17 ways to lift your spirit

INCLUDEPICTURE http//www.rd.com/images/story/spacer.gif MERGEFORMATINET Small changes to put a smile back on your face INCLUDEPICTURE http//www.rd.com/images/story/spacer.gif MERGEFORMATINET From HYPERLINK http//www.rdstore.com/affiliatehome.cfmaffcodeRDSTR1pid2307trkidrdcom_article t new Stealth Health INCLUDEPICTURE http//www.rd.com/images/story/spacer.gif MERGEFORMATINET Banish the Blues INCLUDEPICTURE http//www.rd.com/images/content/stealthhealth/SHdepression.gif MERGEFORMATINET There comes a point in all of our lives when we come to a stark realization Life sometimes isnt very fun. The realities of day-to-day existence are challenging, and setbacks common. Life may have been an eye-opening adventure in our youth, our teens, even our 20s, but as time passes, the glee of living gets harder to sustain. Most of us cope just fine with this fact. With age, exuberance and excitement get replaced by a more subtle but deeper joy. We have families we love, jobs that are meaningful, friends that care, hobbies and vacations that provide real pleasure, accumulated wisdom that gives us a sense of value and uniqueness. But rare is the person who doesnt encounter times of major loss or challenge along the way. And for millions of people, the path of life occasionally takes us through the dark regions of depression. Often it is a negative event, or a sequence of events, that triggers this condition. Sometimes it is a shift in our attitudes -- from a life half-full to a life half-empty -- that brings it on. And sometimes it is body chemistry itself -- an imbalance in the chemicals of the brain that deprives you of the feel-good hormones and casts a long shadow on your moods and emotions. Depression is a serious condition, demanding a doctors treatment. Here we arent trying to give you a diagnosis or treatment -- thats for professionals to do. But even if you are taking medication for depression, the following lifestyle tactics may increase the drugs effectiveness. If