A Therapy Center for Autistic Girls & Women
She Rocks the Spectrum
Tiny Actions
When mood is low, the usual order reverses: you can't wait to feel motivated before you act, because the motivation comes after the action, not before. So you start tiny — and you build around what you actually enjoy, not what you 'should' do. Five minutes on a special interest counts more than a chore.
What's drained out lately?
Things I've stopped doing that used to matter or feel good
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Tiny, interest-led actions
Tiny means under ten minutes. Lean on your interests — they're fuel, not a distraction. Note your predicted vs actual mood (0–10).
This week
Row 1
- Tiny action: ____________________
- When: ____________________
- Predicted mood (0–10): ____________________
- Actual mood (0–10): ____________________
Row 2
- Tiny action: ____________________
- When: ____________________
- Predicted mood (0–10): ____________________
- Actual mood (0–10): ____________________
Row 3
- Tiny action: ____________________
- When: ____________________
- Predicted mood (0–10): ____________________
- Actual mood (0–10): ____________________
Row 4
- Tiny action: ____________________
- When: ____________________
- Predicted mood (0–10): ____________________
- Actual mood (0–10): ____________________
Example: '10 minutes on my model trains after dinner.' Predicted mood 4/10 → actual 6/10. The doing moved it, not the waiting.
What I noticed
Did doing it shift the mood, even a little? Anything that surprised me?
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Interest-led beats 'productive': Monotropism — deep focus on what absorbs you — is fuel. Time on a special interest is a legitimate, often better, activation activity. It doesn't have to be a chore to count.
