Motivation

[MattisonCrider]

How do you guys find the motivation to get out of bed. I just wanna lay in bed, I never have any motivation. I feel like laying around is making me more depressed....

[Sober2007]

When we are feeling down, it can be difficult to get out of bed. But the thing is, as you've noted, just laying around in bed will usually make the depression worse or, at best, won't help the situation. I've read that 8-9 hours of sleep is optimal for most people, at least as a general guideline. Not everyone gets that much - I usually get around 6-7 hours myself. I've also read that it's not a good idea to lay around in bed awake, because you want the bed associated with sleep time, not awake time. In terms of how I stay motivated, the best answer I can give is that I just remind myself that I have a better shot at finding happiness and contentment in life if I keep moving even though it is hard. Sometimes we just have to keep going even when it's not what we want to do. I also have to work on the underlying reasons why I'm wanting to hide out in bed and avoid life. For me, that involves learning to change the way I think, how I deal with feelings, etc. with a lot of help from my therapist and things I'm learning from people here. Hope that helps and I'm pulling for you.

[hypercat54 in reply to Sober2007]

Great reply Sober. x

[Sober2007 in reply to hypercat54]

Thanks hypercat - I'm so grateful for this community.

[hypercat54 in reply to Sober2007]

It's a good one isn't it? I came in to answer the poster and was going to say what you did,but you put it much better than I could. xx

[2017runner]

Lying in bed definitely makes me feel worse so having to get up is the best option, if there is something you have to get up for there is no choice. Unstructured time is the hardest for me because if I don't have to do things I won't and that then makes me feel guilty which makes me feel worse. So work days are best for me as I have to get up and face the world and pretend to be ok and usually I end up feeling slightly better and even when I hate my job (which I often do) it is still better than not working for me as with no work I can slide into a very hard to get out of depression. So holidays times and weekends are the hardest for me.

Is there anything you have to get up for? If not can you make yourself a routine so you just follow it without having to think about it? Although I have to confess that I am not very good at doing that myself.

Sending you motivating vibes xxx

[BlueBelle06]

I struggle with motivation as well, but sometimes I just give myself one task. For example, I’m going to get dressed or I’m going to fix my hair. Or I’ll force myself to do things during commercials on TV. Just hoping to get a jumpstart.

[purl1]

I have the same problem. When I wake up I don't open my eyes and just lay there hoping I can fall back to sleep. Sometimes I'll be there for 2 hrs. I just have a really hard time getting out of bed. I need to start forcing myself.

[bluestars725]

I struggle with this so much too. It's like a cycle for me. My depression just makes me want to stay in bed, and the longer I do, the worse my depression gets. I try to find small things to do (get up to watch a favorite tv show or movie) but I try not to be hard on myself if it's a particularly bad day and I just can't do it, which has happened before.

[Nom-D-Ploom]

I choose one thing to accomplish in the morning. If I do the one thing it is easier to keep going and doing. I once had an elderly patient who was having some critical medical issues. After morning rounds I asked her if she could sit in the chair for an hour. She said, "Yes. The bed robs you of your health. " Very true. It can distort normal sleep, it decreases human interactions, and it can cause blood clots to form in the legs. These clots can break loose and travel to the lungs and heart. It is not pretty.

[Jeff1943]

MattisonCrider, we find the motivation to get out of bed because as you say towards the end of your post: laying around makes you more depressed.

When you wake up turn onto your back and spend ten minutes breathing in slowly through your nose, hold it for 5 seconds, then breathe out slowly through pursed lips. And repeat. This releases natural tranquillising hormones that will take the edge off your anxiety.

Then arise and make ready and get outside, look to the Sun, close your eyes and let the Sun's rays warm your face. Notice the beauty of green trees against an azure blue sky. The happy chirp of songbirds, the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. Then after a few minutes of taking this in say to yourself telepathically: "God it's great to be alive on a day like this. I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Then begin your day. If anxiety or low feelings intervene accept them without fighting them. Fighting anxiety and nervous depletion only causes more stress and strain, it never helps you and only makes things worse. So don't fight, accept the bad feelings for the moment. Don't respond to the flash of first fear with second fear. That way you stop flooding your sensitised nervous system with more fear hormone thereby maintaining the sensitisation.

Why not do it? If you had a slight headache you could still get on with your day, so you can when you're feeling anxious. Discomfort should never stop us doing what we want so accept the bad feeling for the time being. Learn to live with anxiety and before long you'll live without it.

By replacing fear with acceptance for the moment we give our frazzled nerves a rest from constant bombardment with the hormones of stress and fear. Our nerves recover and eventually (many days hence) we regain our quiet mind.

Worlds are not won and quiet minds regained by lying in bed gently stewing in unsatisfying slumber.

[clayjars]

I think it's the battle of the mind, of your will. It's not only you, but it's a battle that is fought daily in each one of our hearts. Feelings are very powerful things! They will distort how we perceive what is true about us, about others, about our lives. We all fight this battle that takes on so many forms and shapes in our lives! I had so many of them that I lost to daily and believed that I could never win. I was shy, overweight, depressed. My feelings had hijacked my life and for a very long time, I didn't even realize it. I just knew something was very wrong, only because I was so very unhappy...depressed. But I felt helpless and believed everything I felt. Feelings are so real, aren't they?!? Then I finally came to realize that I was a slave to my feelings. I am created to be free! But I had become a slave. I began my personal revolution against tyranny of my mind by becoming more aware of what I was feeling and taking steps to do what I was created to be, not what my feeling dictated. It was a very difficult challenge. It's quite scary to disobey what you feel because you literally feel like you will die. That's how it felt for me when I began this process of reigning in my feelings. But breaking free from bondage to my feelings has literally given me a whole new attitude and new life! I am happy. Content. The battle of my mind is still fought daily, but it's a much easier battle now. I am free to determine whom I will obey.