Or, the alchemy of putting someone else's needs first.

For years now, news has been building about a real issue here in America: epidemic depression, opioid addiction, a hike in suicide rates - tragic widescale problems in our collective psychoemotional state.

I don't have a good solution for them, but I know one thing that works in the short term to elevate your overall mood: providing value to someone else. Helping someone else feel better.

It's not panacea, and it's not a sufficient long-term solution, particularly if it's your primary strategy. You'll burn out and lose the flame you need to influence others more positively.

Long-term, you certainly need to apply your own oxygen mask before you can help others with theirs. And many of us have physiological imbalances that make it more challenging. For some of us, the odds are simply stacked a little taller against us.

But in a pinch, you could do worse than to reach out to someone and give them a hand with something. It won't solve your problem, but it will help you get through the day. The power of getting through a single day must never be discounted.