1.  Realize that you have a treatable condition and that there is hope.  People suffering from mood disorders frequently don't realize they have a problem.  They struggle with the storm of negative thoughts blowing through their mind, and they don't understand that their state of mind is abnormal.  They think that feeling down and depressed is the way their life is supposed to be.  They don't know that they can feel positive and enjoy each day.  They don't know that there is no limit to how good their life can become.  Until they realize that they have a treatable problem, and that there is hope, they will never get better.

2.  Reestablish command and control.  Either  you control your mind, or it controls you.  If your mind controls you, if it continually bombards you with chaotic racing thoughts that you don't want to think, if negative and twisted thoughts dominate your mind, then it's time to reestablish command and control.  You need to take command of your mind and control the thoughts you find there.  If you are trapped in deep depression you may need medication to reestablish command and control so that other types of therapy are effective.  If you have a milder mood disorder, you may be able to reestablish command and control without using medication.  Cognitive therapy alone may be effective in breaking the back of the negative and depressing thoughts that thunder in your mind.

3.  Recognize your cognitive distortions.  You must be able to recognize the distorted thoughts that bombard you when you feel negative and depressed.  You need to identify your twisted thoughts and call them by name.  Depressed individuals must become proactive and take responsibility for the treatment of their depression.  When you are able to recognize twisted and distorted thoughts, and call them out by name, you are on your way to winning the battle of the mind.  It won't be long before you feel better and your life improves.

4.  Reject your cognitive distortions.  Once you recognize that your twisted thoughts are abnormal, you can get rid of them.  Only the truth can set you free from your cognitive distortions.  As soon as you face the facts and reject your abnormal thoughts, you are on the path that leads out of the Land of Depression.

5.  Renew your mind with new thoughts.  Cognitive therapy is effective because that is the way God designed your mind to work.  Your thoughts (cognitions) create your emotions, and when you change the way you think, you also change the way you feel.  The Bible says, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  The Bible recognizes that you need a new way of thinking.  You must establish a program in which you regularly put positive and healthy thoughts into your mind.  God gave you a mind, and He expects you to fill it with good things.  Each day your job is to fill your mind with good things.  One of the best resources you can use to renew your mind is to use positive self-talk found at http://positiveselftalk.com.  You can change the way you think and feel by changing what you say when you talk to your mind.

6.  Reprogram your  mind with a positive operating system.  Your mind performs most efficiently when it has a positive operating system.  Positive thinking works because it's the natural software for your mind.  God made your mind so that it functions best when it's dominated by positive thoughts, and your job is to install a positive operating system.

7.  Radically shift your focus to God's love.  God's love is the most powerful and most positive force in the universe.  When you focus on it and let it into your heart and mind, it changes the way you think and feel, and you receive the power to overcome life's greatest challenges.  When your mind is full of thoughts consistent with God's love, your mind is exactly the way God means for it to be.  When your heart is full of emotions consistent with his love, your heart is exactly the way God means for it to be.

8.  Repeat these steps when you need to regain the high ground in the battle of the mind.  Don't let depression create a stronghold in your mind.  The war for a positive mind is fought on the battlefield of focus.  Use the power of focus to  drive depression from your mind and to fill it with positive things.  If  you really want to have a mind free from depression, nobody can stop you.

Excerpt from :

Zero Tolerance To Negative Thinking : Good-by Depression - Hello Positive Mind

David J Abbott M.D.