Ever get depressed, down or in an emotional rut? Me too. Here are 7 steps that helped me achieve a better state of mind and an improved lifestyle.

1. Sunlight and/or brighter indoor lighting can improve mood. My grandmother of 89 had a dramatic improvement in mood and general feeling of health and vigor after my father installed bright lights in her living area. Brighter lights impact mood substantially. See seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
2. Cold showers have shown improvements in mood.
3. Vitamin D may successfully treat both seasonal and various other causes of depression. I cocktailed D3 and K2 (about 4K IU daily for the D3) and it was a shocking boost to my mood. If you're not already on meds, you're ahead of the game largely because you need not worry about interactions. D is powerful stuff.
4. Prayer sets the mind on a good path, thus eliminating many causes of depression. Others say meditation. But, I find my faith completely and dramatically changes my world view, which in turn dramatically changes my behavior, snowballing into dramatic changes in outcome. Move forward, get down on your knees and thank God for this day, and realize what a treasure it is that you can choose to live this day to the fullest. Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
5. Spend time, lots of it, with people you love to improve your mental state. It's biological. We're social creatures, geared to feed on interactions. It's better to sit and talk to someone you love and respect for 2 hours than to study or work for the same time. But, compound hard work (see #6) with familial love and you'll see the catalyst each can be.
6. Work hard and enjoy the blessings. A content heart and the comforts that come from hard work are its yield.
7. Set and live by a rigorous schedule. Schedules help people focus on productive things, productivity leads to confidence, success and resolve. These contribute to right mind, and the right minded are always happy because they live the realization of this miracle we call life.