Behavioral Activation

Behavioral activation is the pursuit of enjoyable daily activities and rewarding experiences to reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions through behavior change (Jacobson et al., 1996). A practical approach to behavioral activation is to increase the experience of rewards and pleasure that involve one’s five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch through daily activities, such as watching people, listening to music, smelling perfume, eating favorite foods, and hugging others.