Having regular activity and structure in our lives is very important...
Studies show us that increasing our daily activity (using Behavior Activation therapy) can be effective in combating depression. For example this treatment directly improves the withdrawal, avoidance and isolative behavior that are very commonly found in depression (Dobson et al, 2008; Xie et al, 2019). Often with transitions in life one stressor is the change in our normal patterns of activity that structure our lives (like with retirement, moving, a pandemic!). We may not reflect on it much, but a daily schedule is important to both our physical and mental health...
Part of the activity we do daily should involve getting natural light (even on a cloudy or rainy day) preferably early in the day to 'reset' our biologic clock which regulates our circadian rhythm and our sleep-wake cycle.
Even better is when we get some physical exercise daily - now that many of us work remotely, it is too easy to end up sitting and looking at a screen all day long - don't forget to get up regularly and move around - take a short (or long) break to walk outside or engage in your favorite physical activity - your sleep will likely improve as a result... Exercise and activity help to build our 'need to sleep' or homeostatic sleep drive... think of it as filling the tank for your need to sleep tonite!
Here is a handout that may help you in establishing a schedule of daily activity.
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Scheduling Daily Activity
Activity is important for both physical and mental health,
and quality of life
How do you develop a Schedule of Activity?
• Set
your daily schedule with set times to start and end your day
• Include
some regularity in your routine
• Cultivate
daily activities you enjoy
• Include
daily Self Care Activities
• Rate
your mood before and after an activity to learn more about how your mood is
impacted
Develop a ‘Menu’ of Activities you enjoy –use them
both in your weekly schedule as well as to add ‘extra’ activities to your day,
particularly when you are struggling with overwhelming thoughts, ideas or
emotions and need a distraction
Do what you love…
• Anxiety,
depression, and other mental health struggles have a way of stripping away the
activities that matter to you in life, either because you become fearful of
them or lack the motivation you once had to pursue them. Maybe you loved to
read but now feel tired all the time. Or maybe you used to like going out with
your friends but now fear being away from home at night.
• As
hard as it may be, try to do things that matter to you, even if you have to
force yourself. Doing activities that make you happy, that connect you with
others and that give you a sense of mastery or competence are important for
mental well-being.
• Make
a point of taking time to do one or two things on a regular basis that always
used to bring you joy and do your very best to be present instead of distracted
about the past or worried about the future. Afterwards, ask yourself how you
feel now after that activity - Did it make you feel better?
How Avoidance Intensifies Your Anxiety?
Escaping situations that are anxiety-provoking may offer immediate relief - but the downside is the message sent reinforcing that you
can’t tolerate the situation --> which increases anxiety further and leads to avoiding more situations in
the future. People end up limiting themselves to avoid more and more
situations. Gradually work to stop avoiding and
start facing situations. In other words, act against urges to avoid things that trigger your anxiety.
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Daily Activity Schedule
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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Morning |
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Mid-Day |
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Afternoon |
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Early Evening |
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Night |
Don’t Forget to Include: Self Care, Social activities, Activities you enjoy, Responsibilities.
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References:
Dobson, K. S., Hollon, S. D., Dimidjian, S., Schmaling, K. B., Kohlenberg, R. J., Gallop, R. J., Rizvi, S. L., Gollan, J. K., Dunner, D. L., & Jacobson, N. S. (2008). Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the prevention of relapse and recurrence in major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(3), 468–477. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.76.3.468
Xie, J., He, G., Ding, S., Pan, C., Zhang, X., Zhou, J., & Iennaco, J. D. (2019). A randomized study on the effect of modified behavioral activation treatment for depressive symptoms in rural left-behind elderly. Psychotherapy Research, 29(3), 372-382. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2017.1364444
