Play with a dog a few minutes every day



iStock/Enrico Fianchini

When non-pet owners played with a dog for just a few minutes a day as part of a University of Missouri study, blood levels of the brain chemicals serotonin and oxytocin—both mood elevators—rose. Science has already proven these surprising health benefits of having a pet, but you don’t need to own a dog to experience these feel-good effects for overcoming depression (although dogs are great antidotes to the kind of chronic stress that can result in depression). Pet your neighbor’s dog for a few minutes a day, volunteer at an animal shelter, or stop by your local pet store for some furry one-on-one therapy.