⚡ Promptolis Original · Wellness & Health
🔋 Depression Behavioral Activation Planner
Depression steals motivation; action generates it. Weekly behavioral activation plan with energy-aware scoping. Based on Jacobson & Martell's BA (2001).
Why this is epic
Behavioral Activation (Jacobson & Martell 2001, refined by Dimidjian et al.) is the most evidence-based psychological intervention for depression — as effective as antidepressants for many patients, with effects that hold post-treatment better. Core principle: depression is maintained by avoidance and withdrawal; re-engaging with valued activities (even when motivation is absent) breaks the cycle.
This prompt creates a weekly BA plan calibrated to your current depression severity. Not 'do 10 things'; not '1 thing.' The right number of commitments for where your energy actually is. Over-scoping fails + reinforces 'I can't do anything.' Under-scoping doesn't move the needle.
Tracks mastery + pleasure + values-alignment per activity. BA isn't 'be busy'; it's 'engage in activities that matter to you.' Busy without values = depressive even without depression.
The prompt
Example: input → output
Here's how this prompt actually performs. Real input below, real output from Claude Opus 4.
<severity>moderate — I'm functioning at work (barely) but evenings/weekends are lost to bed and screens</severity> <current-capacity>Morning: can work. Afternoon: distracted, tired. Evening: can't start anything; default to couch. Weekends: mostly in bed or scrolling.</current-capacity> <values>Family (partner + friends I'm isolating from), creative (haven't touched my drawing in 4 months), physical (used to bike; haven't in months)</values> <treatment-context>In therapy weekly. On SSRI (8 weeks; psychiatrist says we're waiting for full effect).</treatment-context> <diagnosis>Depression (diagnosed)</diagnosis>
Your BA Plan (This Week)
Scope Calibration
Moderate depression + currently-low evening/weekend capacity. Scope: 2-3 activities per day on weekdays, 3-4 on weekends. NOT ambitious; calibrated to what's doable given depression brain resistance.
Priority: re-activate the 3 values (family, creative, physical) each at minimal level. Not 'full activation' of any; threshold re-engagement with all three so none continues decaying.
Daily Structure
Weekdays (Mon-Fri):
- Morning: work (already intact, preserve it)
- Lunch: 1 activity (10-20 min — micro-BA for afternoon slump)
- Evening: 1 activity (30-45 min — BA against couch default)
Weekends (Sat-Sun):
- Morning: 1 activity (movement-forward, get out of bed early)
- Afternoon: 1 activity (social or creative)
- Evening: 1 activity (low-stakes pleasure, not couch)
Specific Activities (This Week)
Daily Weekday Lunch Micro-BA:
- Monday: 10-min walk outside (physical + values) [scheduled 12:30]
- Tuesday: Text one friend 'how are you?' — just one (family/friends + values) [scheduled 12:00]
- Wednesday: Open drawing pad, draw anything for 10 min (creative + values) [scheduled 12:30]
- Thursday: 10-min walk outside (physical)
- Friday: Text different friend (family/friends)
Daily Weekday Evening BA:
- Monday: 30 min making dinner WITH partner (not alone on couch with takeout). Small conversation while cooking. (family + mastery)
- Tuesday: 30 min drawing (creative + pleasure)
- Wednesday: 45 min bike ride (physical + pleasure)
- Thursday: Video call one friend 30 min (family/friends + pleasure)
- Friday: Anything enjoyable — movie, book, music. With partner preferred. (pleasure)
Saturday:
- Morning 9am (alarm, out of bed): 20-min walk outside
- Afternoon: 1-hour activity with partner (not TV) — could be errand together, walk, visit someone, game
- Evening: drawing OR bike ride (alternating weeks)
Sunday:
- Morning 9am: 20-min walk
- Afternoon: Video call family member or long-distance friend
- Evening: Prep for Monday — laundry, meal prep, anything that makes Monday slightly easier
Tracking
Each evening, 60 sec:
- Which activities did I complete today? ✓ or ✗
- For each completed: rate mastery 1-5 (sense of accomplishment) + pleasure 1-5 (did I enjoy it)
- One sentence about mood today
At week end: which activities scored highest mastery? Highest pleasure? Pattern identification → next week's plan.
If You Complete 50%+ of Plan
Success at moderate depression with current brain = completing 50%+ of commitments. Not 100%. 50%+ is progress.
Next week: add ONE activity per day on weekdays (not doubling — incremental scale). Keep weekend structure.
If specific activity felt impossible (the bike ride felt too much): keep it smaller (15-min walk instead of bike) until capacity returns.
If You Complete Less Than 50%
NOT failure. Recalibration.
Drop the evening weekday activity. Daily = ONE micro-activity at lunch. Weekend = ONE activity / day. Micro-BA.
If even micro feels impossible: tell your therapist this week. Depression may be worse than moderate; might need med adjustment (psychiatrist can't work on intuition — they need your data).
The answer isn't 'try harder.' The answer is 'reduce scope to match current capacity, build from there.'
Integration With Therapy / Medication
Bring this plan to next therapy session. Tell therapist: 'Started BA. Here's the plan. Completed X of Y. Scale up / down indicated.' BA-trained therapists will recognize; non-trained therapists can still support.
Psychiatrist review (your 8-week mark for SSRI): tell psychiatrist you're using BA alongside medication. Some psychiatrists appreciate the combined approach. If SSRI effect is minimal at 8-12 weeks, may discuss adjustment.
BA doesn't replace medication for moderate-to-severe depression. It complements. Don't stop medication to rely on BA alone without psychiatric guidance.
Red Flags
If you experience any of these, tell your therapist THIS WEEK (not waiting for next session):
- Suicidal ideation (passive or active)
- Inability to get out of bed most days
- Can't complete any BA activities for a full week
- Worsening beyond 'depression holds steady'
- Any plan or means for self-harm
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call/text) if urgent. Your pre-existing psychiatrist for medication concerns. BA is supportive; when depression significantly deepens, clinical intervention is primary.
Common use cases
- Clinical depression (diagnosed) wanting structured between-therapy-session support
- Subclinical depression / low mood wanting intervention before it deepens
- Depression with high-functioning masks (you're working, but hollow)
- Post-depression recovery where maintaining activation prevents relapse
- Depression + anxiety comorbidity (BA works for both)
- Bipolar depression (BA with additional mania-awareness; not hypomanic over-scheduling)
- Seasonal depression (SAD) during affected months
Best AI model for this
Claude Opus 4 for scope calibration (sensitive to depression severity). Sonnet acceptable.
Pro tips
- Motivation follows action in depression, not the other way. Waiting to 'feel like it' = waiting forever.
- Over-scoping fails. Your depression brain says 'do 20 things.' Do 3. If 3 succeed, next week add 1.
- Track mastery (sense of accomplishment) + pleasure (enjoyment) + values-alignment per activity.
- BA is primarily for depression. For trauma / grief / other, different primary intervention.
- Schedule + do. Depression brain will argue against every item in real-time. Schedule is the boss, not today's feeling.
- Don't judge 'slow' BA progress. Severe depression might mean 1 activity / day for 2 weeks before scaling up. That's progress.
- Bipolar: BA done carefully. Don't let BA fuel a hypomanic swing. Talk to psychiatrist / therapist about activation schedule.
Customization tips
- For severe depression specifically: scope down further. 1 activity / day for first week. Morning walk 5 min. That's the whole plan. Build from there. Don't let ambitious planning become avoidance.
- For depression + anxiety comorbidity: some activities will activate anxiety. Note which. Gradual exposure within BA often helps. Not avoiding anxiety-triggering valued activities, but not forcing into crisis either.
- For bipolar depression: critical caution. BA done carefully. Steady schedule > burst activity. Consistent wake time especially important. Talk to prescriber about BA plan before aggressive activation.
- For seasonal depression (SAD): BA during affected months + light therapy + vitamin D. Don't go it alone in deep winter; pair BA with clinical tools for SAD.
- For postpartum depression: BA adapted to postpartum reality (infant care demands). 'Go for walk with baby' counts; 'take 30 min for yourself' may be luxury. Scoped to actual life.
- For high-functioning depression (working, pretending fine): BA often harder because you've built whole day around masking. Challenge: schedule pleasure-specific activities where you usually mask. Uncomfortable; necessary.
- For depression in elderly adults: BA is still effective (research supports across age groups). Adapt to physical capacity. Walking 5 min may be the 'physical' activity.
- For depression with chronic illness: BA alongside chronic illness management. Some days illness dominates; BA scope fluctuates with physical capacity. Don't judge variable capacity as 'BA failing.'
- For depression with significant trauma history: BA doesn't address trauma. Separate work with trauma-specialized therapist necessary. BA can happen simultaneously with trauma therapy; each addresses different layer.
Variants
Default Weekly BA
Standard weekly behavioral activation plan
Severe Depression (functional impairment)
Micro-BA — 1-2 activities per day, tiny scope
Moderate Depression
Standard BA — 3-5 activities per day, mix of mastery + pleasure + values
Mild / Subclinical
BA-prevention — maintain activation to prevent deepening
Bipolar Depression (with mania-awareness)
BA without fueling hypomania; consistent schedule vs. intense bursts
Post-Depression Maintenance
Relapse prevention through sustained activation patterns
Frequently asked questions
How do I use the Depression Behavioral Activation Planner prompt?
Open the prompt page, click 'Copy prompt', paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and replace the placeholders in curly braces with your real input. The prompt is also launchable directly in each model with one click.
Which AI model works best with Depression Behavioral Activation Planner?
Claude Opus 4 for scope calibration (sensitive to depression severity). Sonnet acceptable.
Can I customize the Depression Behavioral Activation Planner prompt for my use case?
Yes — every Promptolis Original is designed to be customized. Key levers: Motivation follows action in depression, not the other way. Waiting to 'feel like it' = waiting forever.; Over-scoping fails. Your depression brain says 'do 20 things.' Do 3. If 3 succeed, next week add 1.
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