The ones that reject the so called “artificial stimuli”, those that promise to bring happiness instantaneously, are more likely to find real happiness. However, in recent decades, more and more people seek instant and miraculous solutions supposedly able to reduce the pains of life: medicines, food, shopping, parties, gambling.

The urgency of being completely immunized against suffering is such a priority that many are ready to put their health and finances at risk. But we must not forget that “the road is better than the destination”, and, more than the road, the way we enjoy the journey. However, for a significant portion of world population, the crossing of life ceased to be an exciting adventure and more of a torment.

In fact, sadness remains the same, a legitimate and necessary manifestation of the soul, we are the ones who change the way we approach it. Thus, instead of finding healthy ways to put this feeling out of your heart, whether doing some kind of therapy, exercising – generators of endorphins, the hormone of pleasure – or simply crying your head off and then lift the head and move on, some have preferred to treat the issue as a disease, or taking medication.

According to researches, sales of antidepressants doubled between 2005 and 2009. But even so, the population doesn’t seem to be any happier. In many cases, drugs do not work, possibly because of limited scope, since they act only increasing certain brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.

Nowadays, being happy has become a must. A challenge that we set in order to prove to ourselves and especially to others, that we are not weak character. In the struggle to avoid sadness, we resort to anything that takes us out of this condition of “failure”. What sometimes happen is a question of pride, plus the difficulty of dealing with conflict. As we need to look happy all the time, any sign of human sorrow put us on the intolerable situation.

We need to understand that happiness is not synonymous with joy and unhappiness is not the same as feeling sad. Confused? Don’t worry this knot is easily undone, with a minimum of logic and detachment. Any happy person can feel sad and any unhappy person can feel joy. That’s because the joy is an external aspect, from the individual’s relationship with the world, while happiness is a result of the relationship with yourself, so an internal factor.The pursuit of happiness outside of us also put us in a victim position and only brings more frustration. Nobody is protected from feeling sad. So, when something makes us sad, we can accept that this is part of life and not only happens to us. Thus, the distressing situations can be experienced with more serenity.

So get to work. Try to shorten the drama and stop debating on the same spot. Happiness is something that is built internally, it has to do with being alive and understanding the value of life. It is a sentiment that feeds on the small things.

For the French psychiatrist and psychotherapist Christophe Andre, author of Imparfaits Libres Et Heureux (Imperfect, Happy and Free), the key to fulfilment is to accept our imperfections with lightness and humor, an attitude that reveals a robust and healthy self-esteem.

According to the Indian doctor Deepak Chopra, even if circumstances are unfavorable, there is always something to be done. If not outside, certainly within us. This is the argument of the book The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment.

See the seven principles outlined by the author and find out what points you can improve to be happier.

1) Pay attention to your body: your body and the universe are a single field of energy, information and awareness. When listening to your body with attention, you enter the field of infinite possibilities, where naturally you will find peace, harmony and joy.

2) Find the true self-esteem: The actual self is beyond appearances. Resides at a level of existence that is independent of other’s opinions, good or bad. When you align yourself to that source, you find a kind of happiness that no one can take from you.

3) Detoxify your life: emotions, habits, relationships and substances of toxic nature contaminate the body and mind. To detoxify your life, you must learn to reverse that. First, taking responsibility for your own actions. Then, recognizing and releasing your feelings so you can move forward.

4) Give up being right: all relationships deteriorate because of the confrontation between right and wrong. Giving up the need to be right does not mean giving up your views. Just adhere to the state of no defence, where there is no need to be attacked or attack and no need to be defended or defend.

5) Focus on the present: the present is the only time that is eternal. Never die, nor should it be forgotten. Therefore, in the here and now, happiness cannot be taken away from you.

6) See the world in yourself: the inner and outer worlds are mirrored. So if your consciousness vibrates in the frequency of love, this feeling will be both inside and outside of you. Thus, a flow of happiness and abundance will manifest when you have reached the deepest level of yourself.

7) Live for enlightenment: this is the most conscious state of existence and also the most natural because it is where you were originated. A place of love, peace and deep joy.

It is well known that certain types of food can increase serotonin – the neurotransmitter responsible for the fell good sensation. For example many depressed people tend to eat lots of carbohydrates as they increase serotonin production. However, be aware that refined carbohydrates have a temporarily effect lasting for a couple of hours only. Furthermore they drain your Vitamin B reserves and blood sugar levels causing Vitamin B deficiency and hypoglycaemia which is a condition where the blood shows low levels of glucose (sugar). Glucose is the primary source of energy to the brain without it the brain function and behaviour is altered causing an imbalance causing a feel bad sensation to in some drastic cases coma.

Choose complex carbohydrates instead as they will be released slower and longer. They will provide stable increase in blood sugar and serotonin levels. Just think about them as if they are a drip releasing slowly but constantly the nutrients you need.

Here is a list of complex carbohydrates:

*Brazil nuts are very rich in selenium and excellent for boosting brain functions and fight against depression.

B vitamins are essential as they combat the causes of depression and stress. A deficiency in vitamin B6 can lead to depression and other complications. Most of the list above contains B6 vitamin plus fish and poultry.

Foods to be limited

Some foods can make depression even worse. Some of them are listed below and should be eaten occasionally if you can not avoid them.

Caffeine: If ingested more than once a day can aggravate the depression symptoms. Choose caffeine free tea and coffee.

Processed Sugar: Cakes, biscuits, candies, chocolate and sweet pastries. Chocolate is famous to be a serotonin enhancer you can eat it but with moderation and choose a high quality one. Don’t forget they eat up all your B Vitamins reserves and the glucose from your blood.

Deep-fried and foods high and fat: They are not very nutritious and if eaten regularly will mean that you are depriving yourself from the good foods plus these kind of fats cause poor circulation to the brain compromising the neurotransmitters performance.

Alcohol: Avoid drinking in excess don’t forget alcohol is a chemical like the neurotransmitters in the brain that regulates behaviour, mood and numerous other functions. The chemicals contained in the alcohol can cause an imbalance in our own brain chemistry leading in extreme cases to psychosis and dementia.

Eating when depressed can be trick as depending on the person there is a tendency to over eat or under eat. The important thing is to eat regularly and the right kind of food. If the comfort eating is your way try to have plenty of nuts, dried fruit and seeds always handy. If you don’t feel like eating try soaps and protein powder they are easy to drink and very nutritious.

Our brain is like a very efficient laboratory producing the necessary ‘information substance’ to keep our body and mind in perfect balance. However sometimes outside events can mess up the ‘laboratory’ activities through our emotions, feelings and memories. For example because of a bad memory in the past or the way we manage our emotions and feeling during a particular incident in our lives a disruption in the ‘laboratory’ is triggered and the peptide CRF – a type of neurotransmitter – causes an overproduction of steroids in our blood. The feel sad substance is now all over our system.

A depressive disorder can affect all aspects of your life – your sleep, your eating habits, your self-esteem and your physical appearance. Unfortunately it won’t go away as easily as you can switch a TV channel, so just solemnly ignore those people that tell you to pull yourself together. As explained above it is a chemical imbalance that sometimes requires drugs intervention to restore the chemical right levels.

At least 10% of the population will go through depression at some point in their lives and it can affect anyone – rich, poor, man or women – however researches show that women are more likely to suffer than men. Other factors contribute to put certain groups in the risky zone:

• People that have suffered mental, physical or sexual abuse;

• People who have a history of depression in their family

• People that come from extremely deprived groups.

It is normal to feel down sometimes but if you or anyone you know is feeling down a lot lately then you should be aware of some of the depression symptoms and if you are feeling 2 or more it is recommended to seek for medical help. They are:

• A total lack of interest in leisure

• Low self-esteem

• Sleeping disorders like sleeping too much or insomnia

• Health problems that has no evident cause, like upset stomach, or persistent colds and body pains.

• Lack of energy and a constant feeling of tiredness

• Mood swings like irritability and restlessness

• Difficulties to wake up in the morning

• Loss of sexual drive

• Forgetfulness, difficulties to concentrate and make decisions

• A constant feeling of sadness and anxiety

• Eating disorders like eating too much or too little

• Suicidal tendencies

The word depression has been improperly used to describe a momentary sadness moment so the word depressed is not taken seriously enough nowadays. The word lost its real meaning and people simple don’t know what depression is. A depressed person is not just having a ‘feeling down moment’. A depressed person does not have the same control over his/her feelings as most of us do. So saying cheer up won’t help! They can find very difficult to cope with very simple day to day tasks. As they can’t make decisions very easily to plan their days can be difficult.

Depression is a very serious illness that can result in more serous mental illness or even death. If you think you or anyone around you are suffering from depression seek specialist help as soon as possible.