Lack of motivation

[TH Anonymous]

[SIZE="a"]I have a complete lack of motivation to do anything but watch YouTube and TV right now. I think it’s the worst its ever been. I haven’t even got motivation to play video games anymore, I’d prefer to watch YouTube videos talking about games. I’m out of work for many reasons and my life is a cycle of nothingness.

Any advice? I hate it.[/size]

[¯|_(ツ)_|¯]

Honestly, opposite action. It’s literally doing the opposite of what you want to do. Want to stay out of bed all day? Do the opposite and get out of bed before noon. It’s kind of like rebelling against what your brain WANTS you to do, if rebellion makes it sound cooler.

[Moxie.]

Hi there,

As Dez said, opposite action is the best way to combat this! If you find that you're struggling with that, perhaps you can use things such as YouTube videos as rewards for doing the opposite of what your brain wants you to do. For instance, if you get out of bed and do something productive for 1 hour, reward yourself with 15 minutes of YouTube. Be sure to set a timer so you don't go beyond that. Then, repeat the cycle. It may also be helpful for you to think of what you want to do in your next 1 hour burst of productivity to keep you on track.

Finding an accountability buddy can also be extremely helpful. Perhaps you can ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable for the things you know you need to do. Reaching out with a text letting them know what you need to be accountable for may help give you motivation to complete the task, as someone will be waiting for confirmation that you did it. You can even try scheduling a date to have a phone call or texting spree as you're doing the task, which gives your accountability buddy the opportunity to help keep you motivated and on target to finish your task.

Take care,
Sam

[Hiraeth.]

Hi there, I'm so sorry you're struggling with lack of motivation right now. I am not sure if opposite reaction would help, at least for me. But maybe instead of saying "I want to stay in bed all day" move to the couch and find something to watch. It can be a movie, tv show, or random topics on Youtube. And who knows, you could end up falling down a rabbit hole and suddenly inspiration will strike.

I think talking to someone about what you would like to do, but feel the lack of motivation to do anything, would really help too. Talk about your dreams and maybe this person will help you brainstorm. If you want to do this big trip, maybe do a small step like go down the street to buy some groceries to build up your confidence. It'll slowly chip away at the anxiety, for example, if that's an issue.

Wishing you the best of luck! Feel free to reach out again if needed.

[WhisperingSilence]

Hi, I struggle often with a lack of motivation, one of things that I find helps me is having a routine, I also use an app which helps , its called finch and its an app that gives you a virtual pet/bird and you set yourself small manageable goals, so for me its things like 'wash the dishes' 'have a shower' 'clean my teeth' 'put at least 4 items away' small manageable goals. and as you complete the goals the little virtual pet grows and gets to go on adventures etc.

I find having routine really helps too, so for me this would be sporting activities, volunteering, attending support groups etc.
Also on the days I really struggle for motivation and on the days where even taking a shower feels like climbing a massive mountain , I remind myself that I will feel better after I've had a shower etc, sometimes I leave myself post it notes around my flat with things on it like 'clean teeth' 'take bins out'.

Baby steps, maybe try and do one thing each day even if it's something like getting out and going for a walk around a park or to the shops. Or to start with you could even just simply get outside and walk around the block or go outside in your garden if you have one and listen to the sounds around you - what can you hear - birds, planes, people, traffic, children laughing, the breeze rustling the trees as it blows through them, you could even see how the air feels on your skin - does it feel cold, warm, cool, hot.. then you could note what you can smell, grass. the fresh air.

[¯|_(ツ)_|¯]

Originally Posted by WhisperingSilence

Hi, I struggle often with a lack of motivation, one of things that I find helps me is having a routine, I also use an app which helps , its called finch and its an app that gives you a virtual pet/bird and you set yourself small manageable goals, so for me its things like 'wash the dishes' 'have a shower' 'clean my teeth' 'put at least 4 items away' small manageable goals. and as you complete the goals the little virtual pet grows and gets to go on adventures etc.

Seconding Finch! It's so helpful for me too.