Taking a break from pharma for a bit, one of my suggestions for "Staving off the blues" is being "more active." I never fail to include my disclaimer that being more active does not make mental illness disappear. It helps to temporarily relieve symptoms associated with those who suffer from chronic mental illness.
I’ve been attempting to exercise for 25-45 minutes twice a week. (Doesn’t always happen.) But for the days when I do, I get a "high" that elevates my mood for about an hour or so. Nevermind that my mood may drop off two to three hours later or that I wake up depressed in the morning. Those precious few minutes of exercise helped me to feel good for a little while. And every little bit helps.