Beat depression: Leave phone, step out, eat well, pray, be kind.

Don’t Let Depression Win: How to Take Control of Your Mental Health

Americans, You Don’t Have to Be Miserable

A new Gallup poll reveals that nearly one in three U.S. adults have been diagnosed with depression at least once in their lifetime, with almost 18% receiving treatment. These rates are the highest recorded by Gallup since it began measuring depression in 2015. But there is hope.

Big Pharma’s Solutions Aren’t Working

Antidepressants are being prescribed more than ever, but a groundbreaking study published in Molecular Psychiatry journal last summer exposed them as having scarcely more effect than placebos. Instead, it’s possible that the problem lies in our circumstances and our approach to them.

Take Control of Your Mental Health

There are a whole range of options available to depressed Americans that don’t involve gambling on Big Pharma to engineer a magic pill. Here are some ways to take control of your mental health:

• Limit screen time and spend more time outside
• Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly
• Perform acts of kindness
• Find faith and spirituality

Living well requires eating well, and eating well means running away from deadly processed food. A study of more than 10,000 adults found that participants who ate ultra-processed foods were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Another study found a correlation between an ultra-processed diet and lower cognitive function. On the other hand, a healthy diet combined with regular exercise is a winning combination.

At the same time, kindness is a virtue. Researchers at The Ohio State University found that small and simple acts of kindness were the best out of three depression remedies they tested. “Acts of kindness” was defined as “big or small acts that benefit others or make others happy, typically at some cost to you in terms of time or resources,” and was found most effective.

But beyond diet and self-awareness, Americans ought to have faith. A study by a Columbia University psychologist found spirituality and religion can act as a psychic armor to protect individuals from depression by thickening the brain cortex. Among adults who reported placing a high importance on religion or spirituality, 76% were less likely to suffer from a major depressive episode.

Don’t let depression win. Take control of your mental health today.

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected].