We (and many others) have said it before and we’ll say it again: prioritizing your mental health is important. But sometimes, it can be hard to move this virtue into action. With work and school, appointments and practices, it just seems like there’s not enough time in the day to really tune into our mental state, and examine how we’re feeling.
Well, we want to introduce you to a small habit that can prove very useful. When you’re feeling down, upset, or overwhelmed, you can begin to hone a skill called: “accumulating positive emotions in the short term”, coined by Marsha M. Linehan, the founder of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The skill is more or less exactly what it sounds like.
The key parts are:
- Build positive experiences NOW
- Increase pleasant events that lead to positive emotions
- Do something every day from a Pleasant Events List
- Avoid Avoiding
- Be Mindful of the pleasant events and no multitasking
We have created a Pleasant Events List for you to use as a reference, but you should also begin to create your OWN Pleasant Events List. Soon, you will find that doing something pleasant every day will lead to a healthier and happier life in the long run, as well.
Pleasant Events List:
- Plan a trip
- GO on a trip
- Collect things (baseball cards, coins, stamps, etc.)
- Recycle old items
- Watch your favorite movie
- Take a walk or go jogging
- Listening to music
- Laying in the sun
- Laughing
- Spend an evening with friends
- Cook/bake something new
- Reflect on your favorite place
- Repairing things around the house
- Taking care of plants
- Doodling
- Flying a kite
- Family get-togethers
- Go camping
- Sing as loud as you can
- Make a gift for someone
- Take a nap
- Write a story
- Take a photo of your favorite thing
- Read
- Start a new puzzle
- Take a bubble bath
- Go to the library
- Tell someone you love them
What does your Pleasant Events List look like? Share it with us! You can tag us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter)
Blog written and researched by Communications Associate, Lauren Maley