It’s well known that being inactive, not doing activities anymore, barely moving, maintains a depressive mood. That’s where behavioral activation comes into play, and it’s a key element of cognitive-behavioral theory. I explain to people on disability that there is a price to pay when we are inactive. Contrary to what some may think, staying home doing nothing is more tiring than keeping busy, and above all, it’s debilitating, as it feeds negative thoughts.

Doing nothing feeds your depression

Getting back into action by starting with even very simple activities will allow you to break the vicious cycle of inactivity that maintains negative thoughts and a depressive mood. To stop negative thoughts from haunting you, you need to keep your mind occupied.
I always say:

we must not lose sight of the fact that the net result of inactivity is the maintenance and worsening of depression.

The first step in my intervention with my participants is to convince them to move in order to break the vicious cycle of depression. Yes, because the less we move, the more we lose energy and interest, and the more tired we feel. Then, we reduce our activities and neglect our responsibilities, and depressive symptoms like guilt, hopelessness, discouragement, and guilt intensify and keep us in this cycle! I’m sure many people will recognize themselves in this observation!

However, once the ice is broken, people realize that activity motivates us to do more. In short, motivation comes through action. So we should not wait to be motivated to take action. The phrase: “I would do it, but I’m not motivated”

Doesn’t work anymore in a behavioral activation approach, and generally, people understand that.

Another important benefit of action is that it improves our ability to think. Some problems we thought were insurmountable take on more realistic proportions. It’s as if we had a new way of thinking, obstacles seem less important, the unmanageable becomes manageable, and our mood becomes positive again. Some even believe that behavioral activation is just as beneficial as cognitive restructuring.

To implement behavioral activation

First, it is important to increase the number of things to do in three important categories:

Routine activities, necessary activities, pleasant activities

1. You will first need to determine your starting point, which means self-observing for a week;
2. Once you’ve taken stock of what you’re doing, it’s time to plan the things you no longer do and would like to regain;
3. These things must fall into each category and be listed in order of difficulty. By writing them on a sheet, you give yourself objectives; small tips: don’t go too fast; don’t expect to feel better right away; go at your own pace.
4. Spread your activities throughout the week, don’t overload a particular day;
5. Gradually, you will start to feel better and will be able to add activities.
6. One fine morning, you’ll feel that you’ve regained your abilities and your mood has improved;
7. For what’s next, stay attentive to your mood and don’t hesitate to use the techniques you’ve learned in case of relapse.

I often find that people who try behavioral activation experience a strong positive impact. Even though the exercise didn’t aim at restructuring thoughts, these, along with emotions, become less negative. People reconnect with a well-being they thought was out of reach just a few weeks earlier.

Amélie, your mental health coach