An online experiment by Seligman and colleagues on a group of 411 mildly depressed individuals produced very positive results.
The volunteers were engaged for seven days in one of five well-being enhancing activities that involved practicing gratitude, positive thinking, and focusing on one’s strengths.
The result was that they experienced a boost in well-being and a decline in depressive symptoms. A follow up 11 months later showed that these benefits were maintained well after the experiment ended.
Two of the activities in particular: writing about three good things in one’s life and using one’s key strengths in a new way resulted in the most lasting improvement of depression. The third was changing negative thought patterns.
To summarize here are the three keys to breaking through depression.
- Practicing gratitude
- Focusing on your strengths rather than weaknesses
- Changing negative thought patterns
Keep tuned in with this blog for information on how to do these activities.
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