Behavioural Activation Diary
Behavioural Activation is one of the most well-evidenced techniques in CBT for lifting low mood. By gradually increasing activities that bring pleasure, meaning, or a sense of achievement, you can break the cycle of withdrawal and low mood — one small step at a time.
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Plan Your Activities
Identify pleasurable and meaningful activities, plus responsibilities you may have been putting off. Planning ahead makes it far more likely you'll follow through.
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Track Before & After
Rate your depression, pleasure, and sense of achievement before and after each activity. You may be surprised how much activities shift your mood — even when you don't feel like doing them.
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Daily Diary
Record what you do across morning, afternoon, and evening each day. Noting what you did, who you were with, and how you felt helps you spot the patterns that matter.
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Discover What Helps
At the end of the week, review your records to find which activities lifted your mood most — and use this to plan the week ahead.
How It Works
A step-by-step guide
Work through the four steps below. The key is to act first, and let the mood follow — don't wait until you feel like it.
1
Make a list of activity options
Write down two types of activities:
- Pleasurable / Meaningful — things you enjoy, find interesting, or that connect you with others. These don't need to be big; even a short walk counts.
- Responsibilities / Tasks — everyday duties or jobs you may have been avoiding. Completing these builds a sense of mastery and reduces the burden they create when left undone.
2
Choose and plan one activity per day
Select at least one activity for each day and plan the details in advance. Specificity matters — decide:
- What exactly will you do?
- When and where will it happen?
- Who will you be with (if anyone)?
3
Record and rate each activity
After each activity, record it and rate three things on a scale of 0–10, both before and after:
- Depression — how low or depressed you feel (0 = none, 10 = extreme)
- Pleasure — how enjoyable the activity was (0 = none, 10 = very enjoyable)
- Achievement — your sense of mastery or accomplishment (0 = none, 10 = strong)
4
Review and reflect at the end of the week
Look back over your week's records and ask yourself:
- Which activities lifted my mood most?
- Which gave me a sense of mastery, even if they weren't enjoyable?
- What would I like to keep or repeat next week?
- Are there new activities I'd like to add?
The 0–10 Rating Scale
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
None / Very Low
Moderate
Extreme / Very High
Use this scale for all three ratings. For Depression, a lower score after the activity is a good sign — it means your mood lifted. For Pleasure and Achievement, a higher score after means the activity helped. Many people are surprised to find the "after" score is better than the "before" even when they didn't feel like starting.
💡 Tip: The hardest part is often starting. Behavioural Activation works on the principle that action comes before motivation — not the other way around. You don't need to feel ready. Just begin with the smallest possible step, and let the mood catch up.
Your Worksheet
Behavioural Activation Diary
Complete each section across the week. When you're done, click the button at the bottom to receive your diary as a PDF by email.
📝 Before you begin
Start with Part 1 to generate your activity ideas. Then use Part 2 to plan and track specific activities throughout the week. Use Part 3 as your daily diary. At the end of the week, complete Part 4 to review what you've learned.
You don't need to fill in every cell — even partial records are useful. The goal is progress, not perfection.
📋 Part 1 — My Activity Ideas
List activities you enjoy or would like to try, plus responsibilities you've been putting off.
😊 Pleasurable / Meaningful Activities
Things you enjoy, find interesting, or that connect you with others
1
2
3
✅ Responsibilities / Tasks
Everyday duties or jobs you may have been avoiding or putting off
1
2
3
📊 Part 2 — Activity Tracker
For each planned activity, describe it and rate depression, pleasure, and achievement before and after (0–10).
ActivityLocation, date, time
DepressionBefore → After (lower = better)
PleasureBefore → After (higher = better)
AchievementBefore → After (higher = better)
Activity (location, date, time)
Depression Before → After
→
Pleasure Before → After
→
Achievement Before → After
→
Activity (location, date, time)
Depression Before → After
→
Pleasure Before → After
→
Achievement Before → After
→
Activity (location, date, time)
Depression Before → After
→
Pleasure Before → After
→
Achievement Before → After
→
Activity (location, date, time)
Depression Before → After
→
Pleasure Before → After
→
Achievement Before → After
→
📅 Part 3 — Weekly Diary
Record what you did in each time period. Include who you were with, what you did, where, and your mood rating (0–10).
Day
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Mon
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Tue
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Wed
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Thu
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Fri
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Sat
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
🔍 Part 4 — Weekly Reflection
Look back over your week and write your observations. Which activities helped? What will you do differently next week?
Consider: Which activities lifted your mood most? Which gave you a sense of mastery, even if they weren't enjoyable? What would you like to keep or repeat? Are there new activities you'd like to add?
🌿 Remember
Low mood often makes everything feel pointless before you start. Behavioural Activation works precisely because you act anyway — and discover that the activity helped more than you expected. Share your diary with your therapist if you're working with one; the patterns it reveals can be very valuable in sessions.
Get your diary
Enter your email address and we'll send your completed Behavioural Activation Diary as a PDF.