Depression. It's an ugly word and has been over used a lot! When people describe the blues or are feeling really sad, they use the word depression to describe it. According to Richard O'Connor , PhD though, he describes depression as a lack of feeling. Pretty surprising huh. Especially when most of us are likely to feel "empty" or "sad". I think about it this way however. When is the last time you were able to feel anything but sad or empty? What about joy, understanding, compassion, and generosity? Richard O'Connor teaches that one has to retrain themselves how to feel again, to identify feelings, and what events triggered them. He explains that one can use a mood journal to better understand our feelings and conquer depression. Here's how it works.

Make 4 columns. To the left of the page, the date and time. The second to the left the mood change. The second from the right the situation that triggered it. To the right the thoughts, fantasies, and memories that go along with the situation.  If you are like me and can't stick with writing down your mood just be aware of what triggers your mood. Take a mindful approach to this. Together we can conquer this depression and make it go running!