Reactivating
Your Life
Step
1 Identify activities to increase
There
are three main areas in which
depressed people often reduce their activity. These are: Enjoyable
Activities, Self Care and Involvement with Family & Friends.
In order to identify some
goals to work on, take a moment to consider each of these areas in your life.
List activities in each area that have been affected by depressed mood (or
that had been neglected even before the low mood began) and that could be
increased.
Enjoyable Activities
Examples:
- going for a walk on your lunch break
- reading a magazine
or book
- watching a movie
- going to a hockey game
|
Increasing activities in this area will make a difference by:
- reminding
you of your interests and things that are important to you
- rewarding
you for making the effort to manage your depression
- helping maintain
the balance between your work and personal life
|
Your ideas:
Self-Care
Examples:
- exercising (e.g. taking advantage of
a company supported fitness program)
- taking a nutritious lunch to
work
- taking time to plan your day when you
get to work
|
Increasing activities in this area will make a difference
by:
- directly enhancing your sense of physical well-being
- preventing
your mood from slipping down
- reminding you of your strengths and abilities
|
Your ideas:
Involvement with Family & Friends
Examples:
- going out for dinner with a friend
- getting
out to a social group or class
- planning a family outing
- attending
your child’s soccer game
- arranging to get together with a colleague
after work
|
Increasing activities in this area will make a difference by:
- helping you regain a sense of connection
to others
- giving other people the chance
to provide reassurance and support
- shifting you away from being
alone and focusing on depressive thoughts
|
Your ideas:
© 2007 BCMHAS, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Workbook
