Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that is based on the principle that, at least in part, our psychological suffering is due to unhelpful ways of thinking and unhelpful learned behaviors.

When individuals are depressed, they experience both negative feelings and negative thinking. This can become a loop: you have sad feelings and think sad thoughts, which then cause more sad feelings.

Some people are more cognitively reactive than others. This means that negative feelings more easily trigger negative thinking, which can quickly lead to depressive relapse. Research suggests that cognitively reactive people may benefit the most from participating in a mindfulness-based program.

Unfortunately, difficult feelings are unavoidable. Sadness, dejection, hopelessness, overwhelm, disappointment, shame, and worry are inevitable. However, when these feelings lead to thoughts of dejection, hopelessness, and overwhelm, it is easy to mistake those thoughts and feelings as objectively true.

Tips

Reframe Negative Thinking When You Can
When you notice your negative feelings becoming negative thinking, intentionally reframe your thoughts. When I was feeling hopeless recently, I reminded myself of other facts: “You have a good job and a good boss, you have close friends, you have people checking in and inviting you to things, you’re in (relative) good health—this is just a tough period.”

Practice Gratitude
A simple gratitude practice is the Daily 5—listing five things you are grateful for each day. This can help with reframing.

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). What is cognitive behavioral therapy? https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral

Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2013). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

van der Velden, A. M., Kuyken, W., Wattar, U., Crane, C., Pallesen, K. J., Dahlgaard, J., Fjorback, L. O., & Piet, J. (2015). A systematic review of mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 37, 26–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.001