Prioritizing Positive Activities: Make Time for Joy and Pleasure

In today’s world, one of the biggest obstacles to overcoming depression is simply finding the time to engage in more positive activities. Responsibilities, duties, and chores pile up. We want to enjoy life more, but we are too busy, so we rationalize we don’t have time for happiness.

One hidden benefit from the COVID-19 lockdown was that it forced people to re-evaluate their values and priorities in life. People spent more time at home and less time at work. Life became more than just “getting things done,” and many took up new hobbies like gardening, playing a musical instrument, and spending more time with family.

This a life-long lesson that we shouldn’t forget. Prioritizing positive activities is essential for our well-being, particularly during times when we feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed.

One new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology explored 99 different types of positive activities people frequently engaged in throughout the lockdowns. The goal was to analyze each positive activity to determine why it was chosen.

Naturally, the most important factor behind any positive activity was whether or not a person found it rewarding. This is consistent with previous research on habit loops which shows that every consistent habit follows the pattern of cue → routine → reward.

While participants in the study chose a wide-range of different positive activities, the researchers found no correlation between any of the sub-factors and what made something a positive activity. Instead, any kind of activity can be sufficient as long as it produces the desired effects on the person.

Neuroimaging studies have shown that any positive experience and any kind of reward is converted into a “common currency” of pleasure in the brain known as dopamine. So when people say things like, “Playing a video game is the same thing as doing cocaine,” they are only referring to the fact that anything that is perceived as a reward can activate the dopamine centers of the brain.

This implies that activities do not need to directly induce pleasure or involve physical activity to boost mood on a biological level. Positive activities that are mood-boosting can include duties and daily chores, as well as relaxing and regenerative activities, depending on the person.

In therapeutic settings, psychologists will often recommend behavioral changes designed to systematically encourage positive and value-based activities, and they have been proven to be an effective way to improve our well-being.

Behavioral Activation (BA) is a specific skill learned in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It can be a treatment all by itself, or can be used alongside other CBT skills such as cognitive restructuring. Behavioral activation helps us understand how behaviors influence emotions, just like cognitive work helps us understand the connection between thoughts and emotions.

When you think of positive activities that create joy and pleasure, what comes to mind?

Give yourself a moment to think about it before going to the next section.

99 Most Common Positive Activities Studied

Here’s a list of the 99 most common positive activities from the study mentioned above. Keep in mind these rankings are influenced by the people studied, and the most important thing is to identify positive activities that work for you.

1. Watch a movie/a tv series

2. Do household chores

3. Go for a walk

4. Clean and tidy up thoroughly

5. Talk/chat with friends/family over phone/skype

6. Do sports (e.g. a home workout/stretching)

7. Shower/take a bath

8. Bake

9. Try a new cooking recipe

10. Chat over social media

11. Listen to an audio book/podcast

12. Finish a task or a project

13. Ride a bicycle

14. Do gardening

15. Create a vegetable patch or repot a plant

16. Make plans for the post-lockdown period

17. Put clean sheets on the bed

18. Enjoy an extensive breakfast/brunch

19. Jog or do outdoor exercises

20. Look at or sort old photos

21. Read novels, short stories, plays or poems

22. Sort out or upgrade clothing

23. Do meditation or yoga

24. Brighten up the apartment or renovate a room

25. Research on the Internet on a subject

26. Groom myself

27. Act artistically (painting, sculpturing, drawing)

28. Shop online

29. Read magazines or newspapers

30. Play board or card games

31. Listen to music consciously (not only incidentally)

32. Organize or archive something

33. Knit, crochet, embroider or sew

34. Implement a long-delayed task (e.g. tax return)

35. Playing puzzles, solving crosswords, etc.

36. Take time for a long conversation

37. Read a textbook or nonfiction

38. Look at stars, moon or clouds

39. Prepare/make a lovely gift

40. Watch funny videos, listen to jokes or read jokes

41. Compliment or praise someone

42. Enjoy sexuality in partnership

43. Walk barefoot

44. Make my parents happy

45. Dedicate myself intensively to the children

46. Play/learn a musical instrument

47. Play games on smartphone

48. Watch the sunrise or sunset

49. Sing

50. Write letters or cards

51. Take care of my financial affairs

52. Play video games (e.g. computer, Playstation, Wii)

53. Play with pets

54. Learn/practice a foreign language

55. Dance for myself

56. Think of an encouragement for others

57. Enjoy sexuality alone

58. Do a mindfulness exercise

59. Create a healthy diet plan

60. Donate to a good cause

61. Plan breaks actively

62. Address a personal problem

63. Sell something online

64. Preserve, freeze and stockpile food

65. Work on technical things (car, bicycle, motorcycle, household appliances)

66. Watching a film in a foreign language

67. Work with artistic materials (clay, leather, pearls, wool, etc.)

68. Make a photo album

69. Photograph

70. Put on make-up, fix my hair, etc.

71. Offer an advice or help

72. Watch and imitate do-it-yourself videos

73. Write a diary

74. Read tips and advice for self-help

75. Stream an online presentation

76. Restore antiques, refurbish furniture

77. Watch a video of a concert

78. Listen to the radio attentively

79. Post photos in social media

80. Learn something new (e.g. juggling, football tricks, handstand)

81. Study for an exam

82. Organize a party with old friends via internet

83. Start a new hobby

84. Apply for a new job

85. Write stories, plays or poems

86. Ask someone for advice or help

87. Pick out TV shows thoroughly

88. Study maps/learn capitals

89. Write a blog article or post a video

90. Shoot or edit a video

91. Maintain my homepage

92. Medically fast* (consult your doctor before making any changes to your medication)

93. Compose a song or a piece of music

94. Sing karaoke (by yourself or with friends/family)

95. Learn a magic trick

96. Participate in internet corona challenges (e.g. #oldphotochallenge)

97. Confess something to somebody

98. Conduct a fashion show at home

99. Write/recite a poem

If you had to choose 5 activities from the list above, which are your favorites? Are there any positive activities not mentioned that you would add?

How to Prioritize Positive Activities

Now let’s learn tips on how to prioritize positive activities and improve your well-being:

• Identify your personal values – To prioritize positive activities, you need to identify what is important to you. Ask yourself what values and goals are most important in your life, and then select activities that align with those values.
• Learn the importance of leisure – Life isn’t just about being productive. We must learn to strike a healthy balance between “work” and “leisure” or we will drive ourselves insane. Research shows that even taking micro-breaks throughout the work day can play an important role in keeping our bodies and minds fresh and rejuvenated.
• Make a list of potential activities – Brainstorm a list of potential activities that you enjoy or that align with your personal values. Consider a wide range of activities, from physical exercise to mindfulness-oriented activities, from those that are exciting/thrilling to those that are relaxing. Don’t limit yourself to any specific category of activities, as the study revealed that any activity can produce the desired effects as long as it is rewarding. Feel free to use the list above to get some ideas. The bigger your list, the more options you have to choose from when you need a boost in mood. Save this list as “Positive Activities” and continue to add to it over time.
• Choose one activity and start small – Once you have a list of potential activities, start small. Choose just ONE activity to try first, even if it’s only for 5-10 minutes. Go easy on yourself. It’s important to start with activities that are manageable and that you feel confident doing. If you want to change your momentum in life, learn to take the smallest step in the right direction, then keep going.
• Make a positive change to your daily routine – We are what we repeatedly do. To prioritize positive activities more in your life, find ways to make them a steady part of your daily routine. Make an outline of what an “average day” looks like for you, then find one small change you can make to it. Identify a good time to engage in a pleasurable activity, such as riding your bike in the morning, or listening to music after work, or reading a book before bed.
• Embrace variety – Leisure activities can become stale if we do them too often. If you’re always playing the same exact video game after school or work every day, that can lose its pleasure over time. It becomes part of a boring and tedious ritual rather than something that still excites you and inspires you. According to the hedonic treadmill, our brains adapt to pleasure if we do activities too often. It’s the same way that second piece of cake is never going to have the same dopamine rush as that first bite. One way to maximize pleasure in life is to embrace variety, even if it’s just listening to a different genre of music or watching a different type of TV show/movie. Refer back to your “Positive Activities” list and try something you haven’t done in awhile. Keep things fresh and interesting.

Remember, it is important to prioritize positive activities that matter to you, as this will help you stay motivated and engaged.

Don’t worry too much about the specific activities you choose, as any positive experience and any kind of reward is converted into a “common currency” of pleasure in the brain.

Start small, set goals, track your progress, and make it a habit. By doing so, you can improve your well-being and live a happier, more fulfilling life.

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