Here's a trick that has sometimes helped pull me out of ruts:
Once a day, find three new things to be grateful for or about.
These things don't need to be anything monumental -- the idea is to force yourself to search.
I'll admit that at first, this can feel self-condescending or humiliating -- but bear in mind this is between you and yourself. Treat it like a game; try approaching it tactically. After a few days of trying it, it seemed to work for me. Some studies have found that keeping a journal[1] enhances the effect.
This shouldn't be confused with incessant "positive thinking" (which is generally bad advice[2]). The key difference is that you're not suppressing negative thoughts or trying to "drown them out" with positive ones; it's merely a brief, daily exercise.
Of course, this obviously isn't a cure-all for depression; just another tool for your toolbox. You should seriously consider therapy if you haven't tried it yet.
Once a day, find three new things to be grateful for or about.
These things don't need to be anything monumental -- the idea is to force yourself to search.
I'll admit that at first, this can feel self-condescending or humiliating -- but bear in mind this is between you and yourself. Treat it like a game; try approaching it tactically. After a few days of trying it, it seemed to work for me. Some studies have found that keeping a journal[1] enhances the effect.
This shouldn't be confused with incessant "positive thinking" (which is generally bad advice[2]). The key difference is that you're not suppressing negative thoughts or trying to "drown them out" with positive ones; it's merely a brief, daily exercise.
Of course, this obviously isn't a cure-all for depression; just another tool for your toolbox. You should seriously consider therapy if you haven't tried it yet.
[1] http://lesswrong.com/lw/i0c/for_happiness_keep_a_gratitude_j...
[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/janbruce/2013/11/19/how-positive...