Building Short-Term Positive Emotion Skills
Why should we create positive activities in our lives?
First, positive activities increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions. In fact, cognitive-behavioral therapies for treating depression, such as behavioral activation, emphasize this as a crucial factor.
Furthermore, without positive experiences, our sense of happiness can decrease, leaving us more vulnerable to events that trigger painful emotions. However, even in such deprived circumstances, it’s important to remember that we can engage in enjoyable activities. Amid the conditions of a challenging life, engaging in enjoyable activities can temporarily improve our mood and increase positive emotions, even if only slightly.
Therefore, making an effort to develop enjoyable activities is highly valuable in our lives.
Are you overwhelmed by fatigue, lack of time, busyness, or sadness, preventing you from developing enjoyable activities? Or do you think that you won’t have a positive experience even if you try engaging in enjoyable activities, or that you shouldn’t engage in them?
If so, start today!
First, try engaging in at least one enjoyable activity each day. Engage in activities that will evoke feelings of joy, tranquility, love, self-confidence, and the like.
Second, practice doing the opposite if necessary, to activate your behavior.
Third, avoid thinking about whether you deserve to enjoy these activities. Such thoughts are simply judgmental.
Fourth, try to avoid avoiding things!
Fifth, when experiencing enjoyable moments, engage mindfully—immerse your attention fully in the experience.
Sixth, when negative thoughts arise, notice them and then redirect your focus to the positive aspects.
Lastly, remember to cultivate patience and consistency; positive emotions accumulate over time.
Songhee Chae, M.A. / DBT Institute of Korea
