“The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something.”

~ T. H. White, The Once and Future King

Given how deep into January we are, by now you’ve likely seen dozens of articles and blogs on how to deal with the winter blues. Fortunately, we know more than we used to about the depressed state of mind, and have discovered a variety of effective medical treatments and non-medical solutions for it. 

Still, depression is a complex syndrome, with more causes than most people realize.

If you tend to feel down this time of year, it can’t hurt to try some of the suggestions you’ve read: go for a walk, cook yourself a healthy meal, take a nap, see a funny movie, listen to music, or talk to a friend. One or more of them might just work. Many of them are good for your physical health as well, so you have nothing to lose by trying them.

In addition to behavioral solutions, I find that reading about depression in order to understand it better helps me by addressing the root causes of my low mood, which often have to do more with what’s going on in my head than the current circumstances in my life. I’m a long-run kind of girl, so I’d always rather find true solutions rather than just symptom relief. 

There’s actually term for this approach to improving your mental health. “Bibliotherapy” works best for mild depressive symptoms, and can be used as a self-learning tool, as an add-on to therapy, or even while waiting to receive treatment. (If you’re truly suffering, though, please considering finding a therapist to talk to sooner rather than later. To locate a professional in your area, use the search function of Psychology Today online.)

By reminding me that how I think greatly affects my mental state, reading helps me to adjust my mindset.

Here are five suggestions for ways to change your mental habits in order to improve your mood, based on advice from professionals.

 1. Look for the trigger. Richard O’Connor, Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn’t Teach You and Medication Can’t Give You

An unkind remark, a disappointment, a frustrating situation—depressive personalities tend to ignore or discount upsetting events again and again, and then suddenly they can’t figure out why they are feeling down. Rather than habitually suppressing your emotions, start to pay attention to what you’re feeling at the time something happens. Hurt, sad, angry—whatever you’re feeling—take a moment to let it register. Then, when you’re ready, let it move through you. Honoring your feelings is the best way to move on from them. 

2. Stop the catastrophizing. Albert Ellis, Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors

A giant in the field of psychotherapy, Dr. Ellis was the originator of Rational Emotive Therapy (the original form of cognitive behavioral therapy used by most therapists today). According to his theory, most of the “bad” things that happen to us are simply unfortunate, but we translate them in our brains to being terrible, disastrous, mortifying, etc. These overreactions unnecessarily affect our mood. Try to keep things in perspective, realizing that you will be able to handle whatever happens.

3. Stop the negative self-talk. Hal and Sidra Stone, Embracing Your Inner Critic: Turning Self-Criticism Into a Creative Asset

There’s a difference between saying to yourself “I am irresponsible” and “I did an irresponsible thing.” We all make mistakes, but we don’t have to let one mistake ruin our day, our week, or our self-image. If a friend came to you and admitted a mistake, would you call him or her selfish or irresponsible? Probably not. Hopefully you would comfort them. Learn to do that for yourself. Be kind to yourself.

4. Live in the present. Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Depressives spend much of their time feeling guilty about the past or worried about the future. It almost becomes their “job,” as if there were no other way to approach life. It’s important to learn from our past mistakes. And being prepared can keep us out of trouble going forward. But being excessively anxious about every possibility simply robs us of our current joy. Develop a habit of bringing your attention back to the present moment.

5. Be Grateful. Robert Emmons and Joanna Hill, Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul 

A negative mindset, or a hypervigilant one, can keep us from realizing how blessed we are much of the time. A regular practice of gratitude can enhance our lives in so many ways, improving our well-being and satisfaction, as well as our relationships with our loved ones. Start a gratitude journal, or simply look for things to be grateful for as you go about your day.

I hope some of these ideas and resources help lift your mood this week!

Affectionately,

Elaine