Some steps that have worked for me, and many of my associates over the years:

1. Turn off the TV. Seriously, just don't watch it. Instead, get your news source from print media - the Web, or newspapers. Or, just forget about the news for a while, and catch up occasionally. Daily news intake is guaranteed depression. Remove that source for immediate relief.

2. Leave the city. Most modern cities are designed to keep their occupants trapped in a hell-hole of epic proportions. They're not designed to make you happy - they're designed to keep the economics of the society in motion. We are not evolved to live in boxes, one on top of the other - this is a new development which we are still responding to, genetically. Get out of box-land and into tree-land, as much as you possibly can. Get some dirt between your toes. Get some dust in your eyes and twigs in your hair. You can wash it out when you get home, but it'll have a big impact on your mood to get out there.

3. Plant trees. Over a few years, the trees I have planted have become a daily reminder of why life is worth living. I eat fruit from these trees every year, and they are delicious. (Pears, plums, peaches, apricots, quince..) Fresh fruit from a tree you planted yourself and watched grow, is a guaranteed pick-up. This works against depression precisely because it isn't a quick fix - but rather, one that will only produce rewards to you personally, over time. Plant the trees, watch those trees grow, and be there for them when they are there, for you. Because, done right, they will be - and everyone needs a bit of love from a tree now and then.

4. Get more exercise. Everyones body is different, but we are all the product of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution of muscle systems that promote distance running. You might not feel like it, because your immediate ancestors probably never left the city, but the more sport you get, the happier you will be - and it takes time, also! Don't think this is an instant-fix, because it isn't. Doesn't have to be running - could also be swimming or kayaking, or indeed dancing. Just: do something that is not what your body is normally doing in order to satisfy your contemporary cravings. Get outside that box.

5. Stop listening to 'professionals' telling you what you should think/feel about yourself. You don't need that. You need real friends who are willing to commit to experiencing lifes ills and its greats, right alongside you. A heavy reliance on the instant-fix culture of psychiatry and other disciplines is a sure-fire path to depression. Those industries depend on you, remember - they are not altruistic, and will do whatever serves their shareholders. That includes selling snake-oil drugs to generations of gullible instant-fix addicts. You will never get the level of care you need from a paid-for professional. Work on those friendships and relationships instead. A good friend who knows you well and is willing to listen is often the best therapist. Don't have someone like that in your life? Work on that. Its important. Be a good friend, too.

6. Do things for others. Seriously, this one is key. If all you ever do is focus on your own life, you are headed for major depressive episodes. Humans are a hive species, we absolutely need to do things for other people, or we go crazy. This can be as simple as being more inclined to help others at work, or it could be something like volunteering for a scout group or soup kitchen - up to you, just do something for other people. A person who feels they cannot help others, in any way, becomes helpless themselves - almost overnight. That will change the moment you see the smiles of the people whose lives you have enhanced by your efforts, whatever they may be.

7. Find a job that you truly, absolutely like, and get into it. So many peoples depression is as a result of being forced into a career - by others, usurping your agency - that it really is simple. Find a way to make your career out of the things you love doing - and if those things don't involved active engagement in point 6 (helping others), then you'll probably have to keep looking until you get it right. Personal happiness, and the happiness of others, is entwined no matter how you resist this cold hard fact. Your own happiness is important, too - never mind that Mom or Aunty wanted you to be a lawyer, so thats what you did. Find your own way.

8. Eat well, and sleep well, and hydrate well. Yes, this is obvious. No, not everyone remembers that ones' metabolism is a key factor in mood management. You're probably not getting the nutrients your body needs - not many of us do. It can help depression, immensely, to learn to cook for yourself and satisfy your bodies needs. If all you do is shop and order out, you're heading towards the key factors of depression. Nutrition drives metabolism, and metabolism is a founding element of mood. Not feeling great today? Go back to bed, wake up when you're fresh, and make yourself a decent breakfast.

Just anecdotal steps that I have, personally over and over again, seen help with depression in myself, my family and my friends and associates. But you know what, life does take work. A quick-fix instant-happiness pill may seem like a 'solution', but you're just kicking the can down the road if none of these other rudimentary factors are not properly managed. Seriously!