The way things are right now with the economy, it is hard enough to make ends meet, much less cope with the loss of a job. I understand completely! My husband's job seemed stable and things were going very well, we were comfortable and were managing to grow our savings every month.  Following the birth of our son, I left my administrative job to stay at home with him.  Then, a month later, my husband was let go from his IT position. At the time of writing this article, that was almost five months ago and he has not been able to find work since.  I have not found anything that pays enough for the cost of daycare and our loss of health benefits.  We are right there with you! 

Fighting the depression is a never ending battle, especially without funds and benefit coverage to seek professional help. Neither of us are experts, but here are some things that we try to do fight back:

Seek normalcy and routine.  We try to maintain a daily routine that mimicks the 9 to 5 of working.  Treat the job search as if it were a job - a set time everyday to look and apply for work. Breakfast, trip downstairs to work, lunch, back downstairs, dinner, family time, routine bedtime. This has helped us with insomnia and fatigue.

Stay away from the couch and TV.  Sitting in front of the TV is a huge waste of time and energy. The entire day slips away and you realize that you are no closer to work today than you were yesterday. The other plus is that you don't see all the commercials.

Create projects.  We have been able to finally get our basement cleaned out, organized and sold off things we weren't using and didn't need (and made enough for one month's utility bills). It feels good to get things done and staying busy helps keep spirits up. See Selling Items.

Be proactive about your finances. Having no income is one of our biggest and most immediate concerns every month as we pay bills and watch our savings slip away. We have tried to make a game out of how to save the most money on our necessities and utility costs.  On average, the register price drops by 50% when we check out at the store. See Coupons.

Get out of the house. With gas prices creeping back upwards again, we have turned our weekly shopping trips into our time out of the house.  Check out your local area for free museums and parks.  They are a great way to get out and still be away from the temptation to spend money.  Don't forget to pack snacks or a lunch.

Find support.  No one should go through job loss alone.  The support of family and friends can be invaluable but sometimes it is not enough.  It can be difficult to listen to people discuss promotions, raises, home improvements or vacations and not feel envious.  Support networks such as the joblessandbored.com message boards can pair you up with others in similar situations and provide an essential outlet for your emotions.

Get some sun.  Not to be confused with tanning, making sure that you have some natural light exposure everyday helps with depression. Sit in a sunny window or, even better yet, go outside for a walk.

Exercise.  I know easier said than done, but really it helps.  Exercising helps not only to keep off the unemployment weight but releases endorphins to help give you a mood boost and an outlet for all that stress.

Send away for freebies.  We have found all sorts of items that we use around our home for free.  For every sample recieved, it is one less thing that must be purchased.  Personal care, diapers and groceries are our most common freebies.  We love going to the mailbox to see what came that day! See Freebies.

Volunteer.  It feels great to help others and when focusing on someone else's problems, your issues are sometimes put in perspective. Volunteering also looks great on job resumes. See Volunteering.

Have a date night/family night. It feels wonderful to get out and go for a night on the town, as long as all talk of job search, money and the economy is banned.  How?   We do this a few ways: use fast food coupons, the dollar menu and redbox for a $5 meal and dinner for two; The Entertainment Book; or sites such as restaurant.com.  They periodically have specials on gift certificates for restaurants in your area. 

These are a few of the ways that we are trying to fight depression in our home.  I hope they help you! 

If you have any tips for others, post them on the message board Tips on Fighting Depression.