Behavioral Activation: How to Tackle Your Big Problems with “Baby Steps”
Behavioral Activation is a method for getting started on, and completing, a task when you feel unmotivated.
I’ve written about behavior activation before. Here’s the definition I gave:
“The basic technique here is to break the task down into small steps and then ‘behave your way to success’ by completing the first mini-task.”
Behavioral Activation (BA) is a technique used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help motivate clients to behave in ways that support a healthy mood.
Here’s how the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy describes BA:
“To counter the isolation and withdrawal common to depression, therapists can introduce behavioral activation. This strategy entails getting clients more active and involved in life by scheduling activities that have the potential to improve their mood.”
BA goes beyond scheduling healthy activities and includes breaking those activities down into more manageable steps, as needed.
It’s ironic that I’m writing about Behavioral Activation today because I’m finding that I need to use it to get started writing this story. I’m experiencing a case of inferiority complex — I’m thinking, “Who am I to help anyone else right now? I’m not sure I can even get through the task of writing this story!”
But that’s actually a great position to be in to write on the topic of Behavioral Activation.
Let’s be real for a minute: Behavioral Activation is not some feel-good, wishy-washy pastime; it’s a tool for managing stress and overwhelm.
Read on for some reasons you might want to give BA a try.
4 Reasons You Might Need to Use Behavioral Activation:
- You have depression, anxiety or any other mental illness that interferes with your ability to function.
- You’re having a bad day or a case of the “blues” and can’t seem to get traction on any project, no matter how small.
- You’re grieving a loss or experiencing a broken heart and just can’t seem to find the wherewithal to do anything productive.
- You’re stressed out and overwhelmed by too many projects, both personal and professional, pulling you in multiple directions.
Today, I’m feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. I live with my parents and I have a lot of responsibilities around the house, like vacuuming up after four pets (three dogs and a cat). I’m also responsible for cooking meals most nights. (Hey, it’s not a bad deal in exchange for a place to live).
On top of that, last week, I started a new habit of writing every day. And there’s plenty going on around the globe to keep my cortisol levels high.
The truth is, you don’t need a “good reason” to use Behavioral Activation. If it seems like it might be helpful, I encourage you to give it a try.
Behavioral Activation — Steps:
#1 Write down a task or project you want to achieve.
For example, today I wrote down, “write a story today.”
#2 Break it down into “baby steps.”
For my task: (1) open computer, (2) open a new document, (3) type the headline, (4) begin writing the introduction . . . Note: I already had my headline and an outline written out, so that’s very helpful. If you don’t yet have your project written out step by step, make a quick list to do so now.
#3 Complete step one.
Done! (I’m typing this on my computer as we speak.)
#4 Complete the next step.
Done! (New document open and saved.)
#5 Repeat until the task is complete or you’ve reached a good end-point.
I’m still writing (as you can tell).
#6 Take a break and congratulate yourself for a job well done!
When I’m done writing this article, I’m going to yell “huzzah!” to my dogs to celebrate my achievement.
Let me point out that step six, above, is not a joke. It’s really important to be kind to yourself and celebrate your victories, both large and small. Right now, I can celebrate getting started on this article. When I’m done (almost there!) I can celebrate again.
You really can’t over-do the celebration part of this. Even if it feels silly at first. Give yourself a hug. Text a friend and say, “guess what I did?!” Brag a little. (Or a lot.)
And if you don’t complete your task today, you can give yourself credit for getting started, even if the first step is just to think about how you might begin a project.
Life is hard sometimes. Let’s take this opportunity to help ourselves by breaking a large task down into “baby steps” and celebrating ourselves every step of the way.
You deserve it! And so do I. “Huzzah!”