I'm Still Human: Understanding Depression With Kindness (Expanded Edition - 2021)

10 ways to cultivate kindness for
coping with depression
Supported by research in positive and humanistic
psychology, kindness and related positive qualities,
e.g. compassion, peace, gratitude, gentleness,
patience – are all helpful in healing of
depression. They buffer the pain of depression,
facilitate recovery, promote wisdom, and prevent depression
relapse. On the other hand, negative states of mind, e.g. anger, guilt,
grudge, frustrations, discontentment will maintain or worsen
depression. Below are some suggestions on how we can cultivate
kindness for coping with depression.
1. YOU ARE NOT ALONE:
Remember that depression affects one in ten persons. It’s a
natural consequence of various risk factors and stressors that you
are going through. If I’m in your shoes, I’ll probably have
depression as well. This positive mental attitude is important as
thoughts of, “Why me?! Why only me?!” often create a sense of
frustration and isolation that worsens depression. Not surprisingly,
people who participate in a depression support group often feel
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