[Catlovers141]

I have been depressed for quite a long time and soon I will be in my junior year of college. I don't have so much trouble getting my work done, but I wanted to expand things a little and make healthier choices -- maybe join a club or do yoga in the morning or evening (I've found that it helps me feel better). Every year I plan out a fairly reasonable schedule, generally just adding one more thing onto what I already do. But I generally don't stick to it. There are so many days where I feel like I just need to do minimum. I can't tell if it is due to depression or if I am just lazy. I just feel like it is enough to just do my classes and other obligations and would be too difficult to add on something else.

That's my situation so I guess my question is, how do you manage your time while you are still dealing with depression? What is reasonable and what is not?

[Rohag]

Hello, Catlovers141! If you were truly lazy, would you even be trying to tackle college?

I pushed myself until I crashed. I suspect this is something you wish to avoid. If you are getting all your work done, you are doing well. If you can expand your activity in healthy directions without overwhelming yourself, great. Remember, your meds may also be restraining you. Talk to your prescribing doctor and T about your desire to be more active.

Wishing you sustainable success!

[Hope-Full]

Perspective shift: Are you truly lazy, or are you just allowing yourself some time to recharge your batteries, so to speak? (I heard someone say that today and it really stuck with me!)

I know that I always called myself lazy if I wasn't "doing." It is a really hard thing for me to make that shift myself - I work full time, have lots of things going on, and always manage to get everything done. Once it's done, though, I feel like I should be doing more instead of just lounging around. It was pointed out that I likely NEED that down time to recharge, otherwise, like Rohag said, I'll crash and burn.

[missbelle]

You are so not lazy.......also I think in these times with all the "stuff' out there, we think we need to be doing more.....and whats with that! We are already doing enough and I know you are definately doing enough. School etc is enough. What is wrong with sitting with a good book, a day at the pool, or the park, or a day window shopping? Society puts way too many demands on us to achieve, to do. We are simply humans, and we don't need to do everything to have value.

You are also dealing with depression and the last thing you need on your plate is more "have to's" You have enough of them. Lokk at the media...to be thin; beautiful, healthy, smart.......Please! No wonder we are totally stressed out. You may not complete some tasks you started because you simply had too much on your plate. Remember there are only 24 hours in one day. You don't have to do everything all at once.
You are good just the way you are. Relax a little and enjoy just being you. Take that pressure off and find your serenity!

Hugs;
Dee

[Catlovers141]

Thank you all so much for your replies. You all gave me something to think about and I think you are right -- it isn't such a good idea to add more things to do if it is just going to be overwhelming and if I don't have that time to recharge it does tend to make things worse. I just sometimes get upset with myself when I can't do as many things as some other people can do. In a way I do see it as an issue with self-worth. That comes up a lot in T.

[Perna]

Originally Posted by Catlovers141

I can't tell if it is due to depression or if I am just lazy. I just feel like it is enough to just do my classes and other obligations and would be too difficult to add on something else.

It does not sound like you want to do other stuff. That's not either depression or being lazy. There are lot of things that would be "good" for us but unless we truly want them in our lives, they ain't happening and that's okay! Do some exploring of what makes you happy instead of just picking things off lists or because you know they make you feel better but are more work than the benefit?

When I was in college, I had a particular Saturday routine that involved walking down to the town (about half a mile, maybe more) and/or to the Student Union and getting particular magazines and candy I liked and then I'd relax on my bed and enjoy myself. However, I often skipped classes that were much closer :-)

We do, buy, experience what we want to do! Figure out how to "want" what you think would be good for you or figure out how to make what you know you do want good for you.

I just started yoga, I'm taking a "class" two or three times a week and lucked out; I already knew/liked the teacher and am not getting a lot of grief from myself about going. However, I did not go when I first knew of the class, I had to get over my initial negatives. So, you might decide to do yoga for a week and then re-evaluate, for example? Give yourself a smaller time period and permission to "try" things and give them up if after X period you decide they're not for you at this time? I'm doing yoga through July. The teacher is then joining forces with a friend and they'll move the studio so I might or might not like that. But right now I'm just concentrating on July and that's very doable/enjoyable for me.

[Indie'sOK]

I don't think you're lazy. You're getting your work done, you're going to classes and doing well in them. I agree with the suggestions everyone posted - maybe you just need some down time?