Emotions and instincts are innate behavioural guides that enable us to get what we want and stand up for ourselves when something is wrong. Along with our emotions and instincts we have the power to step back from our emotional responses (using our observing self) and work out whether they are justified or not and whether we can do something about what is causing us to react the way we do.

Depression is an emotion telling us that something is not right, that we are not getting our innate needs met using our resources and once we find out which parts of our lives could be going more smoothly and are causing worrying, we can do something to fix the situation and lift the depression.