Your answers to these seven habit questions have serious implications for your mental health:

1.Do you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night?

2.How much junk food do you consume?

3.Do you make time for friends and family?

4.Do you exercise regularly?

5.How many hours a day do you sit at your desk?

6.Do you smoke cigarettes?

7.How much alcohol do you consume?

A new study published in Nature Mental Health found that a healthy lifestyle can prevent depression, even in those who have a genetic predisposition.

While pharmaceutical advertisements have led many to believe that major depressive disorder is caused by a lack of neurotransmitters, it has become increasingly clear that depression is much more than a chemical imbalance.

Remember the classic Zoloft commercial from the early 2000s showing a sad blob with a cloud following it around?

The voiceover explains: “While the cause is unknown, depression may be related to an imbalance of natural chemicals between nerve cells in the brain. Prescription Zoloft works to correct this imbalance.”

Zoloft transforms the sad blob into a smiling blob and the cloud literally dissipates. More recent evidence paints a more complicated picture that debunks this model: Antidepressant medications work for some people, but not because they correct a chemical imbalance. What remains unclear is exactly how they work.

This is what you have to do:

1. Prioritize sleep.

2. Cultivate connections.

3. Drink less.

4. Eat well.

5. Move regularly.

6. Don’t smoke.

7. Get up, stand up.

What should be done to reduce depression?

5 Ways to Help Yourself Through Depression

Exercise. Take a 15- to 30-minute brisk walk every day. …

Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Some people with depression don’t feel much like eating. …

Express yourself. …

Don’t dwell on problems. …

Notice good things.

What vitamin is a natural antidepressant?

Some of the best vitamins for depression include vitamin D, iron, B9 (folate), calcium, vitamin C, and vitamins B12 and B3. Keep reading to learn more about vitamins that help with depression so you can make informed decisions about how best to treat your symptoms of depression.