Behavioural Activation: A Tool for Managing Depression and Anxiety

• avoidance of activities that elicit sensations similar to those experienced when anxious (e.g., exercise) 

• subtle avoidance: behaviours that aim to distract the person (e.g., talking more during periods of anxiety) 

• safety behaviours: habits to minimize anxiety and feel “safer” (e.g., always having a cell phone on hand to call for help) 

• excessive physical reactions relative to the context (e.g., heart racing and feeling short of breath in response to being at the mall). 

The physical symptoms of anxiety may be mistaken for symptoms of a physical illness, such as a heart attack. 

What is Depression?  

Sadness is a natural part of being human and feeling this way for a few days is normal. In fact, many people say “I’m depressed” in their day-to-day life when they are talking about that low feeling that we can all have from time to time. But if these sad feelings last for more than a couple of weeks and you start noticing that it’s affecting your life in a big way, you may be suffering from depression. 

Signs and symptoms: 

The main symptom of depression is a sad, despairing mood that: 

• is present most days and lasts most of the day 

• lasts for more than two weeks 

• impairs the person’s performance at work, at school or in social relationships. 

Other symptoms of depression include: 

• changes in appetite and weight 

• sleep problems 

• loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed 

• withdrawal from family members and friends 

• feeling useless, hopeless, excessively guilty, pessimistic or having low self-esteem 

• agitation or feeling slowed down 

• irritability 

• fatigue 

• trouble concentrating, remembering or making decisions 

• crying easily, or feeling like crying but being not able to 

• thoughts of suicide (which should always be taken seriously) 

• a loss of touch with reality, hearing voices (hallucinations) or having strange ideas (delusions). 

What is Behavioural Activation?  

Behavioural activation (BA) is a manualized intervention used in psychotherapy to support improved mood and behavioural health problems across a variety of populations and can certainly be effective for PSP.  

BA is a therapeutic approach, often used within Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), that focuses on increasing engagement in meaningful and enjoyable activities to improve mood. Often when we’re feeling low or anxious, we avoid doing activities that we enjoy and give us a sense of purpose, instead we often stay in bed, avoid social engagement, and/or try and numb our emotions through binging, scrolling, using substances etc. This only re-enforces our depressed or anxious mood, and it becomes a vicious cycle. BA can help PSP recognize how their behaviours influence their emotions and then encourage them to actively change their behaviors to feel better.  

BA helps with anxiety and depression by increasing positive reinforcement and reducing avoidance behaviours, ultimately promoting a more active and enjoyable life. By engaging in activities that provide pleasure and a sense of control, PSP can counteract the negative impact of anxiety and depression, leading to improved mood and overall well-being. 

Strategies used in BA: 

1. Do activities on a regular basis that increase/lift mood (i.e., workout, spend time with family and friends, cooking, baking, yoga class, drawing, dance, playing sports, etc.,)  

2. Having a Mood and Activity tracker is very helpful as PSP engage in this first step of BA 

3. Enjoy activities that are in alignment with values to achieve goals and create pleasure and mastery 

4. “Values” are what we find meaningful in life. They are the most important things to us. Everyone has different values, and for each of us they can change over time. They are like a compass, pointing us in the direction we want to go. 

5. “Pleasure” involves activities, or “play” that we enjoy for the sake of the activity itself. Hobbies, games, spending time in nature, or spending time with a good friend. 

6. “Mastery” involves activities, such as work or sports, that involve the development of skills; we are able to accomplish things and feel a sense of mastery over our environment. When enjoyed in moderation and diversified well with other activities, they can increase positive emotions and improve how we feel about ourselves. Also, we may feel more creative as we learn to master certain skills, adding to the possibilities of enjoyment. 

7. Goals and objectives outline the steps we take to experience our lives more fully. They give us targets to help us experience more pleasure, mastery, and value-driven behavior. 

Resources: 

15 Behavioral Activation Worksheets for Depression & Anxiety 

Behavioural Strategies for Managing Depression  

https://www.cacbt.ca/  

Behavioral-Activation-for-Depression.pdf