By Donna V. Scaglione
We all can get temporarily down in the dumps now and then. But surprisingly, many of the things that can make our spirits sag don’t require a complicated fix. Sometimes we just haven’t been eating right or sleeping enough. Or we’re not taking the time to recharge our overworked brains.
Although serious clinical depression can require professional treatment, a short-term case of the blues usually can be managed with some awareness and conscientious changes of habit.
1. Eat breakfast
Breakfast skippers are a logy bunch. They spend their mornings feeling cranky, tired, and restless, research shows. People who eat breakfast are more productive, have more energy, and are better equipped to tackle jobs involving memory, the American Dietetic Association says. No time for breakfast? A hassle-free bowl of whole-grain cereal with milk and a glass of orange juice supplies 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, 33 percent of calcium, thiamin, and riboflavin, as well as fiber, folate, and iron, according to the ADA.
