Finding Balance with Behavioural Activation: Pleasure, Mastery and Values 

We often hear the phrase “find balance” in life; whether it’s work-life balance, school-life balance, balancing your roles of being a parent/friend/sibling, and on and on. Let’s be honest though – sometimes this tip of “finding balance” can be annoying. Sometimes “balance” feels like an arbitrary goal post – like we’re trying to land in some perfect middle ground without knowing where that actually is.

Enter: Psychotherapy! There are great therapeutic interventions for finding your balance and what works best for you. In this blog we will provide you with a little psychoeducation from the world of BEHAVIOURAL ACTIVATION, a therapeutic approach that can be used to help folks find a sense of balance and meaning in their everyday lives.

In behavioral activation, when we talk about “finding balance” what we’re really trying to do is strike a balance in the types of activities we engage in.

The quick Coles notes version goes a little like this:

• We have PLEASURE ACTIVITIES – this is the fun stuff you do (the “play” with friends and family, relaxing on a beach reading a good book, doing the hobby you love, taking that coffee date with a loved one, etc.)
• We also have MASTERY ACTIVITIES – for this, think of the things you do that make you feel productive or like you’ve accomplished something (e.g. cleaning the house, going to work, paying a bill, sorting the laundry, weeding the garden, learning a new skill, or completing that home reno)
• Lastly, we have VALUES ACTIVITIES – these are the activities we do that reflect our personal values (or what means the most to us). They can be big obvious things like volunteering, giving back, supporting a loved one or a special cause.

But truthfully, they are more often the little things we do in our everyday lives, such as:

• Making our kids a healthy breakfast to demonstrate our love and care
• Showing up to work 15 minutes early to start the coffee for our colleagues to foster a friendly work atmosphere
• Brushing the snow off your neighbour’s car in the morning because you value being kind and considerate of others

With these three activity types, we challenge you to reflect and determine if you have a balance of each. Meaning, do you have a dose of PLEASURE, a dose of MASTERY, and a healthy dose of VALUES activities incorporated into each week?

We don’t want to be all work (mastery) and no play (pleasure), because we may miss out on the joys and pleasure of life. But also, being all play (pleasure) and no work (mastery) can be problematic if it leaves us feeling unaccomplished or undervalued, particularly if we aren’t “achieving” things.

Ensuring you have some Values Activities sprinkled in the mix is also important for cultivating a sense of meaning, fulfillment, and purpose. When we aren’t acting in accordance with our values (meaning our behaviors don’t match what we care about) we may feel strong emotions like guilt, sadness, or frustration.

So how does all this apply to you?

• Do you believe you have a balance of Pleasure and Mastery activities in your week?
• If not, what do you need to add a bit more of (mastery or pleasure)?
• Can you think of a way to create more balance?
• What sort of Values activities exist in your week? If this one feels hard to answer, maybe you need to back up and consider: (1) What do I value most? and (2) How do my behaviors/activities already reflect my values each day?