Behavioral activation lesson 1: tracking your days

Behavioral activation is a way of treating depression by changing what you do, one small step at a time. Before you change anything, you first look at how you spend your days now. This lesson shows you how.

The tool is an activity and mood diary. For one week, you write down what you did and how you felt. It takes a few minutes a day and shows what pulls your mood down and what lifts it.

Why this step matters

Depression drains energy and motivation. So people often stop doing the things that used to help them feel good. Doing less then leads to more tiredness, fewer good moments and more time to dwell on sad thoughts. Chores pile up and bring guilt. This loop can keep depression going.^1,2

Behavioral activation works to break that loop. Its two key parts are watching your own activities and then planning new ones.³ Guidelines say it helps you notice how your activities and your mood are tied together. Then you can plan changes that cut down on avoidance and add more of what helps.⁴

Many people think, "I'll get going once I feel better." Behavioral activation turns that around. Action often has to come first, and the better mood follows.² The diary is your first small action. It also catches small ups and downs that a low mood makes easy to forget.

What to write down

Keep it simple. For each part of your day, note:

• What you did. "Watched TV." "Called my sister." "Lay in bed." Doing nothing counts too. Write it down.
• Where and with whom. Alone at home, at the store with a friend, and so on.
• Your mood, from 0 to 10. 0 is the worst you have felt. 10 is the best.
• Pleasure (P), from 0 to 10. How much did you enjoy it?
• Achievement (A), from 0 to 10. How much did it give you a sense of getting something done?

Pleasure and achievement both matter. A fun activity can lift your mood. So can a dull task, like paying a bill, because it gives you a sense of control.² Some workbooks use a 0 to 8 scale instead.¹ Any scale is fine, as long as you use the same one all week.

How to keep your diary

You need only a notebook and a pen, or a notes app on your phone.

1. Set up your page. Make a grid with the days of the week across the top. Down the side, list the hours you are usually awake. A weekly planner page works well.¹ If hours feel like too much, use three blocks: morning, afternoon and evening.
2. Pick your check-in times. Choose three times a day, such as after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner. Link them to something you already do every day.
3. Fill in what you did. At each check-in, write what you did since the last one. Use a few words, not sentences.
4. Add your ratings. Next to each activity, write your mood (0–10). Add P and A ratings if you can.
5. Be truthful, not perfect. Write what really happened, not what you "should" have done. No one needs to see this but you.
6. Keep going for seven days, weekend included.
7. Look back at the end of the week. Use the questions in the next section.

If you miss a check-in, fill it in later as best you can. A rough guess is better than a blank.

What part of a day might look like

Here, mood rose a little after doing something active or with another person. It dipped during long stretches of lying down.

Looking back: what patterns to notice

At the end of the week, sit down with your diary. You are looking for clues, not grading yourself. Ask:^1,4

• When was my mood lowest? Is there a time of day, a day of the week or a place that stands out?
• When was my mood a bit higher? What was I doing, and who was I with?
• Which activities gave me pleasure or a sense of achievement? Even a rating of 2 or 3 is worth noting.
• What am I avoiding? Are there tasks, people or places I keep putting off?
• How much time did I spend inactive, such as lying down, napping or watching TV?
• Is my week balanced? Is it all chores and no enjoyment, or the other way around?¹

Circle anything linked to a better mood, and box anything linked to a worse one.

Try it this week

Keep your diary. You will need it in lesson 2.

Tips for later life, memory and caregivers

The diary works at any age. Behavioral activation has been shown to ease depression symptoms in older adults living in the community.⁵ A few changes can make tracking easier:

• Use a large-print planner kept in one spot, like the kitchen table.
• Use a simpler form. One well-known program offers a simpler daily form for people who find reading and writing hard.⁷ Three blocks a day and a single mood number is enough.
• Speak instead of write. Use a voice memo, or ask a family member to write while you talk.
• For a person living with dementia, a caregiver can keep the diary, noting what the person did and how they seemed: calm, smiling, restless or withdrawn. See apathy and depression in dementia and our behavior diary.

Low energy can also come from medical problems or medicines, so a checkup helps. See getting checked for depression and our older adults section.

Common problems

I have no energy to fill in a diary.

That is the depression talking, and it is very common. Make it as small as possible: one word and one number, three times a day. Doing even that much is a step forward.²

My days are empty. There is nothing to write.

Write that down too. "Sat in chair, 2" is useful information for the next lessons.

Seeing my week on paper makes me feel worse.

Try to look at the diary with curiosity instead of blame. It is a starting point, not a verdict. If it brings up harsh thoughts, see our CBT lesson on thinking traps.

Do I need a therapist for this?

Many people start on their own. Behavioral activation is often given by a trained practitioner, usually over about 8 sessions with homework between them.⁴ A guide can help you stay on track. See finding a therapist.

When to get more help

Self-help is not enough for everyone. See a doctor or mental health professional if depression makes daily life hard, or if you are not improving after a few weeks. Many studies of behavioral activation are small, so results vary.^3,5 Read about treatment for depression.

If your diary shows thoughts of death or suicide, you do not have to face them alone. Call or text 988 any time, day or night, to reach a trained crisis counselor.⁸ If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. You can also make a safety plan or visit our get help now page.

Next lesson: Behavioral activation lesson 2: what matters to you. Or go back to the behavioral activation overview.

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.