A year ago, I consulted a psychiatrist because I was severely depressed. At one point, I thought about ending my own life. Then of course, I was lucky enough to have discovered Buddhism.

Buddhism has taught me about impermanence. Meaning, even sadness is temporary. Moment to moment, our emotions change. And the key to lasting happiness is to know that there are times when we are up and there are times that we are down. The key then is to understand that when we have problems, it is only temporary. Sooner or later, as soon as we just concentrate on a solution and not lose hope, we will find a way out of our problems.

There is something called relative happiness which is based on the environment or on the realization of your wishes. And there is something called absolute happiness which comes from within. It is a state of happiness that is all encompassing. Whether you have problems or not, you can remain on top of things if you have an unwavering spirit of determination to overcome whatever life throws in your way. And being in this state takes practice, effort and wisdom.

Here are a few tips on how to fight off depression. These tips come from personal experience.

1. Get enough sleep- I used to sleep only three hours a day. And my sleep quality was really bad when I do get extended periods of sleep. Having enough sleep keeps your mind balanced and makes your body well rested.

IF you have problems sleeping, you can take a sleeping aid such as melatonin for a few weeks. Usually I just drink ten or twelve melatonin pills the same time everyday. You must take take it the same time in order to remind your body and your mind to sleep at that particular time. Sooner or later your body would find its regular sleep pattern again.

Also, taking a bath before you sleep relaxes the body. Make sure you massage your body for total relaxation.

Avoid watching television before you go to sleep. You can read but read light reading materials such as a magazine.

2. Eat well- A healthy body equals a healthy mind.

3. Have at least one spiritual practice- It’s important to have at least one spiritual practice to keep your mind centered and to tame your mind. When you are depressed, you tend to keep thinking about the same thing over and over again. It’s like the mind is stuck in that state. To elevate your mood and to keep the mind unstuck you have to either meditate, chant or do yoga.

What I do to keep my depression at bay is to chant. It helps to still my mind.

4. Socialize- I never liked people when I was depressed. I would isolate myself. But I realized that if you isolate yourself, you tend to put more firewood to the fire so to speak. When you are depressed, call a friend or go out to the mall. It would help you keep things in perspective. Know that you are never alone. Everyone has problems. No one in the world is spared of problems. But most of the people don’t waste their time in self-pity. They go on with their lives.

It also helps to talk to a friend about what is bothering you. But mostly, it would be best though to keep your mind off your depression by just having a nice chit-chat with a friend. Soon enough your mood will change.

5. Help people- When you help others,  you become less selfish. The thing is, depressed people tend to be self-indulgent. I used to be self-indulgent. I was afraid that I would lose my identity or individuality if I would stop to think about my life and my problems.

But when you see others who are less fortunate than you are, but who are coping with their problems just fine, you will realize how silly your sadness really is.

And true happiness is never selfish.

6. Travel- It keeps you from being trapped in your own mind .

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