Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Things You’ll Need:
- Shower
- Clothes
- Breakfast
- Walking Shoes
Step1
If it is morning, get up. Take a shower. Get dressed. Eat a small breakfast. Do not turn on any sad music or depressing TV.
Step2
Get out. Head to the nearest thrift store. Greet the person at the counter. Rummage through the store yourself, and try to strike up a conversation with any friendly customers. Look for an opportunity to help a large family by contributing a few dollars toward their purchase. You could accomplish this indirectly, if you wish, by arranging with the counter person to help with their purchase after you leave.
Step3
Head out to a big discount store where you can buy bakery goods. Buy a few dozen chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies. Leave them in the original store package. Bring them to the reception desk at a nearby large retirement home and/or soup kitchen and tell the person in charge that you would like to donate them to the patrons there.
Step4
Eat lunch out somewhere, be kind to your server, and pay attention to the activity of the people around you. Leave a more generous tip than you are accustomed to.
Step5
Go home and look up the phone number, address or email of a friend that you haven't seen in some time. Write or try to contact them to see how they are doing.
Step6
Go outside and take a brisk walk around you neighborhood, at a nearby park, or at a mall if it's raining. Be alert to the people and children around you, and be prepared to smile and exchange pleasantries with anyone that you are able to make eye contact with.
Step7
By this time you will have experienced bursts of joy, which are very good medicine indeed! Write about your experiences in a journal, and begin to brainstorm future activities along the same lines. Meanwhile, each day get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and look forward to your adventures that day, that will involve giving of yourself to other people.
Enthusiast 
Comments
wytetyger059 said
on 8/20/2008 Very good advice. I have pets, so first thing I do is feed them and take them out. Getting up and dressed is a major part of conquering depression. Helping others is a great suggestion. And I love the thrift store idea.
LilacGirl said
on 7/30/2008 This is a wonderful inspiring article. I love all your suggestions, and agree with you that helping others can lift your mood a lot.
vallain said
on 7/19/2008 What great advice. Moping around in your jammies will only contribute to feelings of depression. Getting out, helping others, tuning in to even small moments of feeling good... these are sure to help one feel better.
luv2blog said
on 6/21/2008 Great advice. When I'm depressed, I tend to concentrate on other people and their problems. Forgetting my own problems relieves the depression and the above tips are indeed helpful.
heatherschulte said
on 5/8/2008 What an interesting article. I was just telling a friend today that the best cure for being sad or depressed is to look outside yourself and see what you can do for others. Great tips. Thank you for writing this.