Self-Management of Depression

Although empathy has increasingly become a buzzword in the modern wellness and leadership lexicon, it is more than just a fad. Empathy is the ability or capacity to identify or vicariously experience the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of others. Phrases such as “walking in another person’s shoes” or “seeing the world through the eyes of another person” epitomize the concept of empathy. Being able to pick up on emotional nonverbal cues, such as tone of voice and facial expressions, is at the heart of empathy. In addition to reading another’s emotions, at higher levels, empathy also entails sensing and responding to a person’s unspoken concerns or feelings and also understanding the issues or concerns that lie behind those feelings (Goleman, 1998). Empathic people – are attentive to emotional cues and listen well. show sensitivity and understand others’ perspectives. help others by understanding their needs and feelings. Empathy is not a single, discrete emotion, but a constellation of...

From Greeks and Romans to the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness has been a sine qua non of the good life . One of the biggest puzzles for philosophers through the ages and modern-day psychologists is to define the factors that influence happiness. Research has suggested three such variables (Lyubomirsky et al., 2005; Ryan & Deci, 2001). 1. Happiness set point: Studies have revealed that around 50% of the variation in the happiness levels between individuals can be accounted for by genes. This happiness level is assumed to be stable over time and people tend to return to their set point after being exposed to a positive or a negative event. However, this doesn’t mean that individuals with a low baseline set point cannot increase happiness. Researchers have now discovered that most individuals return to a positive emotional baseline rather than a neutral emotional baseline following an emotionally significant event. Moreover, this so-call...

Burnout has become a common term in our modern lexicon, with people using it broadly to describe their general experience of stress at work. Although not classified as a medical condition with diagnostic criteria like other mental health conditions, burnout does have a specific definition based on extensive research. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout is more than just feeling bummed out or having a bad day at work; it doesn’t happen overnight. It slowly creeps up on us, albeit with some warning signs. Burnout most commonly results from an imbalance between the demands and resources at work, or a conflict between personal and organizational values. In particular, burnout is conceptualized as the final stage of breakdown in one’s ability to adapt to the demand/resource mismatch or values conflict. Symptoms of burnout represent not only the presence o...

Psychologists define savoring as the ability to tune in to, appreciate, and enhance the enjoyment associated with a positive experience (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). Though you can savor the past (positive reminiscing) or the future (anticipatory savoring), in its most widely used clinical application, savoring refers to intensifying and prolonging the enjoyment of positive events as and when they happen. A savoring experience consists of your sensations, perceptions, thoughts, behaviors, and feelings when you mindfully attend to and appreciate something positive (Bryant et al., 2011). Common examples of savoring include eating a gourmet meal, listening to a musical performance, soaking in a warm bath, receiving a compliment, spending time with a good friend, enjoying the outdoors, or winning an honor or reward. Besides positive things happening around you, you can also savor internal thoughts or feelings (e.g., that you are blessed with good health). However, just because you experien...

Self-compassion is compassion turned inwards, i.e., how you relate to yourself in instances of perceived failure, inadequacy, or personal suffering. Self-compassion involves being touched by and open to your own suffering, not avoiding or disconnecting from it, generating the desire to alleviate your suffering, and to heal yourself with kindness (Neff, 2003). While much has been written in the popular media about strategies, including  well-known meditation exercises such as  loving-kindness meditation , to enhance self-compassion, the attributes that foster it  haven't received much attention. Self-compassion is not a one-size-fits-all intervention that will work for everyone, which is why knowledge of these attributes will help you decide if this can be an effective strategy for you. Paul Gilbert and colleagues, leading researchers in the field of self-compassion, have identified the following attributes as being quintessential to experiencing self-compassion (Gilbert, ...

What is Reminiscence? According to the Oxford Dictionary, to reminiscence is to “indulge in the enjoyable recollection of past events.” Interestingly, embedded in the definition of reminiscence is the positive emotion of joy. Reminiscing is more than just flipping through an old photograph album; it also involves reflection and reconstructing your memories. It is a process of discovering and re-discovering who you are today by making linkages between disparate aspects of your life, your families, and your communities (Gibson, 2011). You can reminiscence in various forms – mental image, speech, writing, poetry, drawing, painting, drama, mime, music, dance, or some other medium of communication. Literature on reminiscence identifies two types of positive reminiscence that lead to well-being and decrease in depressive symptoms (Watt & Cappeliez, 2000; Wong & Watt, 1991): 1. Integrative reminiscence: This involves accepting one’s past as worthwhile, reconciling the discrepancy...

Although we have all heard the medical profession touting the health benefits of physical activity and exercise, most of us don’t regularly engage in this inexpensive health-promoting behavior. In addition to preventing chronic medical conditions, growing evidence demonstrates that physical activity and exercise improve mental well-being and have a buffering effect on depression. A review of the literature showed that a higher level of baseline physical activity was associated with decreased risk of developing depression in the future (Mammen & Faulkner, 2013). Even low levels of physical activity, such as walking less than 150 minutes per week, can prevent future depression. Another study demonstrated that individuals who engaged in physical activity for more than 30 minutes a day had a 48% lower risk of being depressed at follow-up compared to individuals who didn’t engage in physical activity (van Gool et al., 2006). Interestingly, the same study also showed that each minute of ...

The word "acceptance" has been thrown around as a coping style, especially in situations one cannot control. However, what needs to be clarified is that acceptance comes in all sizes and shapes, ranging from radical acceptance to practical acceptance. This is where mindful acceptance , as propounded in the evidence-based  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) , offers a more structured way of putting acceptance into practice. Mindful acceptance is a self-management style that helps you accept your thoughts and emotions at face value without doing one of these six things that your idle mind is programmed to do during downtime: Dwelling on your thoughts or emotions Analyzing or overanalyzing your thoughts and emotions Judging yourself or others Avoiding situations that remind you of specific thoughts and emotions Suppressing your unhelpful thoughts and emotions by forcefully trying to push them out Trying to get rid of negative thoughts and emotions by distraction or other in...

Technology allows you to multitask – you are in a meeting but also watching for incoming texts from your spouse, or you are finishing a document while keeping an eye for incoming emails. Some workplaces expect you to be on top of your in-box at all times of the day. And then there is playing catch-up with the “likes” and “profile updates” on the social networking sites. One study found that the more people engaged in media multitasking, the higher their depression and anxiety levels tended to be (Becker et al., 2013). Use of social networking sites has also been associated with lower life satisfaction and worse mental health. This may stem from detraction from face-to-face relationships, reduced investment in meaningful activities, increased sedentary behavior, internet addiction, and erosion of self-esteem through unfavorable social comparisons (Shakya & Christakis, 2017). In addition, individuals prone for depression, while using social media sites, are more likely to negatively ...

When asked about  their meaning in life, most people launch into a rambling monologue about the  sources  that create meaning in life, such as family, relationships, work, hobbies, and spirituality . Or, after a nervous chuckle, they try to change the subject. Truthfully, what exactly meaning in life means is not easy to define and, not surprisingly, meaning in life often gets confused with other states of mind or psychological constructs. It gets mixed up with happiness (which is more akin to pleasure and immediate satisfaction), identity (which involves a more global sense of self), well-being (which is more reflective of quality of life), and the search for meaning (which involves seeking meaning) (Hill, 2018). Why is this abstract concept of meaning in life so important? Research shows that having meaning in life helps you interpret and organize your experiences, build a sense of your own worth, identify what matters to you, and direct your energies more effectively. ...

Popular social media posts and self-help books extol the benefits of correctly naming our emotions, reproducing a lengthy menu of emotional labels to choose from. This is a good exercise in cultivating emotional intelligence through self-awareness. In this context, expressive writing is a simple and proven tool that expands on this facet of self-awareness to use writing as a tool to regulate emotions. Expressive writing involves engaging in deep and meaningful writing about a stressful life event or trauma (Pennebaker & Seagal, 1999). It is hypothesized that the act of converting emotions and images into words changes the way a person thinks and organizes about a stressful situation. By integrating thoughts and feelings related to the stress or trauma, an individual then can develop a more coherent narrative of the experience.  The instructions for expressive writing are as under (Gortner et al., 2006):      “For the next 3 days, write about your very deepest tho...

              Popular self-help books try to convince you that you can improve your self-worth in 10 days. It's not that simple. Let's get to the definition of self-worth first. The American Psychological Association's Dictionary of Psychology defines self-worth as an "individual’s evaluation of himself or herself as a valuable, capable human being deserving of respect and consideration." The more positive feelings of self-worth an individual has, the higher their self-esteem is, while persistent low self-worth can be a symptom of depression. As can be gleaned, the definition of self-worth is highly subjective, and it is not uncommon for people to harbor faulty notions about their self-worth. Your thinking may get skewed into believing that your self-worth is restricted to your performance in certain areas of life that are of special personal importance to you, such as work, family life, or intellectual pursuits. You then mistakenly start defining...

What are Hot Buttons? We hear a lot about the importance of emotional intelligence in personal and work life. However, tangible and easy-to-use strategies to cultivate emotional intelligence without psychobabble are hard to find. One simple strategy to increase awareness of your and others’ emotions, a key component of emotional intelligence, is identifying your hot buttons (Lynn, 2007). This technique is useful in gauging your reactions during an emotionally charged or high-stress situation and makes you aware that there may be other ways of reacting to a situation rather than the usual fight-or-flight response. Hot buttons are events, words, phrases, situations, or a combination of these things that set off an immediate and intense negative emotion in you. People may not be intentionally trying to push these buttons, but your defensive reaction may drive them away. Thus, recognizing these hot buttons and not letting yourself give into these will help you maintain healthy interperson...

Too often we come across quotes in social media on the lines, "The older I get, the less I care about..." or the "The older I get, the more I appreciate..." Do we have to really wait for our golden years to find meaning in life? The answer is a resounding no. Since the dawn of time, poets, philosophers, theologists, and scientists have tried to make sense of the concept of meaning in life. As much as meaning in life is viewed as an amorphous psychological concept, there are tangible ways to explore one's meaning in life. Here's where values come into the picture. Value-focused exercises give you an insight into what really matters in your life.  These exercises also make you aware of the discrepancies between what you are pursuing in your life at present and what you really want your life to stand for. This discrepancy generates the drive and motivation to pursue goals that are more in line with your values. Also, these exercises help you reconsider the imp...

What is Hardiness? A lot has been talked about resilience in popular media and, regrettably, most of these discussions don't go beyond the oft-repeated wellness strategies. In this context, hardiness is a psychological construct that contributes to resilience but has received little attention. Previously labeled as existential courage, hardiness is a pattern of attitudes and strategies that together facilitate turning stressful circumstances from potential disasters into growth opportunities. Hardiness functions as a resistance resource in buffering the effects of stressful events and thus contributes to resilience. The 3 Cs of hardiness that help hardy individuals cope better with stress are as follows (Kobasa et al., 1982): Commitment: Commitment is the belief that no matter how bad things get, you will stay involved with whatever is happening, rather than sinking into detachment, passivity, or avoidance. Commitment helps you have a generalized sense of purpose that allows you t...