Being disciplined

I'm not sure whether disciplined is the right word, but motivated. You don't need to force yourself to do something that you choose to do, but when you want to do it. I find people do procrastinate more or feel lethargic and as if 'what difference will it make?', but that's when we lose the enthusiasm. Even people without depression aren't always disciplined, simply because they wing it and do what they have to for an easy life.

It's called being human.  Everyone gets that way, and few do have remedies to kick themselves in the butt when that feeling starts to kick in.  You could try and making a daily list of things to do. Goal setting.  They don't have to be great things, they can be small task and eventually they will lead to bigger better things.  

I hate to say this but I neglect my obligations when I am depressed. That is the reason why I usually take a sick leave in the office when I feel depression setting in because I don't want to ruin my job. At home, I immediately tell the people that I am not feeling well so they have to be observant of what I say. When I ask something, I need an immediate reaction. All I want is to sit in front of the tv and mope, it doesn't matter what is showing on the tv, just sit there and feel like watching although my mind is grinding with some other thoughts. And when my depression has already set in, I sometimes notice that my hygiene is affected - I seldom take a bath. 

Depression and grief can both crush motivation completely. I found at my worst I was missing appointments, writing down wrong times, and just having trouble doing anything. It didn't seem like there was any point in trying, and every I did do was going wrong because my brain just wasn't functioning, and that made it worse. Hygiene definitely suffered, particularly as the washing machine needed fixing, and I didn't have it in me to do it.

It is such a vicious circle, because nothing seems worth doing, but the fact you aren't doing anything makes the stress worse that makes you more depressed which makes you less likely to do anything. Seeing the effects on people around you can be even more stressful since sometimes it feels like they would be better off not having to carry you. If you do feel like that then get help, because I can guarantee you, your friends and family would rather carry you than lose you. It's what friends are there for.

fuzyon said:

Does anyone hate the fact that depression hinders our ability to be disciplined? I have a to-do list for every day of the week and I'm never able to finish all the tasks simply because depression makes me think that it's not worth accomplishing stuff at all, it completely crushes my motivation. I have days when I'm really productive but I can never get a good streak going, I always succumb back down after a while. Being consistent is extremely hard.

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Depression is pretty much the collapse of all the values we have, we do the minimum required and we spend the rest of the time feeling sorry for ourselves. Why do you think you cannot accomplish the things you propose yourself to? Maybe you are setting too ambitious goals?

It is the most thing that absolutely bugs me about having depression. To lose motivation. I get confused and forget things easily. I lose days sometimes and don't remember anything about them. What I have done that I find helps me greatly is I bought a diary. That diary is open in front of me on my desk. If I have to do anything important then it gets written down in my diary. Then, as each day passes I can check off what I need to do. House work is a problem for me because of depression and lack of motivation. I set myself a small task each day and some days I find I am able to do more on my list.

As much as depression hinders motivation, I guess the to-do list can work perfectly to keep you on track. When I don't tick and confirm everything is done in my to-do list, I start worrying and having a low self esteem. You can use this to motivate yourself. Make a short list and make sure you complete it even though you feel discouraged. A wise man said that a desire full filled is a source of hope. Don't listen to your negative thoughts, complete the first day and you get the strength to go through other days.