How do you cope with avolition?

Lack of motivation (avolition) is a common negative symptom. How do you deal with it and get around it? It is really making it hard for me to get anything done, and lead a life worth living. I want to write, and study languages, and travel, and make money, and fall in love, and learn to cook...but I can't find the motivation to do any of that. I could easily spend all day online (and then hate myself at the end of the day when I realize that nothing was accomplished).

I've tried making schedules and using timers, and they help a little. Habit also helps too; I take a shower everyday before I go to bed, and it is automatic. Thus, my hygiene is pretty good.

Any other tips? I think it is probably impossible for us to overcome this, but maybe we can brainstorm and find ways to be slightly more effective.

Thanks!

i find just starting to do things i dont want to do and then the motivation for doing them comes after ive started, so i continue doing them. ive struggled with motivation a lot in my life. my T has helped me a lot with this, by telling me that sometimes i just have to start doing it. he says its not always the cycle of motivation -> action. sometimes its action -> motivation. i know the getting started part is hard, though.

I can't tell you how to beat avolition because it pretty much controls my life, but I have a few tricks that I try to use regularly. You already mentioned scheduling. Planning the chores I'm going to do and then crossing them out when I'm done makes it easier to do more and to keep track of when you're doing it right and when you didn't quite make it work. Another tactic I use when I feel tired is to just get up and start doing something. It doesn't have to be a lot, doesn't have to get you anywhere or even be useful. And it's OK to just sit down again after ten seconds. But getting up and starting an action makes it so much easier to actually finish it. And it's not very tiresome when you know you don't have to do anything more than you want to. My third tactic that I am trying to start using more is helpful lists. I have one list for morning routines (before I made that one I didn't even have morning routines - i.e. no brushing teeth, no eating, no nothing. That one list has helped a lot even though it's deceivingly simple), one list for long-term goals so I don't forget about them (just regular stuff like sending a letter, scheduling an appointment with a dentist, etc), one list for helpful things to do when I'm feeling bad, and one list that I've just tried once yet, but it seems to be helping a little, where I write down the things that are bothering me so I don't have to keep thinking about them to remember them.

Hope this helps someone and also hope I can learn something from this thread.

Also, don't give up. It's OK to give in when everything is too much to deal with, but go back to trying your best again when you're ready. Setbacks do not equal defeat. I'm still going to start working out, even though I've been telling myself that almost every day the last three months since my last workout session. I made it work for two months though, and it did help me, so working out = good and I will start again when I'm ready.

I struggle with it also, but I force myself to do it. I force myself to do homework, to go to work, to do chores, etc. It makes me feel really tired forcing myself to do so much, but it's nice to be successful in doing something. I have a degree in a few weeks now because of pushing myself.

Thanks so much, guys. I really appreciate the suggestions. Axiom, I just made some lists. Thanks for the idea. I wasn't motivated to make the lists even, was going to make them later, but I forced myself to do it, and now I feel accomplished.

It is definitely hard. I have OCD and part of my ritual is showering before bed because it has to do with my bed being contaminated. anyway if it wasn't for that i dont know how often i would shower because it takes enormous amounts of energy to do that. i know i spend hours thinking "i want to go on a walk" but i just Cant.

That's great! Hope the lists help you like they help me. I'm going to try forcing myself to do more today like you did and medicalfox.. I have been extra tired lately and haven't done much so I could really use some structure again.

I've started doing something new that seems to be quite helpful. I'm sure lots of people already do this but I am surprised at how effective it is. Instead of doing things quickly and stressing to get them over with ASAP, like I have always done, I now try to do them slower. I believe forcing yourself to do things a little slower makes it easier to concentrate, easier to zone out when doing boring tasks, and easier to enjoy whatever you're doing (hell I even enjoyed doing the dishes yesterday).

Having some kind of regular routine that gets me out helps with hygiene and diet. If I don't I won't shower regularly which is gross. I also avoid overloading myself with activities outside my home. I find when I do this I shut down and hide in bed. Constant activity stresses me out.

I recently started doing tasks in parts. It really helps because I can see progress which then motivates me to return to the task the next day. I also do a better job since I'm putting more effort into what I am doing.

These all sound like good suggestions. I used to do To-Do sticky notes, but then when I have a lot to do it looks really overwhelming, even if I put multiple things on one note. I might try another strategy of a list like Axiom was saying. Sometimes its just really hard to get started though.

If i'm in the gym, I work out. If im in the library, I write. If im in the bathroom I shower. If im on the toilet... wait, scratch that last one.

Honestly, I would be a homebody staring at Netflix all day if it weren't for my deep seeded passion, which drives me as if I'm driven by the madness of Eros. Not everybody has found a passion, but I wonder if it would help any of you?

My psychologist tells me often that I need to have good habits if I want to achieve my goals. I find that keeping track of what I do makes it easier to change my habits, but it can be difficult to remember to write things down. Right now I'm trying to count the number of cigarettes I smoke. I've already managed to reduce the number since I began doing this, but I still lose count of the cigarettes on most days.

I never get anything done when I'm at home. I have to be somewhere else in order to beat it. When I was on an ssrii had extreme abolition. Wouldn't pay bills, go to work. Biologically I couldn't care about anything but alcohol so that I could feel something. I didn't have a car in the world.

how do u find a passion? ive felt my whole life like i dont have one. it makes my life feel like it has no purpose

That's how I've felt for the greater part of my life. I still do sometimes. Except now I have my family and friends, and that helps when I feel like I dont amount to anything else. The purpose of life doesn't have to be some huge, looming thing. It can be little things everyday. It can change and mold to what's going on. It can be how you treat people, and make them feel like they matter. Right now, doing your art project, I'm sure that as you share it, it's helping others too. So your life never has no purpose. Your passion can be whatever helps you to get through each day.

thank u Door

I suggest trying logotherapy. You will be spurred by what impassions you after discovering it.