Routines: sleep, meals, and a regular day
Regular routines hold a day together. Meals at roughly the same times, getting up and going to bed at about the same time, a shower, and getting dressed can slip first when mood is low, and their loss can make everything else harder.
Behavioral activation counts these as activities in their own right. Planning breakfast at the table or getting dressed by 9 isn’t too small to count. It’s often where people start.
Sleep matters here too. Sleeping much more or much less than usual, or at very different times, can keep mood low. If sleep is a big part of what’s hard, Sleep Toolbox, another free Everyday Insight tool, has a sleep diary and the self-help parts of CBT for insomnia.
Mark routine activities as Routine under What it’s for, so you can see in your week whether the basics are holding.
Everyday Insight’s tools are for education and personal reflection. They are not therapy or medical care, and they are not for emergencies. In an emergency, call 911. If you are in crisis in the United States, call or text 988. Mental health resources