{"id":2306,"date":"2026-03-04T11:21:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kensmartips.com\/depression\/?p=2306"},"modified":"2026-03-04T11:21:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:21:06","slug":"behavioral-activation-how-to-get-motivated-to-do-stuff-that-you-dont-want-to-do-anxiety-course-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kensmartips.com\/depression\/?p=2306","title":{"rendered":"Behavioral Activation- How to Get Motivated to Do Stuff that You Don&#8217;t Want to Do. Anxiety Course 30"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/H0F0_MwUAxo\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Boost motivation with behavioral activation! Learn how to overcome procrastination, manage depression, and get things done even when you don&#8217;t feel like it.<br \/>\nJoin Therapy in a Nutshell\u2019s membership: https:\/\/courses.therapyinanutshell.com\/membership<br \/>\nYou&#8217;ll get instant access to all 10 life-changing courses, live weekly Q&amp;As, and a supportive community for just $27\/month. Learn how to manage anxiety, process trauma, regulate emotions, and build lasting resilience so that you can live a deeply rich and meaningful life! <\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re depressed you don\u2019t really feel like doing anything that will help you, not only does it sound like a lot of work and you\u2019re exhausted, but also, you just don\u2019t feel like it.  You don&#8217;t feel motivated. <\/p>\n<p>-\u201cIf I don\u2019t feel like being social, so I won\u2019t go out today\u201d<br \/>\n&#8211; \u201cIf I feel anxious about having a hard conversation, it\u2019s probably not worth the effort\u201d<br \/>\n-Getting showered and dressed sounds exhausting, so I\u2019m just going to stay in my pajamas all day, but then when I\u2019m invited to do something &#8211; I feel insecure because I didn\u2019t get dressed so I don\u2019t go, and when I go to the store I know I look slobby so when I run into someone I know I don\u2019t talk to them because I\u2019m embarrassed, then I go home and feel even worse than before. <\/p>\n<p>Behaviors lead to a cycle of lower mood<br \/>\nIt\u2019s easy to see this tendency we have when we\u2019re anxious or depressed, we tend to pull back, to withdraw from things, including stuff we used to enjoy. And this makes you feel worse, and that perpetuates the cycle, making you withdraw more. And your motivation decreases.<br \/>\nI think people always assume the thought or emotion leads to the behavior, but behaviors also lead to emotions. <\/p>\n<p>During Covid, lockdowns changed our behaviors &#8211; we spent more time alone, we couldn\u2019t go out with friends, and many of the activities that brought us pleasure were out of reach. And, by simply changing our behavior, many people felt a change in mood. Rates of depression and anxiety approximately doubled to the point where around 40% of people reported symptoms and many people attempted to cope with substance abuse. This change in mental health had nothing to do with our inherent biology, it had to do with our behaviors. <\/p>\n<p>I feel sad so I won\u2019t go out, so then I feel sadder, so then I won\u2019t go out more, so then I feel sadder.<\/p>\n<p>But if simply suppressing behaviors causes mood changes, simply adding in behaviors can also cause mood changes. Have you ever gone out with friends, even though you weren\u2019t feeling like it, and by the time you were done, you were feeling way better?<\/p>\n<p>Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https:\/\/betterhelp.com\/therapyinanutshell<\/p>\n<p>Learn the skills to Regulate your Emotions, join the membership: https:\/\/courses.therapyinanutshell.com\/membership<\/p>\n<p>Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https:\/\/betterhelp.com\/therapyinanutshell<\/p>\n<p>FREE Mental Health Resources: https:\/\/courses.therapyinanutshell.com\/free-resources<br \/>\nCheck out my podcast, Therapy in a Nutshell: https:\/\/tinpodcast.podbean.com\/<\/p>\n<p>Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.<br \/>\nIn therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life&#8217;s direction.<br \/>\nAnd deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/comeuntochrist\/believe<\/p>\n<p>If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https:\/\/suicidepreventionlifeline.org\/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.<br \/>\nCopyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Boost motivation with behavioral activation! Learn how to overcome procrastination, manage depression, and get things done even when you don&#8217;t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kensmartips.com\/depression\/?p=2306\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Behavioral Activation- How to Get Motivated to Do Stuff that You Don&#039;t Want to Do. 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