For me, a big help was getting into an exercise routine to get in shape. Though i'm not sure if its actually the exercise or the feeling of accomplishment that comes being able to recognize good results from the hard work i put into it. Or maybe even the simple act of having something in my life that i can control(arguably, most things we experience are reactive actions to circumstances)....and now re-reading this, i can simply say, exercise helped, no clue why, all 3 of those reasons sound possible.
