Some weeks are like that. When I get that down, I do retire to my bed early with a good book or something, take a break from my "usual" routines and activities that I think I should be doing or usually do enjoy. If I can identify specific stressors, I let some of them go, at least for the moment; often they are beliefs or set-ups I have put in place ("I should have a job by now", "I have to go to this, that, or the other interview/party/activity"). Often I can identify some little thing I would rather be doing or wish I have and just go do/buy that. Feeling down is as good a time as any to enjoy favorite foods; so I don't have a cold/aren't sick, close enough! :-)

I think we practice CBT on ourselves all the time but also BHCBT (black hole CBT :-) and T's want us to concentrate on the positive kind of thoughts and actions and work with ourselves instead of the negative kind, where we tell ourselves how we're worthless failures, etc. and give up. But I think it is possible to feel bad and yet learn to modify the CBT to feel good rather than feel like we're in a lock-step mental conditioning program all the time (which does not feel good).

We know, if we think about it, what feels good to us. Convincing ourselves to get up and take a hot shower when we're feeling depressed, or, in my case, to change the bed so the sheets are clean, that is not a whole lot different to me from some of the tools used with CBT http://www.psychologytools.org/downl...orksheets.html but more personal and likely to get results right this minute.

When T gets into her CBT instructor/clinical mode, you know you don't want that, that that does not feel good at that moment (and only you can know that). Stay with the CBT "theme" and figure out what you do want, what action would help you feel better (changing the subject and talking about your vacation? Discussing/arguing about CBT with T? Listening to T talk so you can take an emotional break (since it's instructor/clinical/head talk))? Practice CBT within the therapy framework; invent a CBT within CBT moment :-)