Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

Appreciation Exercise“Good for Me’s”Most depressed people focus on their mistakes, what they should have done or couldbe doing, and compare themselves unjustly to others who are not depressed.This is like a marathon runner with a broken leg comparing herself to otheruninjured runners.Depression, like a broken leg, severely limits what you can do. You need to focuson small goals and genuinely congratulate yourself for making an effort, no matterhow small.• Every night, before you go to sleep, find 5 things you did that day which requireda bit of effort on your part. It can be something you committed to (make supper)or something you spontaneously chose to do (set table). Choose small every daythings, not ones that took great effort, because everyday things contribute most to afunctioning life.• Monitor your self-talk. Be supportive and encouraging, even for small achievements,as you would for a friend.• Practice, practice, practice — like all strategies this works best if you do it daily.Writing it down will show you, over time, how far you’ve come.CBIS MANUAL | MAY 2009ACTIVATION | 4351