UNABLE TO GET OUT OF BED? :[

emiliocoochie

Every now and then I find myself in an uphill battle against myself to just get out of bed. I honestly don't know if it's me being lazy or if it's some form of depression but it's so annoying! Whether it's depression or not, I feel like I should ultimately have full control of my body and be able to just get myself out of bed and do the necessary tasks needed to eat right and work out. I notice it usually happens when I've procrastinated on other duties and I refuse to get up maybe to acknowledge that they're there... orrrrr I put my workouts on the back burner because I have tasks that should have already been completed to worry about. Ultimately my problem is with chronic procrastination I guess.. It's interesting how something so simple as putting off washing dishes or putting away laundry can turn into not working out which will lead to saying "Oh screw this healthy meal! I didn't get a workout in anyway I'll just eat takeout today." which then turns to weight gain, more depression, and disappointment.. Does anyone else suffer from chronic procrastination? If so, what helps?

CafeRacer808

I have a hard time getting out of bed as well, but my problem is due to chronic insomnia. I'm no psychologist, but it sounds to me like you're using staying in bed as an avoidance tactic rather than confronting the procrastination that's at the source of your stress. I will also say that when I'm feeling depressed, the last thing I want to do is deal with stressors in my life. It's also likely that these two things are feeding off of each other.

So it could be a combination of things, really. But I think your first line of attack should be figuring out why you procrastinate and what you're going to do to stop it. If you work on that and find you're still having trouble getting out of bed, perhaps speak to your doctor or a therapist about your possible depression so that he/she can help you figure out how to get past it.

kathleennf

"The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and … up. The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body. If, with God’s help, you conquer yourself, you will be well ahead for the rest of the day."

It’s so discouraging to find oneself beaten at the first skirmish (St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way).

Get up. Fast. It will make your whole day better.
See this:
http://www.philipkosloski.com/how-to-win-the-first-battle-of-every-day/

kommodevaran

If you eat takeout a lot and that's not providing you with essential nutrition, maybe you are malnourished. It doesn't have to show up on blood tests to affect you if you are sensitive.

What are healthy meals and why do you not want them? Maybe a reframing can be good for you. What do you want to eat? Can you make that yourself? Can you get into a habit where you just eat regularly and don't feel you have to force yourself?

Oh, and get a dishwasher.

mandalaysissa

sarahbums wrote: »

I have depression and Avoidant Personality Disorder, so i deal with this every day. One thing i learned in therapy is if there's a task I need to do that takes less than a minute, I do it immediately. I don't even let myself consider procrastinating on it.

If something needs to be done that takes longer than a minute, I set a goal to work on that task for 5 minutes. I tell myself I don't have to finish it if I don't feel like it- I just have to commit to it for 5 minutes. Then, a lot of the time I find myself building momentum and easily turning 5 minutes into 10,15, and so on. It's just about breaking things down into more attainable goals.

hi, sarah

how do you feel about this A.P.D. diagnostic ?

Best of regards

TimothyFish

I'm sure someone would try to diagnose it as something, but it seems pretty normal to me. We all have stuff that we would rather not do and the things we want to take priority. I deal with folding laundry by dumping it on my bed. That way I'm forced to do something with it before I can go to bed. I can't say I'm real good about washing dishes either, but I'm much better about it if I know people are coming over. I think accountability is key to dealing with procrastination. If other people are expecting me to do something I'm much more likely to do it than if it is just me who knows about it. For me, one of the things that prevents me from doing chores is that I'd rather be out riding a bicycle, but if you are having trouble convincing yourself to workout then you might need a workout partner. People talk about lying in bed hoping that their partner will call and say he isn't going to make it that morning, but then getting up and going only to find out that their partner had also been lying in bed hoping for a phone call canceling the outing.

ritzvin

[1] Like said above, get a workout partner (or a personal trainer).
[2] If you are not a morning person, move your workouts to after work.
[3] Schedule group stuff on the weekend where sleeping in all day is a possible option (There is a group run that I absolutely love on Sunday mornings, so I get my *kitten* out of bed for that). And soon cycling season will be starting up. Meetup.com is a good site to start with for group activities (dancing, hiking, cycling,..).
[4] Priorities. My apartment is a mess. My health & fitness to me comes first - so I take the time for exercise and food prep before I bother with other stuff like cleaning. (Did I mention my apartment is a mess?).

girlwithcurls2

sarahbums wrote: »

I have depression and Avoidant Personality Disorder, so i deal with this every day. One thing i learned in therapy is if there's a task I need to do that takes less than a minute, I do it immediately. I don't even let myself consider procrastinating on it.

If something needs to be done that takes longer than a minute, I set a goal to work on that task for 5 minutes. I tell myself I don't have to finish it if I don't feel like it- I just have to commit to it for 5 minutes. Then, a lot of the time I find myself building momentum and easily turning 5 minutes into 10,15, and so on. It's just about breaking things down into more attainable goals.

These look like great strategies that the OP could implement. Maybe once something gets done or started, there is a sense of accomplishment that can get the ball rolling on other things? OP, I don't have the problem to the extent that you do, but at times, I think anyone can fall into this cycle of a lack of motivation and sort of giving up before we started. I have been feeling depressed this winter over a lot of things, and I find myself with the internal dialogue you described. Sometimes it helps me to make a list. I put EVERYTHING on that list, so that I can cross more things off. "get out of bed" can go on the list. By the time you get dressed, you should have 3-4 things to check off. It does something to me psychologically to know that I got something done, even if it's just basic morning tasks.