<![CDATA[CELEBRATING LIFE TOGETHER!

FOUR THINGS YOU SHOULD DO WHEN YOU'RE DEPRESSED

It can be testing to get yourself to "snap out of it" when you're feeling depressed and pessimistic. But these tips can help put you on the road to recovery.

1. SUN.
Sunlight can help boost serotonin levels and improve your mood. Whenever possible, get outside during daylight hours and expose yourself to the sun for at least 15 minutes a day.

2. TALK.
Depression often causes one to avoid other people, but nothing could be worse than that. Don't hesitate to talk to someone about your concerns. Social interaction may be all the difference you need.

3. GROOM.
Grooming is a surprisingly healthy activity. According to experts, maintaining your daily routine—including hygiene and self-care habits—may be vital to staving off the worst of your depression. Feeling pristine is feeling serene.

4. IDENTITY.
Remember, you are not the disease. To fight it, you have to remember who or whose you are. Martin Luther King once said, "Darkness cannot fight darkness, only light can do." Similarly, the disease can't fight the disease; only the individual can do that.

Feeling some hope when you've been down is a breath of fresh air. The above suggestions will make that possible.

Fred Tokè aka Dr. Tokèmon