Everyone has sad days.  Everyone has times when things are really tough.  You may not be experiencing clinical depression, but you can definitely feel yourself getting pretty down.  On this page, we've put together some suggestions to help ward off the blues.

Don't stay in bed

It's best to get up and on with your normal day as soon as you wake up - whether this is going to work, school or university, or meeting up friends or family.  If you are based at home, it may help to go outside for a while and engage in some physical activity (such as walking to get the newspaper).  Avoid napping during the day, as it upsets your body clock and makes it harder to fall asleep at night.  

Meet with friends

Even though you may not feel like socialising, it's important that you continue to talk to your family and friends.  Phone them to talk, or organise to meet them for a social event, such as going to a movie.  If you remain isolated, there's a greater risk of you developing depression.

Keep active

Plan everyday to do at least one activity that you would normally find enjoyable, interesting, relaxing or satisfying (this may be reading, listening to music, watching movies, going to the beach or a park, gardening, taking part in sports, or seeing friends).  These activities are important in overcoming the blues.  At first you might not find them as enjoyable as you normally would, but if you persist, the enjoyment will eventually return.

Deal with the stress in your life

If you feel yourself getting stressed about something, take time out.  Go for a walk, play sports, let off some steam.  You might want to learn some breathing exercises or take up meditation.

Keep your eyes open

If you start feeling worse, or you've been feeling miserable for more than two weeks, you may be experiencing depression.  It's important that you act early and let someone know how you're feeling.  For more information see the about depression and anxiety section of this website.  There you can find interactive checklists which are used to diagnose depression and more about the types of help and treatments available.