"Stricken with grief" is fine. You could also say "grief-stricken". "Step out of my depression" is fine too. In more casual conversation you might say "I was able to put aside [or escape from] my troubles [or problems] for a while." I would drop the "so" in "so stricken" unless you want to say "I was so stricken with grief THAT I had a hard time dealing with it." Also, I would change "commanded" to "recommended" or "suggested". Commands usually come from generals in the army, or from dog-owners talking to their dog, rather than friends. But "commanded" is grammatically correct, nonetheless. I hope that helps.