101 Activities to Boost Your Mood

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“Behavioral activation” is a therapeutic intervention that involves scheduling or incorporating pleasant activities into daily life. It is effective for treating depression as a stand-alone treatment. However, multiple other psychotherapies (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) also incorporate a focus on increasing pleasant events.

The concept intuitively makes sense–do fun things and you will start to feel a little better. But in practice, it isn’t always easy to engage in pleasant activities when you are already feeling down. Chronic low mood often leads to withdrawal. Withdrawal, in turn, leads to a sense of isolation and even lower mood. Furthermore, anhedonia–a lack of interest or enjoyment from life's experiences–is a common symptom of depression and can make activities that used to be appealing no longer seem so. After a while, it can be hard to remember what types of things used to be fun.

Scheduling pleasant activities (rather than waiting until you spontaneously want to do them) can really help to improve mood–and even reduce anhedonia. Consider planning one per day for the next week, and track your mood before and after each activity. If your mood goes up, add that activity into your regular rotation. A 2023 study of US adults suggests that engaging in a greater variety of pleasant activities is associated with lower levels of depression. So even if you already have a few hobbies that help you feel better, there may be value in broadening and diversifying your favorites. If you can’t think of what to start with, here is a list of 101 ideas:

1. Go to a trivia night
2. Play bingo
3. Paint
4. Draw or sketch
5. Use a coloring book
6. Read a book
7. Listen to an audio book
8. Listen to a podcast
9. Watch a documentary
10. Listen to music
11. Make a playlist for yourself or someone else
12. Sing
13. Play an instrument
14. Go for a walk
15. Visit a public park
16. Go to a dog park
17. Bake
18. Cook a meal
19. Make an old family recipe
20. Freeze or can food for later
21. Bring a meal or baked goods to a neighbor
22. Go fishing or hunting
23. Dance
24. Practice yoga
25. Workout at a gym or in your home
26. Visit a climbing gym (or go mountain climbing)
27. Go on a run
28. Take a long bath or shower
29. Stretch
30. Ride a bicycle
31. Rollerblade or skate
32. Visit a beach, lake, river, or swimming hole
33. Go hiking or camping
34. Visit a farmer’s market
35. Go to a restaurant or cafe
36. Try a new cuisine
37. Visit a bakery
38. Do a jigsaw puzzle
39. Do a crossword, sudoku, or word search
40. Plan a trip
41. Take a free online course
42. Visit the library
43. Visit a museum
44. Play a video, computer, or phone game
45. Go on a picnic
46. Get a massage
47. Host a clothing swap
48. Join a “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook and give something away
49. Read or watch old cartoons
50. Volunteer for a cause or political campaign that you care about
51. Sew, knit, crochet, or embroider
52. Learn a new craft
53. Meet a friend for coffee or tea
54. People watch
55. Sit by a fountain, pool, or natural body of water
56. Write a letter, card, or postcard
57. Journal
58. Make a fire in an indoor or outdoor fireplace
59. Get a haircut or style your hair
60. Paint your nails
61. Give yourself a facial
62. Visit a salon or spa
63. Play ping pong, pool, or darts
64. Watch a sunrise or sunset
65. Stargaze
66. Call a friend or family member
67. Eat a popsicle or ice cream cone
68. Dress up in an outfit that makes you feel confident
69. Write a poem, story, essay, or song
70. Go on a date
71. Visit a zoo or aquarium
72. Play a board game, chess, or checkers
73. Play a card game
74. Visit a place of worship
75. Pray or meditate
76. Visit a yard sale, thrift store, or flea market
77. Go antiquing
78. Go for a drive or take a road trip
79. Go to the movies
80. Go bowling
81. Listen to live music
82. Go to an open mic night
83. Watch standup comedy
84. Go to the theater
85. Attend a sporting event
86. Watch sports on TV
87. Play a sport
88. Go kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, or tubing
89. Start or tend to an herb, vegetable, or flower garden
90. Landscape or mow the lawn
91. Go foraging for edible plants
92. Take care of houseplants
93. Volunteer for a community organization
94. Wash or detail your car
95. Learn or practice a new language
96. Go bird watching or set up a bird feeder
97. Cut (or buy) and arrange flowers
98. Make a photo album
99. Print and hang photos in your home
100. Go on a walking or bus tour in your own city, town, or region
101. Play with a pet