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Tiny Mental Shifts for Depression



Tiny Mental Shifts for Depression

Depression doesn’t always lift with one big breakthrough.
Most of the time, it’s the tiny shifts that change everything:
Choosing self-compassion over self-criticism
Reaching out instead of withdrawing
Reframing “I’m broken” into “I’m healing”
Taking one small action instead of waiting to feel motivated
Little by little, these micro-habits stack up — and they can be the bridge from depression to resilience.

FREE Mental Health Resources: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.co…
Check out my podcast, Therapy in a Nutshell: https://tinpodcast.podbean.com/

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life’s direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c…

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 988 or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

View 25 Comments

25 Comments

  3. @kaileybaker4488 on

    I love this visual! It is really helpful to me. One thing that I noticed was that at the beginning it didn't seem like it was making a difference at all, but then all of the sudden it did make a difference, but you have to start somewhere. I think that is where I'm at, I've been trying so many different things, but it doesn't seem like anything is helping, this gives me hope that it actually is helping and if I keep finding more things that I will finally find relief.

  5. @Nobrainwashing1414 on

    You are best. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤. Yes. I screwed up during a new teaching experience with kids. So I thought. An interesting story but this video is like a ginger snap. An awakening. Fast. I listen to this several times. Saved it.

  10. @MaxMaudsley-j7w on

    I appreciate your content very much! Not sure if you'll see this, but worth a shot:

    The one that stuck out to me was, "taking action, even if you don't feel like it," and I have been stuck in a balancing act between burnout of several kinds, including autistic burnout, chronic stress, hypervigilence from C-PTSD, mix of varying internal and external factors—depression is the other side of that balancing act. Sometimes I will wake up motivated and ready for a productive day, only to find that I didn't realize until starting the day that, for example, my distress tolerance is low, so all of the energy and motivation I woke up with is just zapped by things that, when I'm well-regulated, would be easy to brush off.
    Conversely, some days I feel like I woke up with an empty battery, and my instinct is to rest, but what I actually need is forward momentum—to get my body moving, or my dopamine flowing. And due to the aforementioned burnout, sometimes pushing myself backfires on me, and sets my recovery time back, sometimes for days.

    I suppose my question amounts to: what are some ways to identify the difference between burning out/shutting down (which would be helped with rest), and depression (which would be helped by pushing onward, even though it's difficult)?

    If there are any lol. I do recognize the possibility that my struggles with interoception may limit me to my current trial-and-error method 😅

  16. @TiffaniNikiforos on

    I love this. The visual balancing the scale with micro habits flipped a switch. Was having a bad day this reminded me it was a bad or unpleasant event and I can choose to add wins to my day too. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO!!! I come to your vids again and again.

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