everyone suffers from an occasional(偶尔的) bad mood, but i am in a bad mood more often than other people. as a result, i have developed a list of helpful hints(示意,暗示) for dealing with depression(意气消沉,沮丧). one thing i have learned to do is keep a mood diary. about four times a day, i jot(草草记下) down a one-word description of my mood at that moment---- sad, tired, frustrated, happy, and so on. then i ask myself questions like “
what event preceded(优于?) this mood? have i just eaten a lot of junk(废弃的旧物) food or drunk a lot of coffee? have i felt this way before?” after keeping this diary for a while, i have begun to see patterns(图案) to my moods. i've found for example that consuming(消费的) a lot of salty foods like chips makes me feel tense. another mood-controlling hint(线索) that i've taken is to exercise every day.
exercise seems to prevent depression, and it also helps me sleep better. any type of exercise works, including jogging,( 慢跑运动衣), dancing, and even walking around the block. i can also overcome depression by giving myself a small treat those times when my spirits are under the weather(under the weather==不舒服)，for instance, i will go to a movie, listen to a record, or try on a new shirt. if i still feel miserable(痛苦的),i try to keep my chin up, for no bad mood lasts forever.