Week 3: Behavioral Activation I
Breaking the Depression Loop
The "Depression Loop": When we feel low, we tend to do less. We withdraw from friends, skip hobbies, and stay in bed. This inactivity makes us feel even worse (more tired, more guilty, more isolated), which leads to doing even less.
Behavioral Activation reverses this cycle. We change what we do to change how we feel.
Step 1: Monitoring
Before we change anything, we need to see what your days actually look like. This week, simply record what you do and rate your mood (0-10) for each block of time.
You might discover that you feel a '3' when scrolling social media, but a '6' when walking the dog. This is crucial data!
Daily Activity Log
| Time | Activity (What did you do?) | Mood Rating (0-10) |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | ||
| Afternoon | ||
| Evening | ||
*Print multiple copies if you want to track every day, or just pick 2-3 representative days this week.