy as well as practical advice. Human beings naturally need empathy and emotional connection, and right now at home you're getting the opposite of that. If this forum can provide some I think that's a very valuable use for it.