STARTING OUT ...

AND HOW TO
KEEP GOING IF YOU FEEL STUCK
(CONDENSED VERSION)

DR. CHRIS WILLIAMS

 I’M NOT HAPPY WITH I REALLY WANT TO DO
THINGS AS THEY ARE SOMETHING THAT HELPS

I NEED TO MAKE I LIKE THE IDEA

SOME CHANGES OF A PROGRAM

ARE YOU FEELING LIKE THIS? IF SO… THIS PROGRAM IS FOR YOU.

I CAN’T KEEP GOING

I DON’T HAVE TIME
ON AS I AM
TO READ THESE
WORKBOOKS!
I TRIED
IT AND IT
DIDN’T
WORK
NOTHING WILL
I DON’T UNDERSTAND MAKE ANY
WHAT THE PROGRAM DIFFERENCE
IS ABOUT

Published under licence 2014. © Five Areas Resources Ltd (2000-2014). All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The workbooks in this program aim to help you understand why you feel like you do. They will teach you
important life skills that will help you to turn the corner.

WHY SHOULD YOU USE THESE WORKBOOKS?

Often people use these workbooks because they want to make changes in their life. You, the reader,
are in control—and you can work on things at a time that suits you. Time and time again, people are
surprised to see the amount of change they can make themselves using a structured approach.

These workbooks use an approach called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a kind of talking treatment.
Don’t worry though—there won’t be any more jargon like that in the rest of the program. Lots of research
has shown that self-help materials based on the CBT approach work well for problems such as depression
and anxiety. Research on this book has also shown that it works very well as a treatment for depression.
People using the book felt less depressed and were better able to live their lives as they wanted.

That’s why the UK version of this book is one of only 30 books to be chosen to be included in every
public library in England as part of the national Book prescription program.

GETTING STARTED
Well done! You’ve done something that quite a few people struggle to do—you’re still reading.

It can sometimes seem really hard starting to change. Have you ever bought or been given a book or
a DVD and never even opened it or even taken the wrapper off? Doing this program is no different. In
fact, in some ways it’s harder because it’s not a book that’s there for entertainment. Instead these are
workbooks—which aim to help you to change how you feel.

DEVELOPING A ROUTINE
Routines can be powerful. For example, if you KEYPOINT
are used to having a snack while you watch TV, Carve out a time - say half hour

q
sometimes just sitting in the same chair can make - when you can concentrate
you feel hungry! on completing the workbooks
In the same way, you might wish to set aside a and are not distracted by young
particular place to complete the workbooks. For children or other tasks.
example, sit on a chair at the kitchen table with a pen
and some blank paper to jot down ideas as you read.
Plan enough time so that you can get really involved in the workbook—preferably half an hour or so, if you
have sufficient energy and concentration for this. If you have others around you, like young children who
might interrupt, try to choose a time when they are asleep or away at daycare or school. Or see if a friend
or relative could take them for a time while you work on the program.

GETTING INTO THE MOOD: DOING SOMETHING PHYSICAL CAN HELP YOU GET STARTED
You may feel physically and mentally sluggish when you feel low or when you aren’t sleeping well. A good
start to using the workbooks is to do something physical first. For example, get up and walk around the
room—and if you have them—up and down the stairs. Then sit down in a chair like a kitchen chair that is
upright and forces you to sit straight rather than slump back.

© Five Areas Resources Ltd (2000-2014). All rights reserved. 3

FINDING EXTRA SUPPORT
Having someone around who can offer support and encouragement can help. This is especially
important if you feel you are struggling or feel stuck. Sometimes just the act of telling someone—a
family member, friend, coach or health professional—that you are working on something, or plan to do
a certain activity on a particular day can really help. Just knowing that someone else may ask you how
it’s going could help spur you to action. You might go through your answers to the questions in the
workbooks with them—or keep your answers private and only discuss some of the program content.

CHANGE TAKES TIME AND EFFORT

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how hard it is to learn new information or skills that you now take for
granted. Think about some of the skills you have learned over the years. For example, if you can drive or
swim or ride a bike, think back to your first driving/swimming lesson or attempt to cycle without training
wheels. You probably weren’t very good at it that first time, yet with practice you developed the skills
needed to do it. In the same way, you can help overcome how you feel by practicing what you learn—
even if it may seem very hard at first.

Write down some other things you have learned that took time:

BE REALISTIC
It’s important not to approach this program either
far too positively or far too negatively. It would be KEYPOINT
untrue to claim that if you use this program you You can’t expect to be able to
are guaranteed results. What we can guarantee is
that this approach has helped many thousands of
people—and that the workbooks teach clinically
proven approaches that have been helpful for
q swim immediately. You may need
to start at the shallow end and
practise at first. Pace what you
do and don’t jump right away
many. Hopefully, at the very least you will learn into the deep end.
some interesting and helpful things along the way.

4 Starting out ... and how to keep going if you feel stuck
MAKING PLANS
The best plans include:
• What you are going to do.
• When you are going to do it.
and
• Predict things that might block or get in the way of you doing this so you can deal with them
head on.

You may find the following Planning task helpful.

You can use it to plan any activities or tasks you want—picking a child up from school, getting a
prescription refilled, planning to read the next workbook, painting the kitchen—anything.

1) WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

Think through in more detail exactly what you will do. Do you need to break it down into smaller
parts (e.g., get a pen and paper, find the copy of the book or workbook, sit at the table with the door
shut and TV off). Try to be clear exactly what you will do—so you will know when you’ve done it. Be
realistic. Will you plan to read the whole workbook, or just a few pages at a time? Each workbook is
also split up into sections so you can work through it in smaller steps.

Write what you will do here:

2) WHEN AM I GOING TO DO IT?

What date and time will suit you? Many people with low mood notice they feel at their worst first thing
in the morning. So you might find that the best time for you to read the workbook is after lunch, in the
late afternoon, or in the early evening. If you have young children, think about what you know of their
routine. Or you could pick a time when others are around to help look after them. Also, can you plan
to read it every day—or do you need a break to let things sink in?

Write the day and time:

© Five Areas Resources Ltd (2000-2014). All rights reserved. 5

3) IS IT WELL PLANNED?
Next, do a quick reality check on your plan. Is it realistic and well planned? Are you trying to bite off more
than you can chew? Is the task small enough for you to succeed, but not so small it makes no difference?

Is my planned task:
Q) Useful for helping me move forward?  Yes  No
Q) Clear, so that I will know when I have done it?  Yes  No
Q) Something that you value, or need to do?  Yes  No
Q) Realistic, practical and achievable?  Yes  No

4) WHAT PROBLEMS/DIFFICULTIES COULD ARISE, AND HOW CAN I OVERCOME THIS?

What could get in the way?

Things within you—low motivation, forgetfulness, talking yourself out of it?

Or things outside you—other people, bad weather, the need for money to do an activity, having to
travel? Or perhaps a task depends on someone else for success? Unpredictable things may also
happen from time to time and interrupt your plans.

Have a backup plan for if you can’t start out when you first planned. For example, what if a friend
unexpectedly drops by for a coffee, or your baby cries, wakes up or needs a diaper change?

Write your possible blocks in here:

Finally, think again about the task and decide whether you need to re-write your plan to
deal with these possible blocks:

6 Starting out ... and how to keep going if you feel stuck
5) WRITE YOUR FINAL PLAN HERE

What are you going to do?

When are you going to do it (day and time)?

SUMMARY
Well done—you got to the last section—and you’re still reading! That’s a very important

Ö
achievement. So many people who want to change find it hard starting out.

Let’s review what you have learned in this workbook. You have covered:
• How to get the most out of the program.
• How to write a clear but flexible plan of when to use the workbooks.

BEFORE YOU GO, LEARN ABOUT OUR ONLINE VIDEO SUPPORT PROGRAM
While waiting to work on your next workbook, take a look at our series of online videos.

Ö You can watch the videos at any time at: bouncebackvideo.ca (using access code:
bbtodayon). You’ll hear from people who have experienced anxiety, low mood, and
depression and learn some practical tips to help you better manage your mood, sleep
better, increase your confidence, feel healthier, problem solve, and more. The videos
are also available in a number of languages.

© Five Areas Resources Ltd (2000-2014). All rights reserved. 7

Founded in 1918, The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is
a national charity that helps maintain and improve mental health for all
Canadians. As the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health,
CMHA helps people access the community resources they need to
build resilience and support recovery from mental illness. Learn more
at www.cmha.ca.
For more information about CMHA, visit www.cmha.ca

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Chris Williams is a medical doctor and psychiatrist who also
has a First Class Honours degree in Psychology. He is a widely
recognized teacher and researcher in the area of cognitive
behavioural therapy self-help and works as a professor of
psychiatry at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

Written by Dr. Chris Williams

Published by the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
under licence from Five Areas Limited for use within Canada.
Published under licence 2014. © Five Areas Resources Ltd (2000-2014). All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means without written permission from the author.