Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Bundle (312 pages)

BEHAVIOURAL ACTIVATION

As mentioned above, to be able to break the lethargy circuit we need to increase activity. There are no specific activities we 'need' to do, neither are there a set number of activities needed. It is in reality all about slowly and gradually increasing the activity level related to where you are currently at. When planning for increased activity to combat depression it is recommended that you follow these tips:

Choose activities that meet one (or more) of these three categories; activities that are enjoyable/fun, activities which give you a sense of purpose, or activities which give you a sense of achievement.

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Start small. Start by adding in activities that do not require a great deal of effort or planning. This could be something as simple as doing the dishes or making your bed every day. Set a time limit initially. It can be overwhelming to think about spending a great deal of time on an activity. And you don't have to! Start by setting yourself a short time window for your task. For example spend 5 minutes reading a book, or 10 minutes tidying up the house. As you increase your activity you will find that you can extend this more and more each time. Break it in to chunks. If you want to engage in activities that take a bit longer or require more effort, try and break them in to chunks. For example, if you want to start job searching, instead of saying to yourself "I need to apply to jobs", start by breaking the task down. Perhaps you first start by spending 5 minutes on a job site, then spend 10 minutes fine tuning your resume, and then maybe you set the goal to apply to one job per day.

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