8. Healthy Thinking
People with depression are prone to negative thoughts and feelings. It is easy to get lost in negativity, even if there is no reason to think or feel that way. Healthy thinking can help you control your depression. This is easier said than done, but you could take small steps towards healthier thinking. Although there is therapy that could help you with this, you could start being conscious of your thoughts even by yourself.
Take time to notice your self-talk, or the internal dialogue that goes on in your head. Sort out which thoughts are helpful and which are not. Ask yourself if your thoughts are irrational or not. Examples of irrational thinking include filtering, black-and-white thinking, overgeneralization, and should statements. Filtering is focusing on the bad, while ignoring the good. Black-and-white thinking is seeing things in extremes — all good or all bad. Overgeneralization is when you draw a faulty conclusion based on a single unpleasant incident. Should statements are rules or “shoulds” that you feel you must conform to.
Identifying irrational thoughts can help you eliminate them, and replace them with healthy ones. Keep a journal of your negative thoughts, and write down accurate, healthier ones that you could replace them with.
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