Sometimes the best way to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the slumping economy, is to find a way to temporarily mentally "escape" the madness! These are the top five ways I suggest for escaping the recession blues. Hey, they work for me:-)

1. Read A Novel
I never really noticed, but for more than 5 years I think I was completely consumed with reading non-fiction, business-related, or self-help books. Mainly due to my career. It wasn't until I was reading a book review in People™ Magazine that I realized I hadn't read fiction in years. So I bought the book and haven't looked back since. Now I read fiction after the 11pm news -- and I fall asleep with a smile on my face -- and not with a stress frown.

2. Listen To Music
Music has the universal power of transforming one's mood. Find a genre or an artist that you love -- and you will absolutely feel better.

3. Turn Off The News
Now I'm not saying that you will forget that you barely put gas in the tank because you didn't watch the news --but is it really necessary to watch the morning news, the 5pm news, the world news, the 11pm news? You're basically listening to a lot of frightening stuff over and over. It's no wonder that is seeps into your psyche. Limit your information intake and avoid information overload.

4. Watch A Comedy
Hey, I love a great drama like the next girl - but sometimes it's necessary to just laugh your butt off! Last night, my husband and I watched an old rerun of a Chris Rock comedy special and laughed ourselves silly before we fell asleep. Much better than crying watching Terms of Endearment for the 100th time!

5. Exercise
Exercise has been proven over and over to reduce stress levels and relieve symptoms of depression. And after it's over -- you just feel really good. When you feel good, you start to think of positive ways to improve your recession woes instead of being overwhelmed by them. While on a walk with my dogs, I came up with a plan for one of my friends to make a little extra money so that she could keep her son in private school.

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Lisa Angelettie MSW, "GirlShrink" is a psychotherapist, author, and certified Life Coach. Her site GirlShrink.com is the #1 "Advice & Counseling" site on the web. For more information on how to beat your depression naturally - without drugs - visit her site: NaturallyDepressionFree.com