Pleasant Events

Pleasant Events are activities that give you pleasure, joy, or contentment.

Stories

There have been times in my life that I feel like I'm stuck in the go‑go mode, focusing on my big to‑do list. I also love spending time for myself and enjoying myself. When I was introduced to pleasant events, the idea was so simple, I just needed to create a list and then practice it every day.

Ghazal Admin Lead, Meet Manager

Community Tips

I love watching old reruns of ‘Murder She Wrote’ while wrapped up in super soft sweatpants and socks and my favorite blanket. I love it even more after I’ve attended my Sunday meeting, and cleaned up my house on a timer for 20 minutes. Highly recommend.

I find it pleasant to gently wipe the leaves on my houseplants with warm water. I talk to them while I’m doing it.

You are never too old to use the swings at the park. Except the baby swings. I love the feeling I get in my stomach.

Why Use this Skill

If all you do is hustle and grind, you’re going to hit a wall eventually. Taking time for things that light you up—not just check things off the list—keeps you going. When stress is creeping up, finding something enjoyable to do can help reset your brain. Plus, making a habit of doing fun things boosts your mood and helps you handle life when it gets rough

When to Use This Skill

Use Pleasant Events when:

You want to build your resilience, self-love, or general satisfaction.
You want to decrease your baseline stress level.
You need to distract from something stressful.

How to Use This Skill

Identify your special interests, favorite hobbies, and the activities you most enjoy.

What do you find fun? What energizes you? What gives you pleasure? What leaves you feeling content, happy, peaceful, or relaxed when you’re finished? These are your pleasant events.

Write all of them down on a list! To make it onto your list, the activity doesn’t have to be something you always enjoy. It’s okay if you only like some activities when you’re in certain moods or with certain people.

Try to think of as many activities as you can. Try to think of at least some activities that don’t cost money. Try to think of at least some activities that take less than 5 minutes. Write down as many potentially-pleasant activities as you can. (For ideas, see Community Tips and Resources below!)

Put this list in your Distress Tolerance Kit, or somewhere where you can use it as a reminder of distracting activities that could help when you’re upset.

To help decrease your baseline stress levels or increase your resilience, do one thing from your list every day!