In these hard times one can not afford to fall into depression, lose their minds and take out our frustrations on others. But it's not easy maintaining that fake smile one carries while around those we know and love. It's a shame one has to rely on the past more often than not to maintain some form of sanity. Happiness seems more like a luxury than a necessity these days.

I'm one who has some unsual habits that help keep me from losing my mind sometimes. Every year, during the summer, I have the tendency of listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. Of course I don't do this out loud so others can hear me, but it does help to keep me in a good mood. Christmas is suppose to be "the most wonderful time of the year" as the song says and while finanical problems don't always allow us to have the Christmas we would like, none the less it's still a wonderful time of the year.

So what unusual things do you do to keep yourself from getting depressed during tough times? I don't mean spending time with family and friends, I mean those times when you just need something else to distract you. The more unusual, the better.