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How to Feel Better (Part 2)

Goal

To learn about increasing activity level as a means to improving mood.

Activity Scheduling (Greenberger & Padesky, pp. 163-164, 172)

Activity SchedulingActivities that are enjoyable or activities that accomplish something usually result in feeling better and, consequently, reducing pre/postnatal depression. Doing 10 enjoyable activities in a week should help more than doing only 5. Additionally, doing activities that are highly enjoyable should help more than doing activities that are mildly enjoyable. Pleasurable activities need not be expensive or time consuming. They are every day, enjoyable events. However, activities likely will not be as enjoyable or as satisfying as they were before the onset of depression.

Here are some reasons why people often feel better after they start doing more activities:

  • Some types of activities, like exercise, increase the brain chemicals that can help us feel better.
  • When we are doing nothing, we are often thinking about negative things over and over again. Activity helps distract us from negative thoughts.
  • Activities can give us the opportunity to succeed (e.g., organize a room or desk), to do something enjoyable (e.g., talk with someone we like), or to solve a problem (begin working on something that has to get done). Each of these experiences-success, joy, solving a problem-can help us feel a little better for a while.

When we are doing nothing, we are often thinking about ________ things over and over again.

True or False - Pleasurable activities need to be expensive and time consuming in order to be beneficial.

_______ dreams help you imagine your future in terms of what you can accomplish, instead of dwelling on what you have lost.

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