ZenGamer

Tool takes 2 min + the thing

Small things planner

When everything feels flat: pick one small thing, do it, see how you feel.

1. Make a list of small things

Small enough to do even on a flat day. A mix of things you enjoy, things that get something done, and things that matter to you.

Something I enjoy

Something that gets a thing done

Something that matters to me

It's

    Your list is empty. Tap an idea above or write your own.

    3. Look back

    Nothing logged yet. After you've tried a few things, you'll see here what lifted your mood.

    Your list and moods stay on this device only. Anyone using this browser can see them.

    If your mood isn't lifting, or you're thinking about hurting yourself, please talk to someone: free, confidential helplines.

    How to use it

    1. Build a list of small things: some you enjoy, some that get a thing done, some that matter to you.
    2. Pick one. Rate your mood, then go and do it, even if you don't feel like it yet.
    3. Come back and rate your mood again.
    4. After a few days, look back at what helped and do more of it.

    Why it works

    When you feel low, it's easy to stop doing the things you enjoy or need to do. NHS guidance says avoiding them can make a low mood harder to shift. It suggests listing activities that matter or that you enjoy, doing some each day, and starting with the easier ones (NHS: low mood, NHS: your to-do list).

    This is called behavioural activation. An NHS workbook describes bringing back activities for enjoyment and a sense of achievement, starting small, planning them ahead, and rating your mood before and after so you can see the effect (East London NHS Foundation Trust).

    In a UK trial of 440 adults with depression, behavioural activation from junior mental health workers worked as well as cognitive behavioural therapy a year later. That was up to 20 sessions with a trained person, not an app (Richards et al., 2016). A 2014 review of 26 trials found it helped compared with control groups, but most studies were small and only two tested self-help (Ekers et al., 2014).

    When to use it

    • When everything feels flat and you can't get started on anything.
    • On a slow weekend, a day off, or after a long run of studying or gaming.
    • To plan tomorrow: pick one small thing tonight.

    This is a self-help tool, not medical advice. If low mood is affecting your daily life or isn't lifting, talk to a doctor.

    More tools

    Not medical advice. This is a wellbeing tool, not a treatment. If things feel heavy, talk to someone.