8 Mental Tricks to Overcome Depression

1.Don't catastrophize

One way to sabotage yourself is to take a single event and treat it as an ongoing source of negativity. "People who are unemployed do this a lot," says Rego. "They've lost their job because of the economy and they personalize it."

2.Stop ruminating

Ever clash with a colleague or fight with a friend and then keep obsessively thinking about it, amplifying the anger, stress, and anxiety associated with the memory? Known as rumination, this type of thinking is linked to a greater risk of becoming or staying depressed.

3.Don't dwell on the past

It's pretty pointless to tell yourself you should have done this or shouldn't have done that. You can't change the past, but you can live in the present.

4.Reach out to others

A hallmark of depression is isolation. It can happen easily if you're not working, or you're avoiding people because you're depressed. But reinvigorating or expanding a social network provides an opportunity to get support, perhaps even from people in the same or a similar situation.

5.Stick to a structured routine

Even if you don't feel like it, make sure you get up at a set time, eat meals at the same hour every day (even if you're not hungry), and avoid lounging on the couch during the day lest it prevent you from sleeping well at night.

6.Avoid black and white thinking

Black and white is great for zebras, but not thoughts. Depressed people tend to think in extremes: I'm a loser. No one loves me. I'll never get a job.

7.Reality check your thoughts

If you're depressed, negative thoughts go with the territory. However, they are rarely grounded in reality.

8.Don't deny depression

If your present situation, well, sucks, denying it will only make things worse. "Some people don't accept they're depressed and instead beat themselves up or think they're crazy or weak,"