First of all, I want to start by saying that depression can be an incredibly serious illness. Nothing listed in this article is to take the place of the advice or medications as prescribed by a qualified physician. What we will attempt to do in this article is simply provide some things you can do yourself to hopefully overcome the symptoms of depression without having to resort to prescription drugs. If you cannot, do NOT feel like a failure…sometimes the illness of depression requires taking more serious action so heed your doctor's advice at all times.

I think just about everyone feels depressed at one time or another. Perhaps you don't get the promotion you were counting on at work, or you were struck down with an illness that makes you feel hopeless, or any of a number of other things derail you making you feel that life somehow just isn't fair and you become sad and overall depressed. This is certainly common because of the events mentioned above, but for some of us, these symptoms come on suddenly often not even associated with any specific event at all. Depression can strike without warning and zap your interest in activities you used to love or even life in general. If you notice yourself not reacting positively to things you used to love and feeling like you just don't want to do or become involved in anything at all, you may be feeling the symptoms of depression. If you notice these signs yourself, the thing you NEED to do is take action immediately. Below is a list of some things that may help you bounce back to your old self.

o Exercise - If you are down, then get up and get active! Physical exercise has shown to be incredibly effective at curing the symptoms of depression. Set a realistic goal for your workout and hit it and this sense of accomplishment will do wonders for your outlook.

o Check your diet - Unhealthy eating, especially a diet high in sugar and processed flour has actually been linked to depression in some folks. If your diet resembles the menu of a local bakery, it may be time for an eating overhaul.

o Skip the drink - Alcohol is a depressant not to mention it is toxic to your body. If you are looking to kick the blues, then start by kicking the booze!

o Give meditation a try - Sometimes the stresses of our daily life can be just too much too bear and if we just had a break to allow our mind to rest and relax, we could get rid of this negative energy that can often lead to a depressed. Meditation can be the perfect answer to help you relieve this stress.

o Get your 8 hours EVERY night - Sometimes we become sleep deprived and we don't even know it. If your body has not had enough sleep, then you can bet it will catch up with you. Sometimes the symptoms you may be feeling that mimic depression may simply be because your body is exhausted. Try to make sure you get enough sleep every night as regularity is really the key here.

o Make a list of things to be grateful for - Listen, sometimes it is hard to see depending on what we have going on in our life, but there is always someone out there who has it worse than us. If you put down on paper the things you have in your life that you are grateful for it can help put your mindset into perspective. Your family, your job, maybe a skill that you posses, put it all down. Keep this list with you and refer to it whenever you are feeling down.

I want to reiterate how serious depression can be. The tips above can and do help some who put them to use. The key thing is to do SOMETHING. If you are proactive and take action at the first signs of depression, then you can overcome it and come out on top!

http://www.M2FitnessPros.com , aka, Emile Jarreau is 31 year veteran fitness professional and co-owner of MrFatloss.com in Long Beach, California. Also having 19 years of bodybuilding and figure coaching experience, he specializes in fat loss and all its aspects and freely shares online resources to the world.