Weapons to Help You Win the Battle Against Depression

Has the depressed economy ended up depressing you? Even though most of us have a lot to be thankful for, it seems like we all fall occasionally into that nasty pit of depression that seems to drag on, and on, and on. For serious depression - the kind that gives you suicidal thoughts, or ideas for harming someone else - you need to get immediate attention from a health professional, but milder cases can often be banished by using one or more of the tools listed below.

1. Walking or running your depression off.

Unless you are physically handicapped, you can walk, and maybe even run or jog. Walking is one of the best ways I know to overcome a low mood. If the weather permits, try to walk or run outside. If it is stormy, head for Wal-Mart, or K-Mart. By the time you walk up and down their aisles a few times, you will have clocked quite a distance.

I recently heard about a lady in our town that had lost her sister. Even after a year, she was still grieving so deeply that it was affecting her parenting as well as her relationship with her husband.

Finally, she started jogging for a few minutes each day, not to forget about her sister, but to think about all the good times they had shared together. Soon, she was jogging more than a few minutes each day, and her grieving had eased a bit. She found that she could actually leave it behind when she returned from her jogging and give her attention to family matters and other things.

(In this particular case, the jogging turned into a totally new hobby. This local lady is logging quite a few miles a week now and daring to dream of running an actual marathon this summer.)

2. Try music to soothe depression.

Christy Lane's, One Day at a Time, CD got me through a bad time several years ago. I would turn that music on and go about my housework as the words sank deeply into my soul. Today, those words still pop into my head whenever I face a difficult decision or problem in my life.

You may choose something other than Christy Lane. Maybe Elvis is your thing, or Bing, or Reba. The important thing is to choose something that is uplifting as it speaks to you.

Singing along, no matter what artist you choose, is helpful, too.

You might want to avoid the Blues, or a country Western that goes on and on about how bad life is or how there isn't a shred of hope left in the world. We want to be lifted up, not stomped even further into the ground.

3. Get involved in a new project.

I've found that a half-finished project from some former time in my life is not the best thing to bring me out of a depression. Instead, I look for something I've never done before. Something that will force me to give it my full attention.

If you've never tried pottery making, maybe you could sign up for a class at your local community college or the senior center in your area. (Did you know that a lot of senior centers allow you to take classes there even if you are not a senior citizen? Give them a call and find out what they have to offer.)

I once took a class on how to play the harmonica. My father played one when I was little, but he gave up on trying to teach me how. Anyway, I took a class with a friend and we giggled together like young school girls as we huffed and puffed, trying to get something out of our harmonicas that sounded even a tiny bit like music.

Maybe gardening, building a fence, adopting a pet from the local animal shelter, or joining a writer's group will be just the thing to send that depression on its way.

4. Work in the yard to overcome depression.

You might want to skip this suggestion if you already do a lot of yard work, but any kind of hard work is a good remedy for depression. If you do try yard work, see if you can include something other than just the ordinary mowing, or weed pulling. Buy a few blooming plants to spread around, or create an herb or rock garden in a special section of your yard. If you like to watch birds, put up a bird feeder near a window.

5. Have lunch with a friend. (Preferably one who is not depressed).

This is an old standby, but it still works well. Call a friend and suggest a new place to meet for lunch. Try something you have never tried before. Maybe not roasted snails, but a visit to a Mongolian Grill would be fun, especially if you haven't tried one yet. You get to gather the food you want in a huge bowl, lots of veggies, meat, and sauces, and then watch your meal being cooked on a huge metal grill. Yum.

When you meet with your friend, try not to talk about how depressed you are. I know from experience that depression is a very common topic of conversation, but avoid it like the plague. I once read some advice from a marriage counselor who supposedly told a women who didn't love her husband anymore to act like she did. She was to greet him warmly when he came home from work, bake special treats for him, hold his hand at the movies, etc. A few months later, she reported that she had fallen in love again. Remember, I'm not talking about serious clinical depression here-the kind that needs medical assistance, but just the everyday type of depression that comes and goes, but manages to affect our moods and make us miserable while it stays. Suppose we act as though we are not depressed, and see what happens?

6. Write a prayer letter to God to ask His help in overcoming depression.

This is one of my favorite ways to overcome a bout of mild depression. I sit at my computer and just pour it all out to God. Even if you aren't very religious, this can do wonders for you.

In the letter I usually tell God just how I am feeling, and ask Him to help me. Before long, I run out of things to say about my feelings so I start asking Him to take care of my loved ones, to help me become a better person, to be with those who have the responsibility of taking care of our world, etc.

Usually, I end up with tears running down my face, but that's okay. Sometimes, I think tears can be a good thing, don't you?

Anyway, I always feel better after a visit with God. Since He made me in the first place, who better to help me out when something starts going wrong inside of me?

7. Planning a surprise for someone else can help you overcome depression.

Most people love to be surprised-especially if the surprise is something they really want but don't have the time or money to secure it for themselves.

My son-in-law works long hours driving a truck and with all the loading and unloading of products that he does in a week, he certainly doesn't feel like doing yard work when he does have a day off. My daughter and her children decided the time had come last week, to surprise Dad with a front yard makeover. It was a job that had been frequently discussed, but, as yet, had never come to pass.

Early last Friday morning, my daughter and her "crew" went to work with shovels, wheelbarrow, hoes, a pick, etc. and attacked the old yard. They didn't quite get the job finished, but when dad arrived home late that afternoon, he was greeted with a front yard that now had the weeds removed, a small but brand-new retaining wall along the front sidewalk, and a flowerbed, complete with Azalea plants ready to burst into bloom under the front window.

The feeling you get when you surprise someone will uplift the spirits of everyone involved.

8. Become an Associated Content writer.

I'm not joking. Writing for Associated Content, or writing for anyone is a great way to fight depression. Just think, you can write your heart out, about anything you want to write about, know that people care enough about what you have to say to invest a few minutes reading your articles, and get paid to boot. What a deal!

When you write, no matter what subject you choose, you are, for a time, transported into the world of whatever you are writing about. If you are depressed, try writing about things that make you happy. If the economy is depressing you because you can no longer afford the vacation of your dreams, write about places you would like to visit.

If your children have some traits you are proud of, write an article telling how to develop good traits in children. If your husband has a fascinating hobby, share it in an article on Associated Content.

Those are my best and least expensive suggestions for chasing depression. I hope one or more of them will be helpful to you. The important thing about run-of-the-mill cases of depression is that they are usually fleeting. If you learn to keep busy with something else when they hit, you'll find they pass much more quickly, and, who knows, you may have added a new hobby or activity to your life because of it.