Exercise 4:  Enjoyable and Meaningful Activities

Over a 1-2 day period, do the following three activities:

1. Choose an enjoyable activity to do alone and do it to completion. For example, you might read a book or an article in a magazine, listen to favorite music, remember good times from the past, look at a nice view, or meditate.

2. Choose an enjoyable activity to do with others and do it until completion. For example, you might go for a walk with your spouse or a friend, talk to an old friend on the phone, or watch a movie with others. Sometimes it’s helpful to first identify the “who,” and then you can figure out the “what do to with them.”

3. Choose an activity you deem important and meaningful and do it to completion. For example, you might make a list of your medications to keep in your wallet along with your insurance information, or you might find and complete an important application. If a task seems too big, you could choose to set a goal of starting with a smaller, manageable step that will move you closer to completing the task.

Once you have done these activities, record what occurred during and after the 3 activities. You may wait to write down what happened after you have done all 3 activities, or you may find it easier to record the event right after each individual activity rather than waiting until you have completed them all.