Behavioral Activation for Depression
Behavioral Activation (BA) is a CBT skill that helps us understand how behaviors influence emotions. BA was specifically designed to help address depression in clients due to a symptom of depression being not partaking in activities that bring you enjoyment and feeling like there’s no meaning to life. BA works to reverse the cycle of feeling worse because we are not partaking in activities that bring us joy and instead have us use actions and choices. The CBT skill involves understanding the cycles of depression, monitoring daily activities, identifying goals and values, building motivation through pleasure and mastery, and problem solving barriers to activation. Additionally, it involves reducing avoidance, working as a team to create gradual progress, using between-session assignments, and intentionally scheduling activities.
Because depression comes from parts of our brain that’s trying to protect us it also isolates us, so continuing to follow the lead of depression results in lower motivation. By activating first, our brain starts to feel better right away and the more we activate the more positive experiences we have. A key pillar of BA is doing things when we don’t want to instead of waiting until we feel better and want to do it. When actively experiencing depression we cannot wait for our brain to give us the motivation to do something. Instead, we need to make the conscious decision to activate, or do the opposite of what depression is wanting you to do that aligns with the values and goals identified, to foster more positive emotions.
Behaviors such as exercise and meditation can improve our mood right away, however BA wants us to focus on partaking in behaviors that we enjoy and are important to us. In order to feel more consistently engaged and happy in the world, it is best to find goals that are centered around your values, pleasure, and mastery. If you are having difficulty with a problem you feel as though you cannot solve, there are three ways to address it: get the facts, problem solve, or accept what cannot be controlled. One may work better than the other, or utilizing all three may work best, it just depends on the problem at hand. Getting the facts means thinking and understanding the situation, then determining if you need to use problem-solving skills or accept that it’s beyond your control.
Dealing with low motivation can be a difficult task, however it’s important to remember not to look for our internal emotional state, such as being happy or energized, to cue us to begin a task. Instead, work from the outside-in by acting rather than waiting to feel internally ready. Tips to increase motivation include breaking the activity into smaller pieces, setting realistic goals, using self-compassion, anticipating setbacks, minimizing distractions, changing your environment, and rewarding healthy behavior choices.
Source: University of Michigan: Medicine