Hi --

These are some good ideas -- please allow me to add my own two cents -- I advocate two things: doing and not doing!

You suggest going swimming at some point -- I say absolutely! Swimming or really any other exercise; there is plenty of medical evidence to demonstrate that being active elevates the endorphins -- or whatever, I am no physician! -- and makes us feel better.

My other solution is exactly the opposite: doing nothing! I practice sitting meditation, and after a sitting I always feel much better. There are a lot of mis-conceptions about what meditation is and is not, and this post is not the place to go into all that. If there is enough interest I can submit a post on the subject in the proper area, but for the time being let me suggest that there is plenty of evidence that meditation (or prayer, etc) can have beneficial effects on both emotional and physical health.

I'm not preaching here; I don't care what religion anyone is. And one does not have to belong to any particular religion or group to meditate -- anyone who can think can meditate! I think it has saved me from going crazy (or any crazier than I already am . . . ) and I suggest meditation for the ultimate pick-up.

Hope this helps -- RAH