CBT Self- help for Depression

Behavioral activation is a basic coping strategy that can have a tremendous effect on your mood. When people feel depressed, they may be less likely to do the things they enjoy or avoid other potentially pleasurable activities. A consequence of this is often a worsening of mood, feeling more detached from others, feeling more and more isolated which keeps depression going.

Although behavioral activation is a pretty simple coping skill, it can be difficult to do, especially when you are not feeling motivated. However, there are some things you can do to make your behavioral activation more effective. Some tips for “super-charging” behavioral activation are described below.

Identify Activities That Are Uniquely Important to You

In doing behavioral activation, sometimes people identify activities that are important to other people. Basically, people identify activities based on what they think they should be doing as opposed to what they want to do. If you come up with activities that are not important to you, it is going to be difficult to feel motivated

When identifying activities for behavioral activation, try to think of what is uniquely important to you. What matters to you? This will help give you that extra boost of motivation when your mood is down

Come up with specific activities where you can measure progress. That is, can you quickly determine whether or not you have accomplished a task? If the answer is “no,” then the activity you identified is likely too vague.

For example, let’s say that you came up with the activity, “Get organized.” What does this mean? What do you want to organize? If you organize your bills, does this mean that you have accomplished this task, or is there more to organize? Instead, you may want to come up with the activity, “Organize my kitchen.” This is an activity that is specific and its completion can easily be measured.

Come Up With a Variety of Activities

You also don’t want behavioral activation to become boring. Mix it up when it comes to the activities that you choose. Come up with a variety of activities across a number of different life areas, such as work, relationships, personal care, and family/friends.

Enlisting the Support of Others

If you are finding that it is difficult to be motivated when it comes to behavioral activation, ask others to support you. Establish a contract with a friend or family member. Let them know about your activities and what you would like to accomplish during the week.

Be Mindful

Even when people are active and engaging in pleasurable activities, they can still avoid. They may be stuck in their heads, worrying or ruminating about the past. This is going to make it difficult to connect with the positive aspects of engaging in a meaningful activity. Being mindful by concentrating on what you are doing at that precise moment can ensure that you fully experience and engage with your chosen activities.

Take Things Slowly

It is important to set reasonable goals and take things slowly. Start off with just a few activities and from there, slowly build up the number of activities you engage in each week. Even engaging in a small amount of activities can have a big impact on your mood. Just going for a 5 minute walk can help

Finally, remember to reward yourself for the progress that you make. Recognize your accomplishments. Doing so can increase motivation to keep moving forward, especially during those times when your mood is down. With one step at a time, you can use behavioral activation to build a more meaningful and fulfilling life.