I will not delve into the definition of depression since it's considered common knowledge nowadays. I haven't heard anyone saying "Depression? What's that?". But, I've come across people saying "I can't seem to overcome it, I don't know what to do anymore."
James Herndon, a researcher in the field of psychology draws an analogy between a human's response to falling into depression and an animal's response to submit when it's attacked by a stronger animal. You see, in the animal kingdom, when an animal is in a dangerous situation, it naturally opts for one of these two responses: dominance or submission. In his approach, the researcher points out that this instinctive response to submit applies to us humans as well. In other words, when we're living in a negative environment filled with stressful situations, guilt, traumatic or upsetting encounters, anxious moments and to top it all off, an unproductive and a negative mindset, we're pretty much in one of these "fight or flight" situations. Some choose to fight and try to take control of the situation, others just submit because they feel powerless and overwhelmed.
Now, I know going with "fight" over "flight" isn't always a wise decision since there are a lot of factors in the equation. In our case, however, fighting depression should be a must rather than a choice. In order to win your fight against depression, I highly suggest you opt for the next two recommendations:
1) Positive inner dialogues:
The same researcher indicates that we actually "learn to be depressed by practicing, by rehearsing thoughts and feelings in our minds over and over and over again until our brain's submission response is in overload." Obviously, no one would deliberately choose to be depressed, but we continuously engage ourselves in that learning process at the unconscious level. Yes, you can actually train yourself to get easily depressed. So, now that you know this, it's time you challenged and trained yourself to do the opposite. How? By not fueling your depression with the 'giving up/victim' mentality while only focusing on shortcomings or the negative aspects of things in your life. Your negative thought patterns are called cognitive distortions for a reason, they are neither rational nor true and that is why you should stay mindful of them. Instead, why not remind yourself everyday of the things you're grateful for, or just list the things that make your life more comfortable and more tolerable. Positivity requires mental rehearsal as well.
2) The five elements:
I will not ask you to randomly "keep yourself busy" as to distract yourself aimlessly from what you are going through. By doing so, you'll end up being like a hamster on a wheel, simply running without a destination. I will, however, ask you to actively pursue the following five elements in your life: people, activities, places, beliefs and skills. Unsurprisingly, a research shows that those who are less likely to get depressed, are those who spend most of their time pursuing these areas of interest. You can't just deny your human nature and expect your body and mind to function appropriately. You don't necessarily have to develop new skills, shape new beliefs, engage in new activities, meet new people or go to new places (-even though that too is recommended). You could, however, simply reconnect with old friends whom you feel comfortable around (always reach out, staying alone won't help), go to your favorite places which make you feel more at peace, get your healthy dose of vitamin D, work on improving your skills, pursue activities that you're good at and try meditating or reflecting on your beliefs with a positive mindset. I understand that a depressed person tends to be passive and a little less inclined to get out of bed, let alone pursue these propositions. But, I know for sure that once you engage with what's mentioned above, you'll be more willing to carry them out because ultimately that will create a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
Whatever you do and no matter how much you want to, avoid staying all alone wallowing in misery in a dark corner. No one has ever benefited from that in the entire history of mankind.
Herndon, J. (2001) Personal Depression Therapy, Phoenix, Vallis Solaris Press.