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Depression robs you of your zest for life.

When you are in a dark place you feel very weak and vulnerable. Nothing can seem to pull you out of this dark place.

A former client of mine described her experience with depression like this.

“At first, I feel I am fine, and then things happen that make me begin to feel like I am not coping so well. I begin to feel like I am drowning.

Then something else happens, which makes me feel like I am beginning to paddle the waters frantically, I can feel I am sinking but all my efforts do not seem to be helping the situation at all.

Then I begin to feel like the water is engulfing me almost like my situation is becoming hopeless and the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming dimmer and dimmer.

I feel like I keep popping my head out of the water occasionally to breathe, but eventually, I notice that I don’t even have the energy to even do that.

It feels like my situation is completely hopeless. At this stage, I lose the motivation to fight.

It’s like What’s the point? I will only always continue to fail, so why bother?

But strangely, If I don’t fight I fear that I will drown under the problems. But then If I fight I am still never able to overcome my problem. It’s a losing battle.”

Can you relate to this drowning sensation of depression?

The powerless feelings caused by depression can be likened to the freeze mode of the fight, flight or freeze stress reaction.

You might have heard about how rabbits freeze in the headlights of an oncoming car. It is as though they experience temporary paralysis of their muscles.

Do rabbits freeze because they had just resigned themselves to their faith? Seeing the speeding car coming, do they conclude that they can't hop fast enough so it is impossible to escape?

Sometimes, when you feel very low in mood, you can feel totally powerless like difficulties on top of you are more than you can cope with. You feel cornered in the headlights of catastrophe just like the rabbits.

At other times when you are not so low. You get those annoying “tingles” of joy that never last very long.

You know that tiny spec of joy leaves you with the sickening feeling that your life now is just about surviving.

You are not even able to enjoy the few good moments anymore because you keep living your life expecting depression to strike again

Where am I going with all this?

And what does this all have to do with "dramatically boosting your mood"

You see, the solution to overcoming depression is to...

"Do the exact opposite to what depression wants you to do."

"SAY WHAT!!! Where did that come from?

And how can you say that so boldly?"

Please bear with me, and I'll elaborate.

You see, a radical shift in your mindset is paramount if you are ever to have a chance of overcoming depression and experiencing more sustained happiness.

Depression wants you to spend your entire existence just surviving. This is no way for anyone to live. It just grinds you down and down until your life feels completely meaningless.

Constantly doing the opposite to what depression demands is the most radical move you can make in your fight against depression.

And in my 22 plus years of experience helping people win their battles against depression, I am yet to come across a move against depression that is as powerful and effective as this.

But, what does "doing the opposite to what depression wants" really mean?

Here's how to finally send depression packing with its tail between its legs (Hint... This is the simple mood booster)

Here's how you go against the demands of depression...

If depression wants you to lock yourself away and do nothing. Instead, you can keep yourself active by regularly engaging in enjoyable activities.

Depression wants you to think through every little mistake you've made. Instead, take copious notes of every achievement you make.

Depression wants you to believe that your small achievements are not important. Instead, savour every tiny bit of achievement no matter how small.

Depression wants you to isolate yourself from people because they won't understand. Instead find people who are kind-natured, people who make you feel uplifted, develop friendships with them and steal some of their joy.

Depression wants you to think that no one values you. Instead, pay more attention to those friends in your life who shower you with praise and appreciate you. Acknowledge that these friends find you valuable and pull people who care closer to you and cherish them.

Whenever you sense that familiar "low mood" feeling, think... What am I being moved to do? Once you get the answer, write down and do the exact opposite.

I know...

It sounds crazy. But it works wonders...

Why and how does this crazy strategy work?

Imagine that your brain is a muscle. And that depression is a result of that brain muscle breaking or spraining.

We know that one of the fastest ways to heal a broken leg or sprained muscle is to rest it and use it then rest it and use it...

You keep resting it and using it until it gets stronger and stronger.

Your brain requires that you do the same too. Don't fall for the trap of putting off reading that book just because you can't concentrate, or because you can't enjoy it.

Yes, it's a pain initially but if you persist, then rest and keep coming back to reading the book, you will keep strengthening your brain. And soon you'll find yourself being able to concentrate for longer and longer.

If you follow this pattern of doing the opposite to what depression wanted to do for every single thing, you will soon find that you are able to maintain a consistent happy mood even though it felt completely impossible before.

How to dramatically boost your mood even without medication or therapy

I want you to get a pen and paper.

Then go back and read the examples above on how to do the opposite things to what depression wants. After this, I want you to survey your experiences and compile a list of all the similar things and conquer each one.

Rest whenever you need to but always come back to whacking depression with your determination. Do this for long enough, and I promise you.

Nothing on earth will have the power to hold back the burst of joy and happiness that will be radiating from every part of you.

And remember...

Always...

"Do the exact opposite to what depression wants you to do."