The first time I sat in front of a psychotherapist, I ranted non-stop. I never expected to condense a whole lifetime of trauma into a free trial session, but I did it.

After that intensity lifted from my shoulders, clarity dawned. It was obvious my depression didn’t come from just one source which I could complain about.

It was a whole matrix. I had to cover every single base to root out my mental illness. Not outsource the solution to a miracle pill or therapist.

The following strategies were like nourishing fertilizer for my mental health. Hopefully they bring you the rebirth that I was fortunate enough to have.

Take advantage of pain endorphins.

Our brains are capable of producing their own feel-good hormones during workouts — no skydiving, addictions, or extreme hobbies required.

A recent study found mid to high intensity workouts created significant spikes in pleasurable endorphins; the effects of which lasted long after the workouts ceased. Doing this on a regular basis has been shown to improve mental health significantly and for the long-term.