Depressive thinking is overwhelmingly negative. One of the most helpful methods of overcoming depression is learning to  change negative thought patterns. This is a major undertaking to do on your own. It is usually most productive when you are guided into changing negative thought patterns with your psychologist or therapist in cognitive behavioral therapy. In the meantime, you can simply focus on becoming more aware of your unhealthy thought patterns.  When you are feeling particularly low or down, look back over your thoughts. What have you been saying to yourself for the past few hours or days? More than likely, these thoughts are negative and contributing to your poor mood. Aim to identify your negative thinking for a few days. Notice negative thoughts, acknowledge them as being negative and unhelpful to your situation, and release them. Remind yourself that thoughts are just thoughts; they aren't facts or truths.  Once you become good at spotting negative thought patterns, you can try to challenge these thoughts. Is what you're saying to yourself logical and realistic? Or, is it exaggerated in some way? Can you think of evidence to refute these negative statements? Try to attack your negative thinking by pointing out how irrational it is, then restate your self-talk to be more realistic. For example, you might say "My symptoms will never improve". If you can note even the smallest improvements in your symptoms, such as you getting better sleep or being able to complete more schoolwork, then you have evidence to refute this claim. Reframe your self-talk with this evidence in mind. A new statement might be: "It is taking time for my symptoms to improve dramatically, but I do see that my sleep has gotten better and I have been getting more schoolwork done." Journaling can be a cathartic experience since it allows you to unload your worries, problems, and stressors onto a sheet of paper. In regards to depression, journaling can also help you to problem-solve and track patterns in your symptoms. Write in your journal for a few minutes at the end of your day, including details of what happened, how you felt and what you thought. If you like, you can also take this exercise one step further and consider how you could have handled the day differently by changing your thoughts or reactions to stressful situations. Although meditation is heavily acclaimed for its mental health benefits, unless you are already a guru, you may not have the mental discipline to practice right now. Try some easy relaxation exercises to reduce your stress. These may include deep breathing, yoga, massage, listening to soothing music, or taking a long, hot bath.
راقب طريقة تفكيرك. اكتب يومياتك كل مساء. مارس تمارين الاسترخاء.