7 Surprising things that makes your depression even worse

4. Your stress management cycle

Stressful situations can sink depressives into a deeper funk. But they don’t affect everyone equally. A study in the journal Science that explored why stressful experiences lead to depression in some people, but not in others, found the likely culprit to be a gene that regulates serotonin levels in the brain.

Of course you can’t swap out your genes, but you can take steps to keep stress levels in check. A study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindful meditation—the practice of contemplating the present moment and breathing deeply—can be effective in easing psychological stress. Stop, Breathe and Think is an easy-to-use app that can help you learn to practice mindful meditation.