According to the assessment of HealthUnlocked, Anxiety and Depression group, 92% of members expressed an inability to complete daily tasks.
As I am fairly new to this group, what tools, techniques and/or therapies have you found to be effective in completing daily tasks?
Please share all that you can.
The biggest thing that helps me is taking baby steps and not overwhelming myself with things to do. Just one thing at a time. Just a little bit. Recognizing and appreciating each accomplishment no matter how big or how small. Also sharing with others here what I intend to do and then sharing when I have done it. Support helps so much.
Thanks gajh,
I took your advice and overcame the anxiety of replying to your post. Sometimes I have anxiety with replies as I am not sure if they are good enough or anyone will reply. lol, I am 68, but I can empathize with teens who worry about the same things on social media.
Thank you so much for your reply. I never know if people will reply either. Give yourself credit for doing it. That was a great step you took.
Thanks gajh,
I find that support from someone who understands the problem is very helpful and makes me feel better and heard, with all the implications of the situation. You know what I am going through so your thoughts are more valuable.
That is exactly how I feel. It makes all the difference in the world to talk to someone who gets it. Have you taken any more baby steps?
Yes I have, I try to eat better one meal at a time. The sertraline I am taking has reduced my appetite, but I have been eating healthier every time I do eat.
How about you, any “happy” steps?
That is excellent that you have been taking it one meal at a time. I have agoraphobia. The most recent step I took was to attend meditation classes. There weren't any classes held in December. Hopefully I will go back on the 13th or 14th. It is so much harder when I get out of the routine of going out and just stay in. It takes it out of being routine and is back into a thing. The first class will be the hardest.
Way to go on getting out. I love that you chose a meditation class to do two accomplishments at once, getting out and calming your mind. Great choice.
I am using the Insight Timer app. I am on day 91 of consecutive days of meditating. Do you meditate? It sounds like you do. What do you do for meditation? Do you want to talk about it? I would love to share it with you.
I have been reading about meditation but I haven’t really tried it. Does it cost to use the Insight Timer app?
I don’t feel like talking now (due to social anxiety), maybe later. But thanks for asking and sharing.
By the way, how do you pronounce gajh?
Insight Timer has both a free version and a paid subscription. I only use the free version. It is a little hard to navigate in the beginning until you get used to it. You have to look and see if the meditation has "Plus" next to it. If it does, you can't listen to that one for free. gajh is just initials nothing to pronounce. If you would like to chat in Private Message with me, let me know. I wonder if that would make it easier for you with the social anxiety knowing that only one person can see it or if that would make you even more uncomfortable. Either way, private or here, I am happy to talk to you whenever you are ready.
My advice is pretty much like gajh except in one word.
PACE yourself. (told by a physical therapist last year)
I totally agree with gajh. Appreciating the accomplishment
of whatever we can do for the day gives us enough of a high
to see a results in our stamina. 
xx
Thanks Agora1,
As you can see, I replied to gajh’s advice, and I replied to your PACE advice, by doing 2 posts/replies today.
I do feel better on both PACEDed counts.
That's interesting. I complete all my tasks and then some. And I suffer at the same time. Other times tasks that are challenging (for me that's studying chemistry, an online class) can be centering and offer some relief. It depends. However, if "tasks" means leaving the house to do fun stuff, I find that very difficult--a big wall of resistance. I think the biggest reason people cannot complete activities is depression which can make one lethargic, very difficult to engage in activities. Is that what your are talking about? Or something different? I think that for most people here the way to go, and really the only way to go, is a combination of medication and/or psychotherapy. There are also many strategies that can help such as mindfulness, grounding exercises, diagphragmatic breathing, etc. Also, it's important to have a network of close friends or family members that you can speak to when you are suffering very badly. In other words, besides investigating both therapy and medication, keep building your toolbox . . .
Yes, linuxusr, I am talking about the procrastination due to anxiety and depression. I am working on a third math paper (the one two were rejected) and the anxiety and depression surrounding the third publication attempt is overwhelming.
You’re right, and I am building my toolbox, so I really appreciate your excellent advice and feedback. I will definitely look into each technique.
Thanks again and have a great year(s) ahead.
Math paper? I am intrigued! Tell me more! I have only basic math: grades 1-8; arithmetic; pre-algebra; Algebra I; 70% Algebra II; 70% trig.; geometry; single-variable calculus only through limits, continuity and the beginning of differentiation. Since almost all were trigonometric functions, I discovered that I would have to do a repeat of trig; plus simplification of some of the solutions was a bear; plus often I could get the "correct" answer but if I could not visualize the result on the coordinate plane, then I couldn't conceptualize its meaning, and that was just an added step . . .
The paper has to do with an old proof by another source re set theory.
Care to be specific? I can input to 4omnicron and maybe get a VERY rudimentary understanding. The following is a long shot, so don't get nervous. I was a teacher of secondary school English for 30 years; I do some technical editing. IF you need editing--you may not--I would be happy to do at least some of this for you, free of charge. But that's a consideration for the future . . .
Further, any tecniques that don't seem to work well, get back to me, and I'll see if I can think of any tweaks.
I have a family so I push myself to doing daily tasks
Thanks for the reply RS1974 and I hope your family appreciates and loves your daily expressions of love. You deserve it.
I am on my own but I try to convince myself that doing things for me is also a task done with love.
I learnt about putting a timer on for tasks that I wasn't excited about doing. I would set it for 10 mins and keep going until the alarm went. By that time I was usually happy to keep on for longer. Reward yourself with a break or stretch and drink and then start the process again.
Hi, I try to make a list of the things I would like to tackle for the day. If I don't get it all done, I just praise myself for the things I managed to complete. Please tell yourself that you are important, and that you deserve to be proud of everyday accomplishments. 😋😋😋😋
I downloaded an app called Finch. You get a little bird to take care of. You can help that bird by completing goals. You can make up your own goals to or add some premade ones. That has helped me to take care of myself with self care. And reminders for things like clean the bathroom every Wednesday.
I had an overwhelming list of things to do before my vacation, so I typed a list out on my phone so I wouldn't forget anything. I added to it as things came up last minute (which they did). I would put a checkmark by each one as I completed them. I could just as well have deleted each completed task, but I chose to put a checkmark by it instead so that I could see what I completed. It felt good to get to my final task, which was "pack suitcase" (don't with the aide of a packing list so I knew what to pack).
Thanks MorningDanceTrece,
Your reply is extremely helpful. I already started on the habit of posting/replying at least once every few days/weeks to keep in touch with people here.
I am really interested in the Habit Tracker app you mentioned. If you don’t mind sharing the name of the app please know that either way I appreciate your support.
I have an iPhone, I don’t know if you can check, but is it the same as ihabit-habit tracker in the iPhone App Store?
Thanks so much for all your help. You already helped me make my life easier just by suggesting the app. I’m going to try the iHabit-habit tracker iPhone app. Thanks again, take care and have a great year(s).
MorningDanceTrece,
I hope you don’t mind that I checked your bio, and I noticed you were interested in quitting smoking.
To return the favor of your helping with the habit app, I have a suggestion that helped me. I used nicotine patches to quit a 30 year smoking habit. They only take a few months of daily patches to slowly wean you off cigarette’s nicotine . This was 25 years ago and then they cost about $200 for the full treatment. They may seem expensive but considering the cost of cigarettes now and the lifelong benefits of quitting they’re worth every penny.
Well that’s my 2 cents worth and I hope it helps. Also they are (or were) over the counter so you shouldn’t need a prescription.
Anyway good luck and may your life be filled with Health, Happiness and Harmony too.
You’re funny.
trying this out, feeling hopeful about it
I can’t control any of it
How does this support work?
Can’t seem to take action on anything!
It can’t just be me.
