15 Gentle Questions to Help You Challenge Depression and Reclaim Hope

Feeling stuck in the fog of depression can make it hard to tell what’s real and what’s just the voice of discouragement speaking louder than usual. When you’re in that space, even simple tasks can feel overwhelming, and your inner critic might be working overtime. But one powerful way to begin shifting that inner landscape is through gentle reflection.

The questions below are designed to help you slow down, get curious about your thoughts, and reconnect with your values, resilience, and self-compassion. These aren’t meant to "fix" anything overnight—they're small invitations to see your experience differently, one honest answer at a time.

Whether you journal your responses, reflect during a quiet moment, or talk them through with someone you trust, my hope is that these questions help you feel a little less alone and a little more grounded in what’s true.

Thought Awareness

1. What is the story I’m telling myself right now?

2. Are these thoughts facts or interpretations?

3. Would I say this to a friend I love if they were feeling the way I do?

Challenging Negative Beliefs

1. What evidence supports this thought? What evidence contradicts it?

2. Is there a more balanced or compassionate way to look at this?

3. How would I feel if I let go of this thought, even briefly?

Self-Compassion

1. What would it look like to give myself grace today?

2. What do I need emotionally right now, and how can I meet that need?

3. What part of me is hurting, and how can I listen to it without judgment?

Reconnecting with Values and Hope

1. When have I felt a sense of meaning, even in small ways?

2. What small act of kindness or connection could I offer myself or someone else today?

3. What do I want my life to stand for, eFeeling stuck in the fog of depression can make it hard to tell what’s real and what’s just the voice of discouragement speaking louder than usual. When you’re in that space, even simple tasks can feel overwhelming, and your inner critic might be working overtime. But one powerful way to begin shifting that inner landscape is through gentle reflection.

   The questions below are designed to help you slow down, get curious about your thoughts, and reconnect with your values, resilience, and self-compassion. These aren’t meant to "fix" anything overnight—they're small invitations to see your experience differently, one honest answer at a time.

   Whether you journal your responses, reflect during a quiet moment, or talk them through with someone you trust, my hope is that these questions help you feel a little less alone and a little more grounded in what’s true.ven in hard seasons?

Perspective and Growth

1. Have I gotten through something difficult before? What helped me then?

2. If this feeling had something to teach me, what might it be?

3. What is one tiny, doable step I could take today to care for myself?