So I made a motivational List

[Keikei]

As of now I am unemployed. I am struggling to stay busy and often end up laying in bed 'till the late afternoon. I had been searching for jobs, but haven't done much the last few weeks after being turned down so many times. Becoming very agoraphobic and reclusive. I am attempting to make a realistic list of ways to stay busy for the time being because I know that it will make me feel better .

1. Exercise (at least 15 min.)
2. Call at least 2 jobs (if available).
3. Practice flute 30-60 min. each day.
4. Clean room/play music at least 1 hour (or 1 album's length).
5. Check Ebay status/sales; Make at least 1 auction listing per day (max of 3 items up at a time.)

-The rest of the time is free. Read, draw, write, paint, sing, play piano, run, juggle, browse the web...

*Motivation/Reasons:

1. You will feel more tired and productive.
2. Your dad will see you trying.
3. You will start to look better and have more energy and less fat/more muscle. (Yes, just from moving.)
4. You will develop a routine/pattern. (Studies show that this makes people feel good. In place.)

*So; what do you do if you wake up and feel like ****?

-I am really not sure how to handle this... well conundrum so to speak. (I basically feel terrified to leave the bed and start the day of uncertainties and possible dilemmas.)
-I have thought of giving myself an hour to feel bad, like saying I have permission to feel that way.
-Meditation/yoga? Running? Playing music? Singing a song? Playing a favorite piece?

*I know that in order to get better and out of this depressive state I need to stay busy and develop some sort of pattern to life.

***Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to just get moving in the morning? Once I get going, everything feels so much more plausible. It's just the everlasting temptation to crawl back into the bed. This is a battle against the demonic entity depression seems to personify. ***Please tell me anything that helps you or that you do to motivate yourself in the mornings/ conquer the fear.

[Girl_Loner]

Sounds like a great plan..maybe something I should be doing hehe.


A healthy breakfast could be the enticement? Or even a bad breakfast ha

And folding up and putting blankets in different room out of the way so
getting back into bed would be less inviting during the day.
Would make it a bit difficult having to get blankets put on bed etc and give you time to notice that you are 'cheating' so to speak.

First thing that came to my head lol..maybe someone else has some more ideas

[Rixy]

I planned a schedule like you, I should probably get around to following it. I hope you get good results from this

[Catlover4100]

Sounds like a good idea! I know that feeling of just wanting to stay in bed and sleep your troubles away, but it rarely does any good to give into it.

[Keikei]

Originally Posted by Girl_Loner

Sounds like a great plan..maybe something I should be doing hehe.


A healthy breakfast could be the enticement? Or even a bad breakfast ha

And folding up and putting blankets in different room out of the way so
getting back into bed would be less inviting during the day.
Would make it a bit difficult having to get blankets put on bed etc and give you time to notice that you are 'cheating' so to speak.

First thing that came to my head lol..maybe someone else has some more ideas

That sounds like a good idea possibly. It's basically _making_ myself do this stuff. Before, when I was in high school, I _had_ to get up and even though I felt like **** and was a nervous wreck in the mornings, after a few hours I'd feel ok. The thing is, I hate eating in the morning. But, I have read and heard a lot on the difference in can make in the way one feels throughout the day.

I guess protein? Like cereal with bananas in it? Yogurt? Juice? Eggs? Maybe start taking a multivitamin again? These things I suppose could possibly help.

Another thing I thought of for motivation when one wakes up is possibly having a book in another room, or a game they are really into. Then saying, "Ok, I'm going to do that thing I enjoy for one hour, or half and hour." It will still be hard to get up, but if one just uses that and only thinks about that thing when they first get up... Has anyone tried something like that? I know some people who get up early to play WOW. (Not for me, but the concept remains)...

[strawberryjulius]

Originally Posted by Keikei

Another thing I thought of for motivation when one wakes up is possibly having a book in another room, or a game they are really into. Then saying, "Ok, I'm going to do that thing I enjoy for one hour, or half and hour." It will still be hard to get up, but if one just uses that and only thinks about that thing when they first get up... Has anyone tried something like that? I know some people who get up early to play WOW. (Not for me, but the concept remains)...

i used to tempt myself to get out of bed so i can weigh myself, since i'm addicted to doing it. ..don't start that, though, haha.

that's a good list you have there, though. good luck with it!

[winduptoy]

I think that's a great list, Keikei.

Oh, and I would set aside a lot less time than an entire hour to feel bad. It's good to acknowledge that you're feeling that way; no one's happy all the time. However, I think it would be better if you just told yourself, "Yes, I'm feeling bad, and I don't feel like doing anything right now." And then right afterwards, do something to make yourself feel better. Like listen to a song or album you really like, or watch a movie or show or funny clips on youtube. I've recently started doing this and while at first it seems like it won't help, it does after a while.

Good luck.

[LostPancake]

Originally Posted by Keikei

*So; what do you do if you wake up and feel like ****?

-I am really not sure how to handle this... well conundrum so to speak. (I basically feel terrified to leave the bed and start the day of uncertainties and possible dilemmas.)

***Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to just get moving in the morning? Once I get going, everything feels so much more plausible. It's just the everlasting temptation to crawl back into the bed. This is a battle against the demonic entity depression seems to personify. ***Please tell me anything that helps you or that you do to motivate yourself in the mornings/ conquer the fear.

yeah this can be really hard. i've started to think of sleeping in / going back to sleep as being like crack cocaine. it's so rewarding because it just makes all your problems go away (temporarily). and even if you can justify it by saying, aw, it's alright if i skip this one class, it's not that important, i can read the book, it has effects way beyond that, because it makes getting up the next day harder also - it builds bad habits. same with procrastination and avoidance in general. so i'm trying to keep these huge negative costs in mind when i'm trying to wake up.

anyway, i like your idea of having something fun to do in the morning to get you out of bed. maybe if you turn on your ipod when the alarm goes off, you could listen to good music for a while, until you feel better. good music can really lift your spirits. especially if it has a good beat!

another thing i've found is if my apartment is messy, it makes me not want to wake up and have to deal with it - it's depressing. so i need to keep this place cleaner.

and having a good breakfast to look forward to, like knowing there's some awesome cereal in the kitchen can make me get out of bed. but yeah, protein is better for waking up.

and caffeine gum or pills, in emergencies, though it tends to raise anxiety levels.

[steelmyhead]

I try to wake up in stages. So rather than having the stress of getting out of bed hit me all at once... I break it up into first taking stock of how I'm feeling emotionally... reminding myself that I always feel terrible when getting up and it's completely normal, then I'm sometimes reminded of how since yesterday was worth getting up for, then today might be worth getting up for too. Stretching in bed or taking a few deep breaths also seems to get me moving.