What to do when depression kills your enthusiasm?

[fuzyon]

Depression doesn't hurt me as much as it used to in the past but sometimes it still holds me back which I hate, so far it's costed me a lot of opportunities, money and sleep but I never backed down. Sometimes I start coming up with ideas for new projects, hobbies but depression and bipolar disorder kick in after a while and I get really unmotivated. I start to think things like "but what if I will fail? I'll never make it" before I even get started on the project.


How do you cope with something like that? How do you pull through and do what you're supposed to do even if you depression holds you back?

 

[John Snort]

Well there is one thing people do when they lack the enthusiasm but must get something done anyway. The hard part always is starting. Once you get started, the trepidation about what might or might not happen will begin to fade. However before getting started make a list. Break down what you want to do into smaller easier-to-complete tasks. Now start completing those tasks beginning with the hardest and work your way down. It's gets easier after the more difficult bits are done.

 

[ProNine]

I think it depends on the goal you're after. If it's a goal that's required by someone else, then simply remind yourself that you must complete the task on hand, otherwise, something bad will happen. As John Snort said, once you get started, the job will finish itself as soon as possible. Plus, depression sure does make people lazy, and the good thing for us is, lazy people are the most efficient. Now, if it's a personal goal, then you need to think to yourself whether you truly want to achieve the goal you want, and whether your way of achieving that goal is the only way/ the best way to achieve it. If it is, then think to yourself, will waiting help? Is it going to bring you any closer, and what difference will it make to you once you achieve it. One thing we need to remember in this community is that despite these disorders being somewhat out of our hand, we can still deal with them, and it's not right to say that there's nothing we can do about them.

 

[tgthewriter1]

You need to find the source of your depression. The source of mine is my family. My family is treating me like **** right now so I'm going to leave them. I suggest you do same if you have simular problems.

 

[fuzyon]

I think it depends on the goal you're after. If it's a goal that's required by someone else' date=' then simply remind yourself that you must complete the task on hand, otherwise, something bad will happen. As John Snort said, once you get started, the job will finish itself as soon as possible. Plus, depression sure does make people lazy, and the good thing for us is, lazy people are the most efficient. Now, if it's a personal goal, then you need to think to yourself whether you truly want to achieve the goal you want, and whether your way of achieving that goal is the only way/ the best way to achieve it. If it is, then think to yourself, will waiting help? Is it going to bring you any closer, and what difference will it make to you once you achieve it. One thing we need to remember in this community is that despite these disorders being somewhat out of our hand, we can still deal with them, and it's not right to say that there's nothing we can do about them.

Well right now it's a personal goal (well, more of them) but I just lack the motivation to do it, it's pretty crucial to me to achieve this goal because my current lifestyle and the future depend on it, yet I still am procrastinating for no reason. Starting out is always the hard part for me, I hope that once I get through this starting point that I can focus on finishing the project and starting new ones.

 

[gracer]

The first step is one of the hardest parts because taking that first step feels so heavy for someone who has lost motivation. I usually get that too. Whenever it happens and my enthusiasm to make the first move suddenly slows down, I stop and think for awhile. Then I try to pull myself back together again and take a step. The result is always surprisingly positive once you take that step no matter how hard it is.

 

[pwarbi]

Anxiety and depression is notorious for killing people's plans and enthusiasm and not only do people not want to do something, even if they do then they find it hard to initially get going and start. All too often we take the easy way out and things that can be done tomorrow are often left until they HAVE to be done rather than getting them over with.


Often though, thinking about doing something is worse than actually doing it, and what I've found is that even if you have to mentally and physically force yourself to do something,once you start you'll find that you'll start to feel better about other things in your life as well. Procrastination just builds, and if you're not careful you will spend the rest of your life not doing anything, simply because you have let the depression take away all your motivation. Even though it IS hard, we have to constantly fight to try and make sure that we DO lead a fulfilling life because at the end of the day we only get one chance, and we don't want to waste our lives and then in the future be filled with regrets.

 

[ProNine]

Well right now it's a personal goal (well, more of them) but I just lack the motivation to do it, it's pretty crucial to me to achieve this goal because my current lifestyle and the future depend on it, yet I still am procrastinating for no reason. Starting out is always the hard part for me, I hope that once I get through this starting point that I can focus on finishing the project and starting new ones.

Honestly, I have a few personal goals in which nothing bad will happen if I don't meet them, however, I know that good things will happen if I do actually start working on them. I believe we're similar in the fact that we want to get working on our goals, just lack the motivation to start it. Despite that, I'm actually planning on slowly starting tomorrow. I've thought for a bit and actually got an idea to help with this. Instead of thinking of your goal as a whole, dissect into small pieces, kind of like mini-goals or small landmarks. By then, the first landmark should be fairly easy that you will get started on it for the heck of it. By then, you've already started and as you said, you'll focus on finishing the project. Good luck!

 

[rz3300]

AT a certain point you really just have to learn to appreciate the little time that you are enthusiastic. Try to capture that emotion and put it in a jar that you can open up later and use to get yourself out of a funk. Oh how I wish that was an actual reality and not just a lame metaphor (or whichever literary tool it is) - that would certainly make things easier. Hopefully you can compartmentalize your thoughts well, though, and learn to separate the depression thoughts from the other ones.

 

[fuzyon]

Honestly, I have a few personal goals in which nothing bad will happen if I don't meet them, however, I know that good things will happen if I do actually start working on them. I believe we're similar in the fact that we want to get working on our goals, just lack the motivation to start it. Despite that, I'm actually planning on slowly starting tomorrow. I've thought for a bit and actually got an idea to help with this. Instead of thinking of your goal as a whole, dissect into small pieces, kind of like mini-goals or small landmarks. By then, the first landmark should be fairly easy that you will get started on it for the heck of it. By then, you've already started and as you said, you'll focus on finishing the project. Good luck!

I try to never have "zero-days" meaning days that you don't work even 5 minutes to achieve your goal and that's been helping a little bit, I just have to strap in for a couple of days and get this snowball started. I know that once I finish it I'm going to be really happy and honestly I should work for that. Thanks for listening and good luck to you too!

 

[nytegeek]

The most important thing you can do is talk about it. Don't withdraw more into yourself.If you don't express your feelings it only gets worse. It is hard, but nessacary.

 

[ProNine]

I try to never have "zero-days" meaning days that you don't work even 5 minutes to achieve your goal and that's been helping a little bit, I just have to strap in for a couple of days and get this snowball started. I know that once I finish it I'm going to be really happy and honestly I should work for that. Thanks for listening and good luck to you too!

I think that "zero-day" idea is a good a thing to stick to. The only downside is that you might get too hooked on it to the point where you don't know when to stop, and it just throws you into an endless loop of no work. I really hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying to dismiss you from what works for you, but personally, I would try convincing myself to simply stick to the weekends, along with possibly one extra day in which I don't do anything. The other days though, I'm just going to work through them.

 

[Jemina]

I cope by making a huge list of things I want to do. On this list I include huge things (I want to go to Disneyworld), average things (I want to get a new can opener) and tiny things (I want to wash all the dishes before bed). I tick these things off my list throughout the day, week, month and year. Then when I get really disheartened I can take a look at my list and see what things I can do, and see all my past achievements. It makes me want to tick more things off the list so I end up doing things again.

 

[DecMikashimota]

You can lose your enthusiasm for some things but I truly believe there are still going to be other things that you want to do. In that case you have to pay more attention to the things that you truly want and you have to realize what the relation of those things that you want to do are to the things that you have to do. It must be mutual and as long as you can find something that you will always be passionate about and you can interconnect those two things. Once you realize that you need to work or whatever it is that you need to do, in order to create your business in teh long run, or whatever our goal that you are passionate about is, then I believe you will constantly be able to break through your depression.

 

[joshposh]

Both are on the opposite side of the spectrum. Have you ever heard anyone say that they are enthusiastically depressed? It's like saying I'm happily sad. Depression is a negative, and Enthusiasm is on the positive side. The don't exist together on the same playing field, so it is a given the when one is present the other will not.


This is not a break through concept. It is a simple fact. It's either or.

 

[WorkAtHomeGal]

I have days where I am depressed to the pit of despair and days where I am not. The days that I am not I try hard to get all my errands done, chores and anything else I can think of. My best friend always tries to pull me from my depression funk. Sometimes I ignore him and don't take his invitation to hang out because I just can't.. Other times I do and my depression slowly goes away. There is a lot of stuff that use to be main hobbies that I still do not do though and I would really love to again. Depression excuses I make for myself seem childish though, it makes me feel stupid when I feel that way.

 

[janemariesayed]

Depression doesn't hurt me as much as it used to in the past but sometimes it still holds me back which I hate, so far it's costed me a lot of opportunities, money and sleep but I never backed down. Sometimes I start coming up with ideas for new projects, hobbies but depression and bipolar disorder kick in after a while and I get really unmotivated. I start to think things like "but what if I will fail? I'll never make it" before I even get started on the project.


How do you cope with something like that? How do you pull through and do what you're supposed to do even if you depression holds you back?

Procrastination is a huge symptom of depression and I hate to admit that I am affected. I watch anti procrastination videos on Youtube and they do seem to work. I don't remember to do them all the time, but when I do I can normally keep it going for a couple or a few days. When I do listen, it's normally pretty quickly that I start to clean up my house and get busy.