Our thoughts, emotions, and behavior all influence each other. Consequently, if you change one of these, the other two will change as well.
When people are depressed, they reduce the activities in which they previously participated, resulting in less opportunities for emotionally rewarding experiences. Behavioral activation involves scheduling activities to create these positive opportunities. To begin, complete the following chart by recording some of the activities you do each day. For each activity, rate your level (1-10) of depression, pleasure, and sense of achievement both before and after the activity. Some activities may be high in only pleasure (e.g., watching a movie) or achievement (e.g., ironing), while others may be high in both (e.g., walking the dog…maybe).
Next, begin to create a list of the activities that have the most significant effect on your mood. Try to come up with other activities that you believe are high on pleasure and achievement as well. Begin to schedule these events throughout the week using the chart below.
When working on these tasks, remember that small changes build up over time and will eventually have a significant impact.
Reference:
Rego, S., & Fader, S. (2018). The 10-step depression relief workbook: A cognitive behavioral therapy approach. Emeryville, CA: Althea Press.