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Track activities hour by hour alongside mood to identify patterns linking what you do to how you feel.
For the next week, record what you do each day and rate your mood at regular intervals. Don't try to change anything yet — just observe. This baseline helps you and your therapist spot patterns: which activities lift your mood, which lower it, and when the difficult times tend to be.
Use at the start of behavioural activation work to establish a baseline of current activity levels and identify the relationship between activity and mood. Essential for identifying patterns such as time of day effects, activity types that boost or lower mood, and the impact of withdrawal. Also useful as an ongoing monitoring tool.
Frame as an information-gathering tool: 'Before we start making changes, I'd like us to get a clear picture of how you're spending your time right now and how different activities affect your mood. This diary will help us spot patterns and plan changes based on real data.'
For clients who find hourly monitoring overwhelming, use a simplified version with morning, afternoon, and evening blocks. For those with poor memory, encourage real-time recording using phone reminders. Pre-populate time slots if the client has a predictable routine to reduce the writing burden.
Avoid if the client's current activity level is so low that completing the diary itself feels like an insurmountable task; simplify or complete collaboratively in session. Be cautious if the diary becomes a source of self-criticism rather than neutral observation.
Look for patterns rather than absolutes: which activities consistently coincide with better mood? Are there times of day that are particularly difficult? Use the data to collaboratively design the behavioural activation schedule. Highlight any instances where the client's mood was better than expected to challenge hopelessness predictions.
Suitable for clients working with activity monitoring, depression, cbt, behavioural activation, mood diary, baseline. This tool can be used as a standalone worksheet or as part of a structured homework plan.
Create a free account to access 10 worksheets per month.
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