What is Social Self-Care?
Social Self-Care is a behavioral activation skill from CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT stands as a highly efficacious psychological treatment for both anxiety and depressive disorders. Engaging in a constructive activity is positively reinforcing, not only rekindling interest in and energy for the activity but providing a sense of achievement—enough to disrupt the negative feelings, avoidant behavior, and disturbed mood that keep people trapped in depression, and the avoidant behavior that is the hallmark of anxiety.
The worksheet guides clients to list up to six social self-care activities. Clients include both activities that feel easy and some that feel harder but meaningful. The activity names the principle that anticipation is usually worse than the actual contact, and that even brief connection—a short message, a quick call, or simply being around someone—tends to help more than staying alone.
How therapists use it
Introduce Social Self-Care when a client is withdrawing from others or naming isolation as part of their struggle. Under the active guidance of a therapist, individuals are assigned to activities they themselves select—whether meeting a friend for coffee, listening to a podcast, or going for a walk in the park—and learn to formulate and accomplish behavioral goals. Review the list in session and discuss which activities the client tried, what happened, and what they noticed about their mood or sense of connection afterward. The goal is to interrupt the cycle where avoidance deepens low mood.
Who it's for
Social Self-Care suits clients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, or trauma who are withdrawing from others. Social connection is an important factor in mood improvement. Behavioral activation extends to anxiety disorders, particularly where avoidance maintains symptoms. It is less suited to clients in acute crisis or those with severe symptoms that make any activity feel impossible; in those cases, smaller steps or additional support may be needed first.
What clients see
The client reads a brief explanation of why connection matters and how anticipation often exceeds reality. They then list up to six social self-care activities, noting which feel easy and which feel harder but meaningful. They can return to the list and track which activities they tried.
Modality fit
Behavioral activation is an essential therapeutic strategy in CBT, focusing on addressing observable behaviors for intervention. In BA, therapists collaborate with clients to formulate specific goals and plans, encourage the modification of negative behavior patterns, gradually increase the frequency and diversity of positive activities, and help clients regain a sense of pleasure and meaningful engagement in daily life.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is future-focused, goal-directed, and focuses on solutions, rather than on the problems that brought clients to seek therapy. Social Self-Care aligns with this by asking clients to identify concrete actions they can take now, building on what is already working in their lives rather than analyzing why isolation happened.
Common questions
When should I assign this worksheet?
People with depression often lose interest in activities they used to enjoy or no longer find pleasure in their hobbies. A loss of interest in one's hobbies can intensify the symptoms of depression, particularly if the person stops activities that were meaningful, that helped them maintain social connections, or that bolstered their self-esteem. Assign it when withdrawal or isolation is part of the clinical picture.
What if my client says they have no one to contact?
The worksheet includes activities that do not require existing relationships—a short message to someone, a call to a helpline, or simply being in a public space. Start with what feels possible and build from there. If isolation is severe, this worksheet may work better alongside other interventions.
How does this differ from just telling someone to go out?
Both focus on activity monitoring and scheduling in accordance with what people value, and both address obstacles to activity and problem-solving. The worksheet makes the plan concrete, names the client's own values, and creates a record to review. This structure supports follow-through and helps the client notice the connection between action and mood.
Is this worksheet suitable for severe depression?
The main limitation is that behavioral activation requires active participation, which can be difficult for clients with severe symptoms or strong avoidance habits. For severely depressed clients, start with smaller steps or combine this with other supports. The worksheet works best when the client has some capacity to engage.
What conditions does behavioral activation address?
Behavioral activation was developed for depression, where the evidence base is strongest. Research and clinical use now extend behavioral activation to several adjacent presentations: Anxiety disorders, particularly where avoidance maintains symptoms. It is also used for PTSD, grief, and trauma-related withdrawal.