Have you ever said you would start something after you felt like it, but then the motivation never came? The truth of the matter is that waiting for motivation before acting often leaves us waiting…and waiting. Alternatively, if we start acting, motivation tends to follow. Motivation works more by pushing an action from behind rather than leading the action from the front. This is what the process of behavioral activation feels like.

This connection between motivation and action helps demonstrate the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is almost impossible to change one without changing the other. Of these three areas, I have noticed that different patients find some areas easier to change than others. It varies by person. Knowing this pattern, I may focus on helping a patient change the area they find easiest to approach and then watch the other two areas change on their own. When someone changes their behavior to change their thoughts and emotions, behavioral activation takes place.

Behavioral activation can be used to treat many disorders, especially depression. A common technique for dealing with depression is to think of the disorder as something outside the self. Some therapists will even have patients name the “monster” to separate depressed thoughts from one’s own thoughts. In fact, this monster is smart. It tries to get you to do things that will keep it going. As such, our instinctual reactions to depressive thoughts and feelings often make them worse. Over time, these reactions feed depression with worsened thoughts and feelings, creating a negative cycle. This post will illustrate some steps to flip the script with an alternative cycle to promote more adaptive thoughts and emotions using behavioral activation.  

The Process of Behavioral Activation

Behavioral activation involves several steps. At its most basic level, behavioral activation simply requires getting up and doing anything. Starting to do good behaviors can build momentum. With this momentum, you can increasingly do behaviors that lead to your overall success.

Track up vs down behaviors

Figure out which behaviors improve your mood and which behaviors make it worse. To do this, simply list all the activities you did during the day. Note how you felt during and after each activity. Spending more time doing activities that improve your mood can generally improve your thoughts and feelings.

Sometimes what makes a behavior helpful versus unhelpful is how long you spend doing it. For example, playing video games may have a great effect for an hour or two. After that, it is likely going to have a negative effect on your mood.

You may be surprised by what activities generate positive versus negative results. Although some healthy activities of pleasure can be great (e.g., going ice skating), you may also find that seemingly less-preferred activities may work as well or better. This may be particularly true when the behavior you do brings about other good things. For example, you might enjoy the satisfaction of having a cleaner house after doing a chore or receiving thanks from a friend after giving them help.

The possibilities of positive behaviors are only limited by your imagination. Several of the books I have on the subject include lists of over 100 possible pleasurable activities!

Start small

When I was in graduate school, I drove to a conference with another student who had recently retired from the military. He told me that every year or so, each member of the military would undergo a physical fitness re-evaluation. Occasionally, a 40-year-old would try to run with the 20-year-olds without any preparation. The 40-year-old would do fine during the run but have a heart attack afterward.

The temptation to go too far too fast can be strong and easily results in failure. This can be particularly true for people trying to get out of a prolonged period of getting stuck. For example, I have heard experiences of patients staying in bed for multiple years due to depression. While the ultimate hope is to have a fully active life, pushing for that level of change all in one day may be asking too much.

Starting small could be as simple as leaving the bedroom to play video games, going to the gas station for a slushy, doing a puzzle, or taking the dog for a walk. Strive to accomplish any behavior that breaks past behavior patterns in favor of something better. I have seen many individuals do well starting with just 5 minutes of cleaning per day. This not only gets them moving, but they are often amazed by the difference in their environment after such a short time. Seeing this difference can reduce feelings of hopelessness and contradict negative thoughts about “never” being able to get the room clean again. Before they know it, their stamina to clean increases, and they are enjoying a clean space!

Caution: Denying Emotion Can Go Too Far

Any coping skill used too much can become a symptom itself. Behavioral activation is not intended to avoid negative emotions completely. Sometimes listening to emotions that tell us to slow down, regroup, and take care of ourselves is good. When taking time to regroup turns into a trap of isolation and neglecting important life functions, behavioral activation can be a great way to break out. The trick is finding a balance between wallowing in our emotions and denying them.

A good way to tell if you are using behavioral activation too much is if you find yourself overly flooded with emotion when you try to slow down. Maybe you almost feel compelled to find something to do to avoid an emotion. When that happens, you may need another strategy to help yourself feel the emotion in a healthy way. Although behavioral activation is a useful strategy, it is just one tool among many for dealing with negative emotions.

Behavioral Activation: Conclusion

Behavioral activation is a highly effective strategy for improving one’s mood and thoughts. Through strategically starting small and pacing yourself, the gains can come faster than you may realize. If you would like assistance applying behavioral activation in your daily life, please contact us.

Post written by Dr. Gordon D. Lamb, Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Director

Please note posts are educational in nature and are not intended to replace psychological services when needed.