I had severe clinical depression in my early 30s, so this comes from experience and is nuanced and effective. The depression was so bad it profoundly effected

I had severe clinical depression in my early 30s, so this comes from experience and is nuanced and effective. The depression was so bad it profoundly effected my vocabulary and cognitive function. We're talking a 20 point drop in IQ. I was so deep in the well I no longer had depression but depression had me. I was fortunate to be going to a therapist at the time who recommended I go on anti-depressants and I agreed but I made a deal with him first. The starting dose he was going to prescribe was something I saw had similar impact to vigorous exercise so I asked if I could try biking every day for the next 4 weeks and if I wasn't better I would start taking anti-depressants. Because my fathers depression severely negatively and permanently impacted my life I had a pathological talisman to always get out of bed everyday. I rode a bike every day in the Texas 100 degree heat, a minimum of 16 miles and usually 20, I would drink over a gallon of water on each ride. I would sing songs from my childhood and pray out loud (I was ~religous at the time) as I rode and talked to myself and about what was happening in my life almost the whole time... while absolutely flogging myself on the bike every day. There was no affect the first week, no lifting of depression. On the 8th day I had ~one hour where my mind seemed normal before the veil dropped again. By the time I went back to the therapist I was myself for all but an hour a day. If you cannot do such extreme exercise you MUST go on medication (you should almost definitely go on medication, it's nothing to be scared of, many people are on them only short term), regardless you should see a therapist and follow their advice, you must talk through how you got to your current situation and take practical, physical steps to alter your environment. If you try exercise you must make a time gated deal with your therapist then hold yourself strictly to it. Medication need not be permanent, if you are inside of depression you must get a mental toe hold out through any means necessary so your operating mindset isn't coming from helplessness and emotional poverty. In addition to medication I would also practice the entire list below: Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers – Current Perspectives https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4573018/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4573018/ The one caution I have with medication is that in almost all cases it must accompany working/talking through underlying issues with an engaged therapist, otherwise you're cutting your gains way short. Depression in individuals without clear disorders is like anger, your body and mind are telling you that practical things must change.