These CBT exercises and worksheets are specifically designed to help with depression by combating antagonistic notions, increasing positive activities, and improving mood regulation.

1. “Catch it, check it, change it” exercise
   

• • Purpose: Assists in detecting and confronting depressive thoughts.
  • Instructions: When you notice a negative thought, go through the three steps:

Step	Question to ask yourself	Example
Catch it	What negative thought am I having?	“I’m worthless.”
Check it	Is there evidence for or against this thought?	“I have people who care about me.”
Change it	What’s a more balanced way to see this?	“I’m struggling, but I still have value.”

Worksheet: Catch it, Check It, Change It PDF.

2. Mood tracking journal
   

• • Purpose: Helps to recognize patterns in your attitude and what influences them.
  • Instructions: Fill out the table daily to track your emotions and behaviors.

Date	Mood (1-10)	What happened?	What helped or hurt?
Monday	4	Stayed in bed all day.	Talking to a friend helped a little.
Tuesday	6	Took a walk outside.	Fresh air and movement improved my mood.

Printable version: Daily Mood Journal.

3. The “5-4-3-2-1” Grounding Exercise
   

• • Purpose: Helps manage depressive rumination by directing attention to the present moment.
  • Instructions: Engage your senses when feeling stunned:
  • 5 things you can see.
  • 4 things you can touch.
  • 3 things you can hear.
  • 2 things you can smell.
  • 1 thing you can taste.

Worksheet: Grounding Techniques for Depression & Anxiety.

4. Self-compassion letter
   
   

• • Purpose: Aids in reframing self-criticism into self-kindness.
  • Instructions: Write a letter to yourself as if you were comforting a friend.

Example prompt:

“Imagine your best friend was struggling with depression. What would you tell them? Now, say those same things to yourself.”

Worksheet: Self-Compassion Letter Guide.

5. “What’s in my control?” exercise
   

• • Purpose: Helps reduce hopelessness by aiming for controllable actions.
  • Instructions:
  • Divide a piece of paper into two sections:
    ✅ In my control | ❌ Not in my control
  • List things that you can change and things that are beyond your control.

Example worksheet: Control & Letting Go.

6. Activity scheduling for motivation
   
   

• • Purpose: Increasing enjoyable and meaningful activities, even when motivation is low.
  • Instructions: Plan one minor activity per day and rate how you feel before and after.

Worksheet: Pleasant Activities Schedule.

7. “If I had more energy, I would…” list
   

• • Purpose: Reconnecting with things that bring you happiness.
  • Instructions: Pen down small activities you would like if you had more energy.

Example:

• • If I had more energy, I would go for a walk in the park.
  • If I had more energy, I would call my best friend.

Use this as a reference when motivation is low!

Here are some additional CBT exercises and worksheets specifically for depression that concentrate on breaking negative thought patterns, improving self-esteem, and increasing motivation.

1. The “STOPP” technique for overthinking

• • Purpose: Helps interrupt negative thinking spirals.
  • Instructions: Use the acronym STOPP when you feel plagued:

Step	Question to ask yourself	Example
S – Stop	Pause before reacting.	“I’m feeling down right now.”
T – Take a breath	Deep breaths to calm down.	“Breathe in… Breathe out…”
O – Observe	What am I thinking and feeling?	“I feel worthless and exhausted.”
P – Perspective	Is there another way to look at this?	“I’m having a tough day, but I’ve had good days too.”
P – Proceed	What’s a helpful next step?	“Maybe I can take a walk or text a friend.”

Worksheet: STOPP Self-Help Worksheet.

2. Self-esteem thought challenge
   
   

• • Purpose: Countering self-critical beliefs and building self-worth.
  • Instructions: When you think harmfully about yourself, fill out this chart.

Negative thought	Evidence for	Evidence against	Balanced thought
“I’m a failure.”	I made a mistake at work.	I’ve succeeded before. One mistake doesn’t define me.	“I made a mistake, but I can learn from it.”

Worksheet: Self-Esteem Thought Challenge.

3. “The 3-minute distraction plan”
   

• • Purpose: Quickly shift attention when feeling stuck in negativity.
  • Instructions: Pick one from each category when feeling low:

• • • Physical action: Stretch, walk, dance, splash cold water on your face.
    • Mental distraction: Name 10 things in the room, solve a riddle, or count backward from 100.
    • Emotional shift: Watch a funny video, listen to upbeat music, or recall a happy memory.

Worksheet: Coping Skills List.

4. “If I were advising a friend…” exercise
   
   

• • Purpose: Altering self-critical views to a more compassionate perspective.
  • Instructions: Write your adverse judgment and then write how you’d respond if a friend said the same thing.

Example:

• • My thought: “I’ll never get better.”
  • What I’d tell a friend: “You’re going through a tough time, but things can change. What small step can you take today?”

Worksheet: Self-Compassion Guide.

5. “Depression iceberg” exercise
   

• • Purpose: Uncovering hidden emotions behind depression.
  • Instructions: Draw an iceberg.
  • On the tip (visible part), write: “I feel depressed.”
  • Under the surface, list deeper emotions (“I feel lonely, unmotivated, guilty”).

Worksheet template: Emotion Iceberg.

6. The “10% better” rule
   

• • Purpose: Altering from all-or-nothing thinking.
  • Instructions: When feeling stuck, ask:

“What would make this situation 10% better?”

Example:

• • If feeling exhausted → “10% better = drinking water or opening a window.”
  • If feeling isolated → “10% better = texting one person.”

Worksheet: Small Steps for Depression.

7. “Rewriting my depression story” exercise
   
   

• • Purpose: Helps reframe personal identity beyond depression.
  • Instructions: Write two versions of your life story:

• • • The depression story: Describe your struggles.
    • The growth story: Rewrite your story, highlighting strengths, resilience, and modest wins.

Example:

• • Old story: “I’ve always been depressed. I never get things right.”
  • New story: “I’ve faced challenges, but I’m working on little steps to improve each day.”

Worksheet: Narrative Therapy Guide.

8. “5-minute purpose finder” exercise
   

• • Purpose: Helps reconnect with meaning and purpose.
  • Instructions: Answer these 3 questions:

• • • What do I enjoy or find meaningful? (Even small things count!)
    • What’s one thing I could do today that aligns with that?
    • How will I remind myself to do it?

Example:

• • “I enjoy helping people.”
  • “I’ll send an encouraging message to a friend.”
  • “I’ll set a reminder on my phone at 5 PM.”

Worksheet: Finding Meaning Worksheet.

Some supplementary exercises aim at emotional processing, motivation, self-acceptance, and resilience building.

1. The “RAIN” mindfulness technique
   
   

• • Purpose: Processing difficult emotions without judgment.
  • Instructions: When feeling depressed or exhausted, use RAIN:

Step	Question to ask yourself	Example
R – Recognize	What am I feeling right now?	“I feel hopeless and tired.”
A – Allow	Can I allow this feeling to exist without fighting it?	“It’s okay to feel this way for now.”
I – Investigate	Why do I feel this way? What do I need?	“I haven’t rested enough. I need self-care.”
N – Nurture	How can I comfort or support myself?	“I’ll take a warm bath and rest today.”

Worksheet: RAIN Mindfulness Guide.

2. The “emotional first aid kit” exercise
   

• • Purpose: Aids in creating a self-care plan for when depression hits.
  • Instructions: List soothing actions you can take when struggling.

Category	Actions I can take
Physical comfort	Take a warm shower, stretch, and drink herbal tea.
Emotional comfort	Write in a journal and listen to calming music.
Social support	Call a friend, text someone I trust.
Distraction activities	Watch a funny show, do a puzzle, or color a mandala.

Worksheet template: Self-Care Plan.

3. “Reframing the worst-case scenario” exercise
   
   

• • Purpose: Reducing catastrophic thinking and building flexibility.
  • Instructions: When facing a distressing thought, go through these steps:

Step	Example thought	Reframed thought
Worst case	“If I fail this project, my life is over.”	“Failing isn’t the end of the world. I can try again.”
Best case	“Maybe I’ll do better than I expected.”	“This could be a learning experience.”
Most likely case	“It might be tough, but I’ll handle it.”	“One failure won’t define me.”

Worksheet: Challenging Negative Thoughts.

4. The “values-based action plan”

• • Purpose: Reconnecting with what truly matters to you.
  • Instructions: Find your top values and create small daily actions around them.

Value	Small action
Kindness	Write a thank-you note.
Creativity	Draw for 5 minutes.
Health	Walk for 10 minutes.

 Worksheet: Values & Meaning Workbook.

5. The “emotional wheel” exercise
   

• • Purpose: Identifying hidden feelings behind depression.
  • Instructions: Use an emotion wheel to explore what you’re feeling beyond just “sad” or “tired.”

Core emotion	deeper feeling
Sad	Lonely, disappointed, rejected.
Angry	Frustrated, resentful, powerless.
Anxious	Overwhelmed, uncertain, insecure.

Worksheet: Emotion Wheel Printable.

6. “The 5-minute rule” for motivation

• • Purpose: Assists in overcoming low motivation and procrastination.
  • Instructions: When struggling to start a task, commit to just 5 minutes of it.

Example:

• • Instead of “I don’t want to clean the kitchen,” say: “I’ll wash one.”
  • Rather than telling yourself, “I don’t feel like exercising,” say: “I’ll stretch for 5 minutes.”

Worksheet: Behavioral Activation Guide.

7. “Letters to my future self” exercise
   
   

• • Purpose: Creating hope and perspective.
  • Instructions: Pen a letter to yourself in 1 month, 6 months, or a year from now.

Example prompts:

• • “Dear future me, I know things feel hard now, but I believe you’ll get through this…”
  • “I hope you remember that you are strong, even when it doesn’t feel that way…”

Worksheet: Letter to Future Self Template.

8. “The gratitude flip” challenge

• • Purpose: Transferring attention from negative to positive
  • Instructions: Take a complaint and flip it into gratitude.

Complaint	Gratitude flip
“I hate my job.”	“I’m grateful to have a job that provides for me.”
“I feel alone.”	“I appreciate the people who have been there for me.”

Worksheet: Gratitude Journal.

9. “Tracking small wins” journal
   
   

• Purpose: Countering feelings of failure by focusing on daily progress.
• Instructions: Write one small victory each day.

Date	Small win
Monday	Got out of bed even though I didn’t feel like it.
Tuesday	Sent an email I was avoiding.
Wednesday	Took a 5-minute walk.

Worksheet: Success Journal.

10. “The self-compassion mirror” exercise
    

• • Purpose: Easing self-criticism and increasing self-kindness.
  • Instructions: Every morning, look in the mirror and say:

“I am worthy, even when I struggle.”

Worksheet: Self-Compassion Guide.

Looking for more?

If you want more in-depth exercises, check out:

Books:

• “Mind Over Mood” by Greenberger & Padesky (CBT exercises for depression).
• “The Upward Spiral” by Alex Korb (Science-backed small steps for depression recovery).

Conclusion

Cognitive therapy is widely regarded as a highly effective approach for treating depression.

That’s because it enables people to actively address the thoughts that fuel their depressive symptoms and teaches lasting skills that can improve their mental health in the long term.