Reduce depression by doing things you love

UCSF with Dr. Jason Satterfield • April 23, 2020

Our behaviors and activities—both large and small—can have a profound impact on our mood and even the way we think. Dr. Jason Satterfield shares practical tips to cultivate joy and calm.

One way to get out of depressive thinking is to engage in activities that are meaningful to you and make you feel positive. By filling our day with intentionally selected activities, we can make sure we have sources of enjoyment, accomplishment, connection, and tranquility. If left unstructured, we are likely to drift into sadness and disconnection during times of high stress.

This typically involves planning for an entire week. However, in times of high stress you can do activity planning on a daily or even hourly basis. If you start to feel worse or have trouble focusing, choose something else to do.