Breaking the Cycle of Low Mood: Effective Strategies for Emotional Healing and Motivation

Low mood is one of the most common and challenging emotional experiences faced by many people and expresses itself on multiple levels. This article focuses on the cognitive dimension- namely, the negative perceptions a person has about themselves and their future.

The core of these distorted perceptions lies in judging the future based on current or past emotions. If the past or present feels dark, bitter, and painful, then the future is automatically painted in the same bleak tones, with no hope for improvement.

Through this distorted lens, a person experiences life events. Negative assumptions are often expressed through internal statements like: “Because I failed in relationships, community life, or social settings in the past, I will always be a failure.” This belief undermines motivation and prevents the person from taking action or initiating change. The lack of activity and engagement only reinforces the negative feelings, which then further reduce motivation, creating a vicious cycle.

Eventually, this cycle becomes self-sustaining: lack of activity is not just a symptom of depression, but also a cause, feeding and strengthening the depressive state.

We find support for this idea even in the Torah. The very first word of the Torah, “Bereishit”, begins with the Hebrew letter ב (bet). Commentators note that this letter is closed on three sides and open only in one direction- forward- symbolizing that the only way is to move ahead. The tiny stroke at the back of the letter allows for a small glance backward, to learn from the past, but not to dwell in it.

Jewish moral teachings and Chassidic thought also address this idea. They explain that when a person does something wrong, the damage is twofold: first, the act itself; and second, the internal judgment that follows- the feelings of worthlessness, self-criticism, and shame. As a popular saying puts it: “Don’t let who you were yesterday limit who you can be tomorrow.”

Tools for Improving Mood

Because a low mood interferes with daily functioning, treatment often begins with behavior. The person is asked to keep a weekly activity log, breaking the day into hourly or 3-hour segments, and recording what they did during each.

In the next phase, they are asked to note the motivation behind each activity: was it done for pleasure or usefulness? Was the action driven by personal desire or obligation?

A third layer of documentation includes rating how much enjoyment was felt from the activity. This is crucial, because in a depressed state, people often don’t notice or experience pleasure from daily life. This exercise helps them re-discover moments of enjoyment and become more aware of their internal state.

Over time, the person may realize how much of their day is consumed by unfulfilling, empty activities, such as reading news, gossiping, preparing food out of obligation, or worrying about trivial matters. These lead to boredom and hopelessness.

Once these unfulfilling activities are identified, the person is encouraged to build a list of pleasurable activities- even ones that brought enjoyment in the past, or are commonly enjoyed by others (e.g., listening to music, walking, exercising, reading, writing, art, or connecting with people). These are then used to create a schedule that includes small doses of pleasure.

An individual with low mood may have difficulty allowing themselves to enjoy anything. Positive emotions may be blocked by feelings of guilt or worthlessness. They may hear internal messages such as “You don’t deserve to feel good,” or “You’re not worthy of happiness.”

These beliefs cannot be changed by rational arguments alone. Instead, experience-based healing is needed, starting with mild positive experiences that won’t trigger strong resistance. The person is guided to gradually increase their exposure to enjoyable moments and allow themselves to feel joy without judgment or guilt.

Eventually, as the person begins to experience pleasure safely, the internal belief system starts to shift. They begin to believe that it’s okay- and even necessary- to feel good.

Mood Tracking Before and After Activities

To break the inner cycle of negativity, another helpful technique is to rate mood before and after each enjoyable activity. For example: before listening to music, the person is asked, “On a scale of 1–10, how much do you believe this will improve your mood?” After listening, they often discover that the improvement was greater than expected. This process challenges the distorted belief that nothing can help.

Over time, the person sees that their perceptions may not be accurate, and that life still holds potential for joy.

Treating a low mood is not a luxury, but a necessity. A depressed spirit loses its life force and its spark. Without intervention, this can lead to deeper emotional deterioration.

With the right help, a person can rise again, feel revitalized, and rediscover the taste of life, infused with joy, gratitude, and peace.