No Motivation for Anything

When I have the day off from work, I have no motivation to get out of bed anymore. I keep putting things off. I'll go to the bank next week, I'll do the laundry tomorrow. Forget about doing the bills, I don't want to look at them ever again. BUT, eventually, I do force myself to pay the bills. I just hate it. I hate doing anything anymore and I like staying home in bed. I can go on the computer and watch TV. I feel like I'm regressing to childhood where I just want someone else to take care of things. I don't have anyone else who will pick up the slack for me but I wish I did.

Does anyone else have problems with getting motivated? Can anyone suggest a reason for me to get out of bed? I have no family, no one that loves me except a friend or two. But the friends are not enough reason for me anymore. I feel like I have no future. Just living day to day. I'll be seeing my T next week after a long break for the holidays. I do look forward to seeing him. But I really need a push NOW. Is this depression? What motivates you to get up besides your family?

Thanks for listening.

The ability to befriend without leaving home is truly wonderful isnt it? I dont know your situation. Do you work? Thats reason for many to get out of bed. Maybe you paint. Going outside to look at the trees is a reason to get out of bed. You have to go shopping tho I guess you could have that delivered. If you feel that you should go outside and its making you feel guilty, thats a different matter. In similar times I have evaluated what really needed to be done to avoid a greater suffering at a different time. Paying the bills was good. Sometimes I think I needed things to pile up, then I became a fireball getting them all done. I still go with an ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure. Sorry you have the blues

the easy answer, my body gets me up... ie have to use the bathroom. and then I just don't go back to my bed. But I'll admit I use the snooze button all the time.

I don't know what motivates me, since all I do is be on the computer for most of my time, and watch netflix.

Motivation comes from other people for some. For others, it comes from inside. The question is, what keeps us going. For me, it's helping those who have mental illnesses, and then their family and friends.

Thanks, Allimsaying. I don't paint but I do work and I'll have to go in on Monday. I've just been getting so backlogged with my chores because I don't want to do anything that I'm afraid I'll never go back to my old self again. I'm afraid the "old me" is gone forever. The "current me" is just horrible.
I like your suggestion about going out to look at the trees because I happen to love the trees outside. I can see them from my bedroom window (don't have to get dressed) but I get your point . Hopefully, I'll get up tomorrow.

Thanks Puzzclar. Yea, I have to use the bathroom too - lol. You are good to help people. I think I need someone to help me be motivated. I don't have it in me anymore.

I appreciate the feedback.

Wish i had more motivation, my depression AND anxiety/ocd make it tough to do simplest of things..

Michelle25, I have had this same problem for more than a year.

All my life I've battled with depression, but usually found a way to put it on the back burner. I had to go to school. I had children to take care of. I had to get up and go to work.

Then, I was laid off. I could feel myself slowly sliding down that slippery slope of depression. But it really hit me after I had surgery last year. I had a hard recovery, one that left me physically exhausted for weeks and weeks. After awhile, I did not know what was surgery fatigue and what was depression fatigue. I just knew that I wanted to spend my days and nights in bed. After all, I had no place I had to be and no money to go do anything.

I am slowly, slowly, slowly starting to come out of it. I have good days and not so good days. But I'm fighting against having a bad day.

My motivation? My son. He told me that he was afraid that I was going to become an invalid. For the past few months, I've been trying to eat better and move around a little more. It is helping ... I think.

Each and every day is a struggle. I am constantly tired. I'm having trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating. And I have no desire to take part in any of my hobbies. I even quit reading for a couple months--which is very unusual for me.

I've been taking Zoloft for panic attacks, which are mild and rare now that I am no longer working. I think I need to see a doctor about having my meds increased a tad. And I think I need to force myself to go out and get a bit of sunshine every day.

I certainly have a motivation problem. I dont know what gets me out of bed although I seem to go back there a lot. You do have a job so that helps. I know the more inactive I am the worse I feel and the harder it is to start anything. I find the longer I think about anything the harder it gets for me to start, or I forget about it all together. For everyday chores I find that if I just act as soon as it crosses my mind it will then get done. I will just jump up like the house is on fire or something and go do it
As for the big question, "whats it all about" well I am just lost there

I am there also. Even dreading work today while knowing it is the best thing I could have coming today, a reason to move, a way out for a while...till then, I'll try to get to the microwave that holds the cooling water for a cup of tea, out of coffee, a few tea bags left...ah well, I know all times are not like this but till then...
I imagine a great room where we could all gather----one big pajama party, we might cry, we might laugh, we might dance if someone put the music on...

I have problems a lot with getting motivated and I am only 16 (I should have so much energy they say). But I don't. Sometimes what I do to get more motivated is I make myself laugh. I feel that when I'm laughing I feel more motivated to do things. Someone had said about painting, I draw but when I'm not motivated I don't even feel like doing that. I have MDD and motivation is hard so thats why I make myself laugh. And making yourself laugh doesn't have to be trying to force yourself to smile. Sometimes I go online and type in "Funny quotes" on Google. Other time I dance to music while no one is around just to be happy. ((HUGS))

I often have the same lack of motivation and I hate it. Doing even the most simple thing requires pushing myself and when I finally do it the sensation is like gravity has doubled and enormous effort is required. The really galling thing is that I know that most of the time I actually will feel better if I push through but that is rarely enough to convince me to start. What a sad situation: Knowing that something is likely going to help but being unable to summon the strength to start doing it.

Having motivation is difficult. I often struggle with it. But I manage to do it. Some inner strength that I am unaware of. It happened just this morning. I was laying in bed completely unable to get up knowing I had to go to the bank and do some things for work. Then I got an unknown burst of energy that catapulted me out of bed.

Sometimes you just have to force yourself. I know that may not be the greatest advice, but it works for me. Push yourself, especially for something you like. Pull up a chair and sit and watch the trees from your window if you have to. Then once you're out of bed, everything else will fall into place.

As a poster said below, we used to HAVE to do this, do that - so when we don't HAVE to, how do we find the motivation? It's like we were rushed rushed rushed and never allowed a minute to think because people were afraid we'd think the wrong thing! So for me it's about making positive changes. I changed my diet from no breakfast and late overeating to high fiber and a more balanced meal plan, resulting in slIghtly more energy (I won't mention my pooping again, promise!). Jean-Paul Sartre says we need a project. I find it comforting to think of this as an existential problem.

Thank you PC friends one and ALL!! I just read your replies today. I had trouble finding my thread and had to work yesterday so...I'm also having trouble getting computer to respond to my input of "thanks". Anyway, you are all right of course, I need to just force myself to move. It shouldn't matter that no one is counting on me for anything right? Sorry, feeling sorry for myself again.

Thanks for understanding that it is sooo hard to do. Wish I didn't have to ask you guys for help to motivate me . Sorry, I feel so bad. I'll try...

I love the fireworks display PlatinumHeart, thanks for that.

I have the same problem. Every time I have a day off work I don't get out of bed until at least 11:30 or 12. Then half my day is wasted and I feel like a lazy bum.

When I have to go to work I hit the snooze a lot but at least I can get up and be to work on time. When I have a day off I don't have the energy or motivation to do anything.

My depression takes many forms but this is a big one. Hopefully your T will be able to help you get out of this low motivation time. But we are all here for you.

Hi Michelle,

When I'm in a deep depression, it can be next to impossible for me to feel very motivated. I may go through some of the motions, but it's so hard to want to continue. One thing that has helped me at various times is focusing on a small task, and getting it done. Otherwise, when I first started taking meds, they helped immensely to lift my mood and get me the hell out of bed. Then I realized that if I waited for motivation, I'd wait forever, what I needed to do was start something and the motivation would follow once I was into it.

That doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's liberating, especially after being unmotivated for as long as I was.

Good luck, and keep us posted...and keep asking us for support, we all do it, that's why we're here!

RJ

Michelle, I'm sorry you're feeling so bad. I feel the exact same way. School has been out for two weeks and I still have another week before the new semester starts, so I've got nothing to motivate me to get dressed and out of the house, or even do anything within the house.

I know that some people feel that you need to find the motivation within yourself, and not rely on others to motivate you, but I believe there's a point at which self-motivation can be an impossible task, at least until you become a little more stable. I'm somebody who hates to let others down or leave them waiting in anticipation, so what helps me is to make a plan to meet up with a friend, or even just somebody at a shop that I frequent. I usually have to do it at least a day in advance, because it's even harder to find motivation within the same day. Anyways, I usually try to shoot for early in the day, that way I'm already dressed and out of the house, and I still have the rest of the day available.

You could also try mini-accomplishments...so maybe set a goal of doing just 10 minutes worth of chores, and when that 10 minutes is up, you stop. You may have only done 10 minutes worth of work, but that's 10 minutes more than you would have done, and you also get the satisfaction of feeling like you accomplished something. So maybe tomorrow you could set your goal to get dressed, or spend so many hours out of bed, or better yet, set a goal of stepping outside your house to just admire the trees you said you enjoy. You could even take a picture of the tree and post it, so that we can hold you accountable for reaching your goal...just a thought.

When I read "when I have a day off work i cant get motivated" I thought I was reading something I posted and forgot I posted it!

I would go to work everyday (5 days a week), but that was pretty much it. The days I didn't work I was lucky if I showered. I would get up to get a drink, have a cig, get some munchies, take meds, thats about it. I would even put off paying bills and all I had to do was log onto thier website to pay the bill and I had the money to pay every bill! I would make appointments like the doctors, hair salon, etc. that I would usually jump outta bed for and I wouldnt even call to cancel or say I couldnt make it I just stopped showing up. I would make plans with friends and feel like such a shmuck for standing them up, youd be lucky to get a text message out of me, if I needed anything I would order it online or get my mom or dad to get it for me. I wouldnt even walk into a gas station. I cried everyday, got fired in May from a job I had for years for production errors! tried a new job cried everyday all day at the new job, lost that one for calling out. cry cry cry cry cry

Then whammo dunno what happend just woke up one day in November and said screw this, showed up for a job interview, moved out of the parents, went shopping, hiung out with friends, shower everyday almost twice a day, been like this ever since.......

just decided to change everything, got rid of clothes, moved, new bed, new stuff! I dont feel perfect but im definetly not as bad!

I have barely any motivation. I always think like what's the point? or just **** it. I have to have caffeine to get somewhat motivated... and even then its not really totally there. I dont think i was ever a 'very motivated' person to begin with or a type A personality. I just dont care about a lot of things other people do, and depression on top of it.

Infinite Sadness, I'm sorry that you are having trouble with motivation as well. It's been a while since I have been on the forums, and I can say that my motivation has definitely increased. I think mostly it's because my classes have started back up and I am forced to be more active, but I guess it also helps that my Doc increased my Rx.

I still struggle with the weekends, so what I've started doing is signing up for volunteer events on Sat. and Sun. mornings. This way I've got somebody holding me accountable to get up and out the door, and once I'm done with the volunteering I head to my university library to work on my studies - because I know if I go home I will head straight to bed! The big bonus in all of this is that I love to volunteer and make a difference, so with every event I go to, my mood becomes a little less heavy and a little more positive.

If volunteering isn't your thing then figure out what is, and do it. Try to think of the last "out of your house" activity, or place that you went to, that put a smile on your face and had you enjoying the moment...then, just figure out how you can incorporate that activity or place into your schedule. It also helps to have someone counting on you to follow through (well, at least for me it does), so you might want to figure out a way to have someone hold you accountable.

Good luck!

I have been struggling with depression since I was about 10, although I did not get help for a long time. I remember when I was 16, it was hitting me real hard, and people would get irritated at me because I didnt smile and have more energy.

I SERIOUSLY wish there was something I could TAKE or get prescribed to give motivation to enjoy life. I just CANT enjoy life. Life seems like a chore for the most part. Living is like a chore for me... i take a good multivitamin, antidpressant, and thats not even enough!! Thats the scary thing! (very little energy to do anything productive)