How to find some Motivation or just a little energy??

I am having a heck of a time finding motivation to get things done.  I have no desire to take care of the usual things around the house.  And I have a heck of a time finding energy to stay up in the evening.  I'd be fine with laying down for the day at like 8 PM.  I'll read or watch TV, but I don't feel like doing much else. 

I am just wondering how everyone else manages to get through their days.  Find the energy for work, husband, kids, pets, whatever.  I am slacking off big time.  I can't seem to get my butt going lately.  Even though I shouldn't blow off work right now because we need the money.  I have been doing as little as possible. 

Any tips/advice?  Do you take vitamins or supplements that seem to be working for you?  Is there a magic potion that I'm not aware of?!

 

polarsmom

Is your fatigue due to your depression?  If so do talk with your Doctor as you may have a medication that is draining you. 

Take care

Kitt

yes, my fatigue is related to my depression. When I am in a real funk I have a heck of a time doing anything. I am currently taking Prozac. I was taking Lexapro for several years. It worked for awhile. And over the last year it basically quit. Even after increasing the dosage. So now I'm taking Prozac. Its been okay. It helps as far as feeling calmer. Anxiety is still a problem though. But I still have low energy.

I do try to be active. I also try to keep busy otherwise I know I'll feel lazy tired too. I clean houses for a living. I used to walk regularly. Rollerblade and do all kinds of stuff. But haven't been able to do much of that due to an injury.

i too walk. set tasks for each day. maybe a daily list may help. and yes if i have a bad day i am prepared for that also. i try to cover the basics, for i know what happens if i fall behind........i get more depressed, yeah weird, but i feel happier when all things are done. my home is a reflection of me, thus if done i can feel more at peace and motivated to do other things. i am different, and we all do things differently also. keep well and safe. jamie

I would also like to say B vitamins are great for depression and energy. If you can get yourself to a doctor or pharmacy to get a B12 shot I think you would find it helps. If you can't, you can take a sublingual supplement but regular pills just won't absorb or work. Check in to GNC or a health food store. Also good nutrition like maybe replacing processed breads with whole grains and just start there. Make sure not to overdose on vitamins, they can be toxic. B12 has a pretty big range and most people sit at the low end but you need to see a doctor before downing potent supplements.

For me, finding motivation is less about trying to think of pulling myself off the couch or out of the bed but to try and stop worrying about everything. The biggest mistake I can make for myself is to think about what I'm missing by being depressed. Some techniques I use are:

Positive affirmation: tell yourself how great you are, how much you love yourself, how much your friends love you, how wonderful your family is, how smart you are, what a great job you can do with your life, etc... make sure these are personal things and not achievement or image based.

Journal: In the late 1800s Sigmund Freud changed the world with the idea of "Free Association." Remember Freud's couch? Before this, therapy was step based and rigid but Freud thought it would be helpful to let people speak what was on their mind when it came to them. So when he began practicing he added a couch and took away the script. You can do this by writing in a journal what comes into your mind, everything whenever you want and you never have to share it with anyone. It really does help!

Breathing: Depression and anxiety don't always come together but usually! But breathing never hurts anyone. There is a great video on youtube if you will search for "Breathing Relaxation Exercise" it's the first one on the list. I usually lay in bed and do this before I go to sleep. It may sound silly at first but if you'll really focus on breathing and making sure every breath is perfect and nothing else, I promise it will help.

Sleep: Sleep is chemical and psychological. Good rest is important for good spirit. Pick a good bedtime every night and make sure you allow yourself the right amount of sleep for your age and personal preference. Light is thought to affect chemicals in the brain that promote sleep so dimming the lights a couple of hours before bedtime can help or maybe turning on a lamp instead. Also, when waking up make sure you get out of bed and open the windows while you get ready or go outside and get some sunlight...this is good for energy and depression but will also help you sleep the next night.

Exercise: This one might be hard if you're so depressed that you don't want to get out of bed so maybe if you start with the other tips you could build up to this. Maybe to start off with it could be something as simple as being more active around the house by lifting some light weights or cans then you could eventually graduate up to going for a walk or something else. But go somewhere fun with some nice scenery, that always made me feel better.

All of this worked for me. I went from depressed high-school dropout to aspiring psychologist and a current pilot. If you mess up and maybe have a bad day it's not the end of the world, you can always let it be okay for yourself and for your health and pick it up the next day.

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Joe

thx for that joe. good post. jamie