Pleasant Activities and Activity Scheduling

What is it?

Pleasant activities are any kinds of actives that you find enjoyable, such a reading a book, watching a movie, or meeting a friend for coffee. Activity scheduling is a type of therapy where you regularly set aside time to do these activities.

Scheduling activities is part of behavioural activation which is a component of cognitive behaviour therapy. Pleasant activities may form part of positive psychology interventions.

For more evidence on some specific types of activities, see the pages below:

• Dance
• Exercise
• Mindfulness and meditation
• Relaxation therapy
• Yoga

How does it work?

There is a theory that a lack of pleasant activities might be a cause of depression. It is thought that if depressed people do pleasant activities more often, it will help their depression. Some types of activities, like reading a book, might promote relaxation. Other types of activities, like meeting up with a friend, can increase social contact.

Anyone can engage in pleasant activities as a once-off event. Activity scheduling takes a more structured approach and involves identifying the types of actives you enjoy and setting aside time each week to do them. You can also note down how you feel before and after doing the activity. Activity scheduling could be done on your own, or with the help of a therapist.

Some behavioural activation approaches include additional methods to help you to notice which activities are most helpful and which are not helpful for you.

Is it effective?

Engaging in pleasant activities is an important component of cognitive behaviour therapy for depression. This type of therapy is known to be effective and is supported by many studies. There is also research about whether activity scheduling and behavioural activation on their own are helpful for depression.

A large analysis of data from studies of adults with depression found that behavioural activation is an effective treatment for depression. Other reviews have found that behavioural activation delivered in both a group and individually by a therapist were effective depression treatments compared to a control condition.

Another review of studies which compared behavioural activation to other components of cognitive behaviour therapy found that it was as effective for the treatment of depression.

Several reviews have also considered studies where behavioural activation techniques are taught via a web-based or app-based program. Although there has been less research for these programs there is evidence that behavioural activation delivered via technology is effective for reducing depression symptoms.

There is not much research looking at whether activity scheduling without the help of a therapist is effective at treating depression.

Are there any disadvantages?

There are no known disadvantages.

Where do you get it?

This is a treatment that you can do with the help of a therapist who may include other behavioural activitation approaches. You can also schedule pleasant events on your own.