Amazing job! You have done everything you need to do to prepare to feel better. You understand why waiting to feel better is unhelpful, you know why you need to replace avoidance with activities, you know the steps for doing activities, and you have your own graded task assignments to guide you.

 

A few more things to consider as you evaluate the value of each behavior:

1. Assess - How will my behavior affect my depression? Am I avoiding? What are my goals?
2. Choose - Make the choice to do an activity to improve your life and mood.
3. Try - Keep an open mind and see it as an experiment. Try it out!
4. Integrate - If the activity works, integrate it into your daily routine.
5. Observe - Observe the result. Do you feel better or worse? Did it help to improve your situation?
6. Never Give Up - You are working so hard to improve your situation. Keep it up!

You can download the forms for daily monitoring sheets, as well as a guide to completing a Planning Your Activities sheet.

 

If you ever feel like you need help, contact your doctor, therapist or counselor.