From Breakdown To Breakthrough

Meditate: Meditation gives you a break from chronic stress—providing an internal oasis that you can experience anywhere. Meditation is the practice of paying attention. You can meditate on almost anything—a sound, a word, a prayer, a song, an image, or your breathing. Interestingly, different cultures meditate on words that sound very similar—beginning with an "ah" or "oh" and ending with an "m" or "n," like a parent humming to a baby. Om. Shalom. Salaam. Amen. Ameen. These words are often translated as meaning "peace" because they help you to experience it. The word "one" works just as well, if you prefer something that sounds more secular. Choose a word, sound or image that's comfortable for you.

To meditate, close your eyes and sit in a comfortable position with your back straight in a chair or on the floor. Take a breath, and say the word out loud, emphasizing the humming sound at the end. When you come to the end of the breath, take another one and say the word again. And so on. When your mind wanders, just bring it back to the meditation, without judging or berating yourself. I describe different ways of meditating in my book, "The Spectrum."

Practice yoga: Gentle hatha yoga stretches can relax chronically tensed muscle groups and increase both physical and mental flexibility. When your body is more relaxed, your mind feels less stressed as well.

Reduce stimulants: Caffeine, found in colas, "energy" drinks, coffee, tea and many medications, potentiates stress—in other words, it shortens your fuse and makes you more reactive to stress, the opposite of meditation. Slowly draw down your intake of caffeine so you don't go into withdrawal. If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation with friends, and avoid the temptation to "drown your troubles," which only creates new ones.

Exercise: In addition to the many physical benefits, exercise is a great way to discharge stressful feelings that accumulate during the day. Just walking for 20 to 30 minutes per day makes you feel better and look better. Do what you enjoy. Incorporate exercise into your daily life: park a little farther away, take the stairs, have more vigorous sex. Which brings me to:

Enhance social support, altruism and service: When you're depressed, it's easy to feel like you're the only person who feels this way since it's not something that most people talk about. You're not, especially now. The most commonly prescribed drugs in this country are antidepressants. People who feel lonely, depressed and isolated—the silent epidemic in this country—are many times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have a strong sense of connection and community.