Motivating yourself when you're depressed?

I'm sorry you're going through this - and - as a lot of the other posters have mentioned - exercise DOES help.

It gives you the endorphin rush - and - the feeling that you've done something positive when you've finished.

The anniversary of my Mom's death is hard for me - I try to keep very busy - time alone is NOT good for me - I get more depressed and eat.......so - for me - keeping busy helps; and I usually do an extra-long work-out - then I try to meet up with my sister - seeing as how she went through the same situation - the day has the same importance.........

You could try writing out all of your feelings, just to get them out. Then making a list of all of the things that make you happy and give you motivation, there must be at least a few! Thinking and staying positive can be hard- I know very well. But letting negative things keep you down is just as pointless as staying happy might seem to be. Do you have any passion for something? (Writing, drawing, singing, dancing, etc) Do that! If you ever feel like eating because you are sad or angry, do those things instead.

(Sorry if this wasn't great advice. I'm still working on it.)

Don't get into the habit of eating your feelings... listen to what your body is telling you. It's not that it's hungry or even that it wants food. Your mind wants to mask and distract from your feelings, and in the back of your mind you probably think that because you have an excuse you can give in.

This is going to sound cliché and I feel like a loser for saying it but...FEEL your feelings. Process them fully, allow yourself to feel sad and to cry and miss your loved ones and wish life wasn't so ****ty sometimes. You don't have to binge in order to feel sad. You don't need to eat ice cream while crying. Your pain is valid, you can experience it without distracting by overindulging.

Now that said...maybe allow yourself a treat? If you're counting calories, eat at maintenance or even above. Way above if you have to. One day isn't going to destroy everything. The most important thing is to stay in control. Own every piece of food you put in your mouth. Realize you're going to eat it, even though it's so many calories. Don't allow yourself to go off the rail and then have to process all that guilt on top of the feelings you haven't worked through.

Ok. Hope your day doesn't go too horribly. Sorry for your losses!

I agree with all of this, very good advice.

Sorry about your losses....

For me (and I've been battling depression on and off for over 30 years now), I've decided to turn to exercise (become an Emotional Exerciser rather than Emotional Eater). It really works to go do cardio for an hour when you're trying to fight depression. Much like the emotional eating, it's a short term fix but it is better for you and you don't have the guilt associated with emotional exercising like you do with emotional eating (binging has made me feel guilty, I get over the guilt but still have it).

So get moving when you feel the desire to binge. Go for a walk, or a run or something. If nothing else, you'll at least be "earning" the binge.

As others have said, you can be sad. You don't need to eat. How is eating going to help? Get out and go for a walk and think about things. Sort out your feelings with every step you take.

Also, you might want to think about this. Would your grandfather want you sitting around feeling sad that he is gone? Probably not. He would want you getting out and living life. Maybe you could plant some flowers in honor of him. Try to think about all of the good he brought into your life instead of the sadness of his dying.

Maybe you should start a new tradition by planting something or doing something special on that day to honor those you have lost.

I'm really sorry for your losses. I can relate somewhat since my mom passed away 2 years ago from cervical cancer. I realized recently I still haven't fully grieved over her leaving this world, so I'm depressed about that on top of other things and lack motivation to live. My heart reaches out for you. It's incredibly difficult to lose a parent, and I can't imagine the pain associated with losing a child.

Allow yourself to grieve fully and experience your emotions which will help with the healing process. I hope you surround yourself with family and friends who support and love you wholeheartedly. If you do eat out of emotion during these times, be forgiving and kind toward yourself because it's natural and understandable. I also try to remember that my mom would want me to be healthy, especially since she lost her health to an aggressive cancer that returned after remission. It helps motivate me to adopt better eating and exercise habits, even in the midst of my depression. Since exercise helps lift our mood, I am trying lately to schedule it in on my work and personal calendars - it reminds me exercise needs to be a priority. And I'm trying to find a friend I can work out with to keep me accountable health wise, but who also can provide support when I'm going through rough times. Maybe some of these can help you stay motivated.

Honestly, sometimes the tunnel will seem so dark and interminably long, and it won't seem like there's any hope. I think trying to find hope in the small joys of life and reaching out to friends or family can help us take on each hour and each day. I truly hope you will find comfort during this time, and take one step at a time toward health in all regards- emotionally, mentally, and physically.