🚶Healthy Living & Activity
Lift your mood and energy through everyday action
What It Is
When mood drops, motivation follows — and it’s easy to stop doing the things that help us feel good. Behavioural activation is about turning that cycle around: doing small, meaningful activities first, even before you feel like it. Action creates momentum.
How To Do It
List Activities
Write down things that make you feel better or more connected — not just fun, but useful or social too. Include:
Simple pleasures (music, walking, a cuppa outside)
Everyday wins (tidying, cooking, gardening)
Connections (call a friend, join a group)
Sort by Effort
Label each activity to help you choose what fits your day and energy.:
Easy – can do anytime
Medium – needs planning or energy
Hard – takes commitment or other people’s help
Rank by Impact
Notice which activities boost your mood, confidence, or connection the most. Give each one a simple score (e.g. 1–5). Keep the top few handy — those are your go-to activities when things feel flat.
Plan the Week
Use your list to schedule a few small, realistic activities each day — especially the easy wins. Keep it simple: a 10-minute walk, a text to a friend, cooking dinner. Check off what you do — seeing progress reinforces motivation
Why It Works
Doing, even small things, rebuilds energy and purpose. Positive action changes thoughts and mood faster than waiting to “feel ready.” Over time, habits of activity protect against relapse into low mood.
Try This (Practice Plan)
Pick one small activity from your list right now — something you can do in the next hour.
Do it, then note how you feel.
Repeat daily for one week.
Small steps, repeated often, shift the balance toward feeling active and capable again.
🏥 In an emergency, call 000. If you’re struggling or need more support, talk to your GP or call Lifeline 13 11 14. This information supports wellbeing but is not a substitute for professional care.
Developed in the Northern Mallee for the Northern Mallee — practical, evidence-based, and community-driven.
