Self-help program
5. Learn to observe thoughts and feelings
A person with depression can learn to influence their negative thoughts and feelings, thereby easing their distress.
In the video (2:34), Chief Physician Suoma Saarni explains what is meant by the cycle of negative thoughts, also known as the vicious cycle of depression. You will also hear how you can practice breaking this cycle.
Watch the video before trying the exercise on this page.
Exercise: Self-monitoring of depression
Goal
You gain a better understanding of how your thoughts, feelings, and actions influence one another. This helps you to challenge them.
Instructions
Observe over a few days situations in which depression-related thoughts and feelings arise.
What kinds of situations are they? What kinds of thoughts and feelings come up? How do you act in those moments? What follows from your actions?
Choose one situation. For that situation, fill in all the stages, moving from the situation through thoughts and feelings to actions.
This will help you understand your behavior and challenge your thoughts.