A clear morning sky, a newborn baby’s eyes … “blues” like these won’t ever get you down. Not so the blue-tinged moods that most of us get hit with from time to time. Now there’s surprising new evidence that little things you do every day have the power to keep you from getting stuck down in the dumps and let you take control of your emotional and physical health. Some very straightforward moves may help you leave your not-feeling-it, don’t-want-to-talk-about-it, think-I-might-just-go-back-to-sleep (or grab a big plate of fries!) moodiness. We’re talking about strategies like overriding negative thoughts, skipping the “blue plate” special at your local drive-thru and shutting the bedroom shades tonight. They’re important, because avoiding even mild or temporary depression does more than improve your outlook; it helps you sidestep added risks for fatal heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and premature cell-aging.
One Big Alert: Chronic, relentless depression — whether severe or mild — calls for extra steps to ease the lousy feelings. So if for two weeks or more you have trouble concentrating and your zest for life’s gone missing, have trouble sleeping or sleep too much, lose or gain weight, don’t try to manage your moods on your own. Talk to a doctor about getting therapy and medical treatment. Clinical depression is a physical ailment, not a matter of attitude. As with any illness, the smart move is to get the best care possible.
