THE BIG LIST OF PLEASURABLE ACTIVITIES Check the ones you’re willing to do, and then add any activities that you can think of:
Talk to a friend on the telephone.
Go out and visit a friend.
Invite a friend to come to your home.
Text message your friends.
Do yoga, tai chi, or Pilates, or take classes to learn.
Go outside and watch the clouds.
Do something exciting, like surfing, rock climbing, skiing, skydiving, motorcycle riding, or kayaking, or go learn how to do one of these things.
Go to your local playground and join a game being played or watch a game.
Get a massage; this can also help soothe your emotions.
Get out of your house, even if you just sit outside.
Go for a drive in your car or go for a ride on public transportation.
Plan a trip to a place you’ve never been before.
Eat chocolate (it’s good for you!) or eat something else you really like.
Eat your favorite ice cream.
Cook a recipe that you’ve never tried before.
Go out for something to eat.
Go outside and play with the kids.
Go outside and watch the birds and other animals.
Find something funny to do, like reading the Sunday comics.
Watch a funny movie (start collecting funny movies to watch when you’re feeling overwhelmed with pain).
Go to the movie theater and watch whatever’s playing.
Play a game with a friend.
Visit crazy Web sites and start keeping a list of them.
Create your own online blog.
Join an Internet dating service.
Do a puzzle with a lot of pieces.
Go to your favorite café for coffee or tea.
Visit a museum or local art gallery.
Go to the mall or the park and watch other people; try to imagine what they’re thinking.
Sing or learn how to sing.
Listen to some upbeat, happy music (start collecting happy songs for times when you’re feeling overwhelmed).
Turn on some loud music and dance in your room.
Memorize lines from your favorite movie, play, or song.
Participate in a local theater group.
Knit, crochet, or sew—or learn how to.
Make a scrapbook with pictures.
Take a bubble bath or shower.
Sign up for a class that excites you at a local college, adult school, or online.
Read your favorite book, magazine, paper, or poem.
Read a trashy celebrity magazine.
Write a letter to a friend or family member. Write things you like about yourself on a picture of your body or draw them on a photograph of yourself.
Write a poem, story, movie, or play about your life or someone else’s life.
Write in your journal or diary about what happened to you today.
Write a loving letter to yourself when you’re feeling good and keep it with you to read when you’re feeling upset.
Make a list of ten things you’re good at or that you like about yourself when you’re feeling good, and keep it with you to read when you’re feeling upset.
Paint a picture with a brush or your fingers.
Have sex with someone you care about.
Make a list of the people you admire and want to be like—it can be anyone real or fictional throughout history. Describe what you admire about these people.
Write a story about the craziest, funniest, or sexiest thing that has ever happened to you.
Make a list of ten things you would like to do before you die.
Make a list of ten celebrities you would like to be friends with and describe why.
Make a list of ten celebrities you would like to have sex with and describe why.
Write a letter to someone who has made your life better and tell them why. (You don’t have to send the letter if you don’t want to.)
Create your own list of pleasurable activities.
