Behavioral Activation
Taking some action dissolves anxiety - plop, plop, fizz, fizz oh what a relief it is!
Daily Gummy of Wisdom for Saturday, April 4, 2026 - Action Dissolves Anxiety
If you are feeling down in the dumps, stuck in procrastination, or simply resistant to doing something hard, take some action to dissolve that anxiety.
This is called behavioral activation. A simple cure to dissolve anxiety by taking some action. Even a little action helps a great deal.
Activation is a cost-free, super easy remedy for feeling anxious or unmotivated. Mark Manson reports that it has been shown to be as effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
If you are a procrastinator, break your task down into small bites. Take some action. Organize your notes or desk. Gather up all your bills. Make one phone call to resolve a billing error.
If you feel depressed and want to pull the covers over your head, take some action. Get dressed. Take a walk. Make some coffee. Listen to music. Just like motion is the lotion we need for our muscles and limbs, action is the antidote to lethargy and languishing.
Mark Manson has debunked a lot of self-help myths. He loves giving us easy solutions to common problems. Here is how he boiled down behavioral activation: “Doing the thing when you don’t want to do the thing, has incredible positive effects.”
Give it a try - it will cost you nothing but a little forward momentum.
“I had to include this quote from Chuck Norris who embodied this practice of taking action and creating positive changes. Chuck passed away recently and he left us with such positive examples of how to live a full and rewarding life. He was a man of action. We often think we need something big to shift us out of our doldrums - but all it takes is a few steps forward. Take some action and notice how you feel. It's pretty remarkable.” — Amy Davis, your Trail Coach
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