How to Think Positively When Depressed

Depression is a complex disorder that affects people in different ways. One thing that most people can say is that when they are depressed they feel like they are trapped in a negative spiral and that nothing can lift them out. Once the negative thoughts start, it is very hard to get yourself out. This post will look at some of the ways that you can challenge your negative thinking and try to think more positively when depressed. However, since depression varies greatly from one person to another, there is no blanket response for everyone. Depression is of course best treated by a licensed professional. But let’s get into it.

Why Is It Difficult to Think Positively When Depressed?

Negative thoughts are one of the primary symptoms of depression. But what causes these negative thoughts? The question is a lot more complex than it sounds, especially because we don’t even fully understand what a “thought” is. It is an abstract concept that we use to describe ideas in our head. However, the definition of thought is a better question for a philosophy class.

What we have is simply self-reported or observational data from those who fit in the construct we know as depression. 

Individuals with depression see things pessimistically, feel hopeless, or don’t want to live in severe cases. This boils down to both biological and non-biological causes. From a biological standpoint, depressed individuals sometimes have lower levels of dopamine and serotonin in their systems. These are neurotransmitters associated with feelings of well-being and communicate that to the brain and body. A common antidepressant drug is an SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. What this basically does is keep the serotonin in the cell synapse for longer which communicates that message of well-being more than before. 

However, these medications only work on about 60% of individuals with depression. So clearly there is more to it.

Other environmental or cognitive factors can also influence our thoughts. There could be trauma or simply repeated negative experiences which produce a more pessimistic attitude. There may be poor thinking patterns that your brain has just gotten used to from thinking that way for so long. Examining what could be affecting you the most would be a good idea as well which is why there is value in therapeutic testing.

How to Get Out of the Negative Mindset?

So now, how can you get out of a negative mindset once you are already there? First of all it helps to already have some strategies before you get into that state because when you are in the middle of the depression, there is little hope or motivation to act.

The first thing to do would be to realize of course that you are thinking in a negative or unhealthy way. This seems obvious but there is value in specifically recognizing that and separating yourself from the thoughts. This brings in an aspect of mindfulness. One metaphor for this is a sushi train. You don’t personally identify with your thoughts, but see them as if they were on a moving belt in front of you: passing by and new thoughts taking their place. Harshly judging your thoughts or trying to stop them can bring more distress as you are fighting with yourself. What you want to do is let the thought be and pass on its own if possible. 

If the thoughts don’t pass on their own, you can examine their validity. This is a technique from cognitive behavioral therapy. Is your thought realistic? Is it logical? Or is it the result of a poor thinking pattern? You can challenge the thoughts then with alternatives that fit more with reality and past experiences. Seeing things in a non-emotional or non-reactive way is important for moving past the distorted thoughts. If you were to see someone having your same thoughts, what would you tell them? Seeing it from the outside can help you realize how unhelpful or ridiculous your thoughts are and bring yourself out of them.

What Can You Do to Think More Positively?

Thinking more positively when depressed is all about consistent and intentional action. Your brain develops literal pathways based on the way you think. When it thinks negatively and makes pessimistic connections for a long time, it becomes accustomed to that. This means it will take consistent work to change those thinking habits. Every once in a while won’t help, just like with exercise. 

Here are some things you can start doing on a daily basis to think positively when depressed:

1. Gratitude: It is literally impossible to think negative thoughts and be truly grateful at the same time. The thoughts simply can’t occupy the same space. So the more you get used to being grateful, the less room there will be for negative thoughts. You could take a moment each day possibly in the morning or at night and just feel grateful. Think about everything you are grateful for. It is useful to write them down as well. So you could keep a gratitude journal or a note on your device.
2. Positive affirmations: These are positive phrases that you repeat to yourself or listen to in order to encourage positive thinking patterns in the future. Just like how negative thoughts can eventually turn you into a negative person, the reverse is also true. However, negative thoughts affect us more than positive ones unfortunately. So positive affirmations aren’t extremely effective unless you are very consistent with it. One negative thought requires many positive ones to recover from it. So if you want affirmations to be effective, practice them every single day for as long as you can. The goal is to eventually have those thoughts on your own without any effort on your end. The phrases generally begin with “I am” and you really have to feel and believe them so that they can be internalized. You can write your own and speak them to yourself or there are even apps that you can listen to. It can’t hurt to try it out.
3. Mindfulness meditation: This is probably the most proven method scientifically to help think positively when depressed. Mindfulness is widely accepted in the psychological community as a way to combat anxiety and depression. It disciplines the mind to be more aware and have more control over thoughts when they arise. It teaches you to be more present and content with what is happening around you. This peaceful state gives little room for negative, intrusive thoughts. But when they do come, you just let them pass by. You can practice mindfulness by getting into a comfortable position, focusing on your breath, and being hyper aware of your senses. This allows you to tap into the present moment. You observe your thoughts without judgment as they come and go but always try to return to the breath afterwards. There are also many apps and YouTube videos out there that can guide you.
4. Proper sleep and nutrition: Your body affects your mind. So you should also make sure you are watching how you treat it. Sleep deprivation is a common cause of negativity and general irritableness. You should also be eating a balanced diet and enough calories to reduce stress on the body and keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.

Conclusion

I hope you were able to get something here that will help you in your desires to think positively when depressed. It is a very hard thing to do but it feels good to know that you are in control, not your depression. You must work on disciplining and controlling your mind so that it doesn’t control you. 

As mentioned in the beginning, you should always consult with a licensed professional when it comes to your depression and not every technique works for every situation. If you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, know that many have passed through the same thing and there is help available. 

The U.S. suicide hotline is open 24/7 at 800-273-8255 if you need to talk to someone.