How Cognitive Behavioural Techniques Can Help Daily Life

When you’re struggling with your mental health, even everyday things can start to feel difficult. Getting out of bed, replying to a message, going to school or university, seeing friends, or doing something you normally enjoy can suddenly feel like a huge effort.

There any many ways to approach this, one of them being Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are connected. Changing one part of this cycle can sometimes have a positive effect on the others.

You don’t need to completely change the way you think or feel overnight. Sometimes, making small changes to what you do instead can be a useful place to start.

What is behavioural activation?

Behavioural activation is a CBT technique that focuses on gradually increasing activities that can improve your mood or give your day a sense of purpose.

When you’re feeling low, it can be tempting to withdraw from things. You might stop seeing friends, stay in bed longer, avoid work or school, or lose interest in hobbies. This can provide temporary relief, but over time it can create a cycle:

Feeling low means you’re doing less, and doing less means you are getting less enjoyment or achievement, which makes you feel even lower, causing you to do even less.

Behavioural activation aims to gently interrupt this cycle. The important thing is that you don’t have to wait until you feel motivated. Sometimes, doing something small first can help motivation come afterwards.

Start small

Behavioural activation isn’t about suddenly filling your calendar with activities or forcing yourself to be happy.

Instead, try choosing one small, manageable activity.

For example:

• Take a short walk.

• Have a shower and get dressed.

• Make yourself something to eat.

• Spend ten minutes on a hobby.

• Message a friend.

• Sit somewhere other than your bedroom.

• Go outside for some fresh air.

• Watch an episode of something you enjoy.

• Tidy one small area of your room.

Even if something seems insignificant, completing it can give you a small sense of achievement, enjoyment or connection.

You can think of activities in three categories:

Enjoyment: Something that makes you feel good, even briefly.

Achievement: Something that gives you a sense of getting something done.

Connection: Something that helps you spend time with or communicate with other people.

An activity doesnt have to include all three. Sometimes simply brushing your teeth or making your bed can be an achievement when you’re having a difficult day.

Negative thoughts

CBT also focuses on the thoughts that can influence how we feel and behave.

For example, you might think:

“There’s no point going out. I’ll just feel terrible anyway.”

That thought might make you stay at home, which could mean you miss out on something that might actually have helped you feel a little better.

Rather than trying to replace every negative thought with a positive one, CBT encourages you to question whether your thought is completely accurate.

You could ask yourself:

• If my friend was thinking this, what would i say?

• How do i know this is true?

• What would actually happen if i went?

You don’t have to convince yourself that you are feeling amazing everydsy. The goal is to develop a more balanced way of looking at things.

Make difficult tasks easier

When you’re struggling with your mental health, a task can sometimes feel much bigger than it actually is.

Instead of: “I need to clean my entire room.”

Try:“I’ll put five things away.”

Instead of: “I need to study for three hours.”

Try: “I’ll study for ten minutes.”

Breaking an activity into smaller steps can make it feel more manageable and reduce the pressure to do everything all at once.

And if you only manage one step, that’s still progress.

Being patient with yourself 

One of the most important things to remember is that behavioural activation isn’t about forcing yourself to be productive all the time.

Rest is important too.

The aim is to find a balance between resting and gradually reconnecting with activities that matter to you. Some days you’ll manage more than others, and that’s okay.

You also don’t need to do everything alone. If you’re struggling with your mental health, talking to someone you trust, for example a friend, family member, teacher, university wellbeing service or healthcare professional, can make things a lot easier.

The bigger picture

CBT techniques such as behavioural activation aren’t about pretending that difficult feelings don’t exist. They’re about finding small ways to regain a sense of control, routine, connection and achievement when mental health difficulties have made those things harder.

You don’t have to completely change your life to start making a difference.

Sometimes, the first step can simply be getting out of bed and opening the curtains. 

And if you’re finding everyday life consistently difficult, you deserve support. Remember that reaching out is a way of looking after yourself.