Depression

Behavioral Activation: A Proven Tool to Help You Get Active

Getting active can help improve your mood and manage stress.

Posted December 22, 2023 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

Key points

Behavioral activation reduces negative emotions and increases positive emotions.
Behavioral activation does not require a lot of time.
Caring for ourselves helps us care for others.

The law of inertia states that objects at rest tend to stay at rest; objects in motion tend to stay in motion. The longer you are inactive, the harder it becomes to get active, and if fear or sadness is added to that mix, it can be paralyzing. Behavioral activation essentially means getting and staying active. Behavioral activation is a way to increase your activity level, which can improve your mood. Activating behaviors will activate better moods.

Self-Care Is Key

We need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. Part of this self-care is staying active and doing things that nourish our souls. When we are stressed or sad or recovering from a difficult situation, it is easy to put those activities aside, but then we aren’t functioning at our best. Self-care activities include gardening, hiking, praying, meditating, reading, playing an instrument, going out with friends, going to art or music events, and seeing a movie with a friend. Look for activities to do that are relatively safe in your current environment and that can fit into your budget. It can be helpful to put these activities on your calendar (take a walk on Wednesday at 10:00 am) and schedule them with other people (meet Jenna for dinner at 7:30 pm at the Thai place we like). At a very basic level, take medications as prescribed, eat healthily, shower or bathe, brush your teeth, and take care of work and household chores each day.

Even when—and maybe especially when—we are sad or hurt or recovering from a difficult situation, we need to stay active.

Is Behavioral Activation for You?

It is your choice what to work on and you can track your goals and progress to see how it is working. If your activity level is where you want it to be, no worries. If you think this reminder to stay active and schedule enjoyable activities is sufficient to get you where you need to be, feel free to move on as well. However, if you are not as active as you would like to be or as active as you think would be good for you, make a plan and write it down. If you need to, you can break up activities into little steps that are easier to accomplish.

Getting Started

To get started working on behavioral activation, set a goal for yourself that is easy to achieve right away and every day, such as reading for pleasure at least 15 minutes per day or doing something social at least three times this week, and commit to it starting immediately. (Hint: Do not include watching TV if you are just vegging out.)

Sometimes it can help to invite a friend to do these enjoyable activities with you. They can be your ally. Talk to this person about the challenges of starting a new activity, and they can even make it more fun.

Track your progress in doing the activities and also track your mood to see if your efforts are paying off. We hope this will get you more engaged with your life and your values.

References

Behavioral Activation as an ‘active ingredient’ of interventions addressing depression and anxiety among young people: a systematic review and evidence synthesis. BMC Psychology, Sprinter Nature

If you need additional direction, consider using the exercises in Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences: A Self-Guided Program for more structure and support.
Rauch, S. A. M., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2023). . Oxford University Press.