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Psychologist Peter Lewinsohn proposed the psychological intervention in 1974. It helps people increase the frequency of pleasurable experiences, reduce avoidance, solve problems, do things to feel mastery and accomplishment, and helps people act in ways that are consistent with their values. (Kanter et al., 2012).
The goal of Behavioural Activation is to improve mood, reduce unpleasant symptoms like depression, and increase one’s quality of life. Although Behavioural Activation was created as a treatment for depression, research has supported its use for multiple conditions.
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Stressed employee
Feeling overworked, having conflict with managers, and experiencing low job satisfaction can all cause stress and anxiety. Talking to friends, family, or even your psychologist can help you feel better, but you may need to do more to change your situation. Here are five tips for dealing with work-related stress.
1. Learn now to say no. Saying no to things that are voluntary or unnecessary will free up your time to do things that improve your mood. Having time for yourself and your interests is beneficial for your mental health (you can read more in this blog entry). Saying no can be difficult if you focus too much on pleasing people. If you learn assertiveness skills and practice them, you will find it easier to say no. 
Stay safe out there. We will get through this together.
This is a very difficult time for many of us. There are few people alive today who have experienced a pandemic, so this is an unprecedented situation. But health care professionals are here and prepared to help. Below is a collection of resources that may help you to cope during this difficult time. If you reside in Ontario, I am available for video-therapy sessions or telephone sessions. If you are a current client, please do not hesitate to contact me, and you are not alone. If you don't have time to read the resources below, I would like to recommend the following:
 Keeping busy with activities that bring value or positive emotions is good for mental health. Behavioural activation (BA) is a therapeutic intervention that involves engaging in pleasurable activities to improve your mood. BA was initially studied as a treatment for depression, and it has been helpful in improving the moods of people who struggle with this condition (see Behavioral activation interventions for well-being: A meta-analysis; Mazzucchelli, Kane, & Rees, 2010).
 Regular use of gratitude journaling can change your perspective. I like to recommend that my clients keep a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a Positive Psychology tool that helps individuals to focus more on what is going well in their lives. This is different from many therapeutic techniques that focus on problems (although this is often necessary). Our thoughts and perceptions of ourselves, our lives, other people, and the world can vary along a continuum from everything is wonderful to everything is absolutely horrible. If one is depressed, everything seems horrible, doesn’t it? But if we take a closer look, we can often find positives in our lives that we took for granted because we were seeing everything though a negative ‘mental filter’. A gratitude journal can help bring the positives in our lives back into focus, so that we can see things from a more balanced perspective. When you realize that everything in your life is not horrible, this can really improve your mood!
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Candice Bovell, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Clinical Psychologist Archives
June 2025
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