6 Low mood

As we discussed earlier, feeling low can increase the chances of us thinking negatively and experiencing distressing physical symptoms. One of the most common reasons why people with depression do not engage in more helpful behaviours is because of their low mood. As we will explore next week, it is important to follow a daily plan and structure despite how you feel. For example, Ally wakes up and knows he has a 9am meeting at work. Although he doesn’t want to get up, he does anyway and after having a shower and breakfast he notices his mood has improved slightly. However, if he had responded to how he felt when he woke up, he wouldn’t have gone to the meeting, probably would have stayed in bed, and would have ended up feeling even lower in mood.