10. Have a hobby

Maintaining a positive mental attitude isn't always easy, but your outlook can help you relieve stress. Serious mental illness - such as thoughts of suicide - requires professional intervention. But many people can improve their mood, and achieve a good balance, by immersing themselves in enjoyable activities such as hobbies (collecting, reading), exercising, volunteering or making time to see friends. "There are a lot of things we don't have control over, so we need to find ways to cope," said Gene Maran, MD, a psychiatrist on the Backus Medical Staff. "Picking up a hobby or interest is good. You need something to wake up to and look forward to every day."

Fast fact

As many as 1 in 10 adults will suffer from depression in any given year, resulting in a healthcare cost of more than $83 billion a year.
Source: National Institutes of Health

Web extra:

Volunteer at the hospital.