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Prevention is the key. Do something early. Don’t wait until the depressed feelings are great. Learn to recognize when you are going down and do some of the following early:

• Get out of bed as close to your regular time as possible and get dressed.

• Even though you may not feel like it, work at making your physical appearance as nice as possible.

• Maintain an adequate and regular diet.

• Perform a physical activity daily. (walk briskly for 30 minutes alone or with a friend.)

• Ensure adequate rest and sleep.

• Break up your usual routine.

(Take a different route to work. Eat something new for lunch at a different time and place than usual.)

• Talk your feelings over with someone you trust and respect and/ or write a letter to someone you like.

• Seek out people who are positive and avoid those who are currently having emotional and or/situational problems.

• Don’t be afraid to cry.

• Focus your energy on someone besides yourself.

• Drink as little alcohol and take as few tranquilizers and sleeping pills as possible.

• Plan one activity you know you can complete for each day. Choose one you know you are good at (baking a cake, mowing the lawn, ironing, or washing the car.)

• Say 10 times an hour, “I’m not going crazy, but I am feeling depressed.”

• Follow this by saying, “How I feel is OK. I’m in control of what I do.”

• Go to church; meditate.

• Visit your doctor and be honest about how you are feeling.

• Make a list of the reasons you are feeling down. Then list options you have to handle each of your reasons.

Rank your options. If suicide is on your list, you are at least listing all your options. But if it is high in your ranking, then run, don’t walk, to your nearest mental health clinic or doctor.

• Remember, there is hope! Depression is very treatable and the hopeless feelings you are feeling will not last forever.

• Don’t punish yourself by listing all the reasons you’re bad, wearing something you hate, calling someone you can’t stand, cooking something you don’t like or doing something you know will make you feel more depressed.