How do you guys deal with mental lethargy ??
Lately, even getting up from the bed has become quite an ardous task for me.All I want to do whole day is sleep, sleep and sleep. I try to motivate myself / force myself to stay active but its just not happening. Another thing I tried is breaking big tasks into small ones, but that didnt help too. I shared this with my psych. and he tells me that there is no other way. I will have to force myself to stay active and meds wont do much.
Hence what I should do ??
Cheeku- I experienced the same difficulties 14 months ago. This may sound unconventional- but (in my case) the excessive sleep was bc I needed that Rest, to recover (heal) from Stress. It's like my mind needed 'down time' to re-boot itself. Which is what happened. It did clear up, and i returned to a normal sleep schedule. Sometimes your body knows what it needs, and it's best just to go with it (sleep)
@ChromeLotus I see lotus. The thing is I have been having pretty enough sleep and my probs arent due do sleep deficiency. I think its all psychologically wrong with me.
@Mrcheeku I'm so sorry to read you are struggling with excessive sleeping & finding the motivation to do things you'd like to do.
It's very common when in a depressive state to slip into these habits. Coming out of them seems an insurmountable task. It's a bit like trying to swim in glue, isn't it?
Sometimes it's helpful to identify the feelings you have about this when you are awake. Would you say you spoke to yourself kindly or unkindly? Do you guilt trip yourself? Tell yourself you "should be doing"? Run yourself down? Compare your journey to those of others? Perhaps you are the opposite & say "just five more minutes" which then turns into a whole day? Perhaps you feel more comfortable when you put tasks out of your mind completely & don't think about them?
Perhaps it's all or none of these things.
Identifying some of our thoughts can really help uncover the reasons behind our actions.
For example, negative self talk is an incredibly difficult burden to bear & it is little surprise we find it nearly impossible to complete tasks with constant pressure raining down upon us. Good employers know that a happy team with a sense of pride & achievement will reap much higher rewards than a team who feels under appreciated, stressed & incapable. Talking negatively to ourselves produces very similar results so it's no wonder we can become overwhelmed & stripped of any motivation if we speak so badly of ourselves every day.
Thinking through our thoughts/emotions can help uncover the answers we need to form a battle plan. Acknowledging emotions can be very difficult for some of us, but I firmly believe that in order to improve a situation, we need to fully understand it first.
I hope there is maybe some food for thought there. If there is, I'd love to hear what you found during your pondering if you feel comfortable enough to share it. Take good care of yourself for now. 😊
@IAmHere83 u made a very valid point there. Lately, all my thoughts about myself and others aren't very good / positive in nature. And naturally my thoughts are affecting my actions too. I know I need to make a change in that area, that is have positive thoughts and also start loving and accepting myself..
@Mrcheeku
I understand. Recognising thoughts have an
impact on our actions is really insightful, so
you should be proud of making that connection!
Okay, so now we know part of the problem, we have the beginnings for part of the solution.
You mention that it's hard to gather motivation
for even the small steps. It can be difficult to
know where to begin & although plunging in is
effective for some folk, it isn't a solution for
everyone. This again, usually depends on the
underlying reasons. If we struggle to see point
or purpose in activities it can be difficult to
muster the energy to begin...or even know
where to start in the first place!
Sometimes a great starting block is simply to
face those negative thoughts & analyse what
theyconsist of. Are they about your behaviour? Your personality? Your past mistakes? Do you
feel failure is inevitable? Are there recurring themes or do the thoughts change from day to
day? Once you have the answers to those
questions you may have an idea of which areas to target & can begin to find your solutions.
Some people find it helpful to write down their
good qualities & repeat them out loud several
times a day.
In a similar vein, some folk substitute negative
statements for positive ones.
For example:
Thought: "I always fail when I try to xyz"
Substitute: "I am always successful when I 123 though."
Others reevaluate negative or unhelpful thoughts as they come in & concentrate not necessarily on the positive, but simply on not being
negative.
For example: "I'm so stupid, I don't know why I
even tried, I was always going to fail!"
This could be reframed as: "Well, at least I know that doesn't work! Next time I will try xyz."
Or even simply: "Trying is better than doing
nothing."
Another technique is to "catch" your negative
thought. When you begin to run yourself down, stop & visualise that someone you care about is criticising themselves instead. What would you say to someone you loved if they were telling
you they were stupid & destined for failure?
You'd be kind & reassuring, so apply that to yourself.
A simple reward system works very well for
some people. At the end of each day, you can
recall the small triumphs you've achieved
during your waking hours. These can be
physical or mental. Reward yourself for these
mini wins with something you really enjoy.
Perhaps a guilt free hour with your favourite
book/game/TV, an activity you enjoy or an
edible treat - whatever makes you happy!
Of course, if you feel you'd benefit from the
support of a professional, CBT
(cognitive behavioural therapy) can be very
effective in "retraining your brain" against
detrimental thoughts.
Here is a good resource all about CBT as well
as some information about the causes of
negative thought patterns: https://www.cognitivetherapyguide.org/negative-thinking-patterns.htm
These are just a few suggestions for you to
mull over. There are many different techniques available to help us change our thinking & I
firmly believe it's simply a case of finding the
one/combination that resonates with you.
Above all though, I would urge you to remember that you're worthy of kindness & you're worthyof love. You DON'T deserve to be spoken to
negatively & you DO deserve happiness.
You can & will unlock your motivation. No
matter how long it takes, believe that you will
find the keys.😊
@IAmHere83 Thanks a lot!!. I am inclined to go for CBT. Have heard lots of good stuff abt it. Hopefully it will help me. :)
@Mrcheeku, I've done CBT with great success. It's made such a *huge* difference.
One thing for you to consider - do you think it's all mental based, or could there be a physical component too?
It may be worthwhile to check in with a doctor, to make sure there isn't a physical issue as well. Nutritional deficiencies and thyroid issues can have effects like this too.
I find dealing with fatigue - physical or mental can be really tough. Even when I get out of bed I find myself sitting and just letting time pass pretty often when I should be getting ready to go. I do find that getting some music going can motivate me although then sometimes I get going a bit too fast for my body.
@AffyAvo It seems that perhaps there aint wrong physically. Still, I will get it checked. Better safe then sorry as they say.
@Mrcheeku A short nap and exercise helps. And maybe a little bit of coffee ;)
I've been having this issue for a couple of weeks (school isn't in session). I try to just take it easy, and set a time where I'll get up and walk around the house a bit, drink some water or eat a snack. Also, just getting up and stretching can help refresh you. Be gentle with yourself! I hope this helps!
Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I'm not going to make it, but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you've felt that way. - Charles Bukowski
This is printed out and hanging on my wall... this is what gets me outta bed on those days
