Motivation for self care?

JessWasHere1998 · November 2019

Does anyone have any tips for staying motivated? I'm not taking care of myself. I haven't been showering as often as I use to, not eating much, not logging my foods and not eating healthy. Help me find the motivation. 😭

ElizabethKalmbach · November 2019

It's discipline and routine. I'm NEVER motivated to take all my meds. They make me sick to my stomach and prevent me from drinking coffee when I want it. But alas, if I DON'T take them, I will eventually die. So I set an alarm in my phone and I take them like clockwork, whether I "feel like it" or not.

I treat a lot of "important" things that way - I have a phone alarm to feed my fish, because if I forget, THEY'LL die.

Usually I don't need the alarm to remind me, but the reminders I put in my phone all stress the importance of the activity: "DON'T KILL YOUR FISH. FEED THEM TODAY."

Sometimes I change up the notifications to something different and slightly funny, yet equally dire. The changes help and sometimes make me laugh, but they keep me on task so that nobody dies or just smells like something died in their laundry basket.

Once I've done something for about a month, I don't even really have to convince myself to do it anymore. I just DO, because it's part of my routine.

Other people prefer to make their own schedule, and not be driven by a clock. My daughter prefers check lists.

There's also an app out there for gamifying important habits, but honestly, when I was super low, I actually bought and used a sticker chart so that I could literally give myself gold stars for doing the hard thing. Do whatever works, but make habits rather than depending on emotions.

FatToFitChaser · November 2019

As long as you think every single minute , why you want to be fit , and you really want it from heart and willing to dedicate yourself towards it , nothing can stop ya. Stay Strong 💪 💪

Hollis100 · November 2019

JessWasHere1998 wrote: »

Does anyone have any tips for staying motivated? I'm not taking care of myself. I haven't been showering as often as I use to, not eating much, not logging my foods and not eating healthy. Help me find the motivation. 😭

Do you perhaps have depression? Did something happen in your life? A lingering loss of interest in taking care of youself can be a sign of depression. If this has gone on for more than a week or so, it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor or health care provider. Best of luck to you.

Machka9 · November 2019

Have you seen a doctor recently and told him/her what's happening?

aokoye · November 2019

I third the idea of this potentially be related to depression or some sort of other mental health issue. There's no shame in that, but my suggestions and I suspect the suggestions of others are going to be a bit different if this is an issue related to depression.

snowflake954 · November 2019

Motivation, if you are suffering from depression, will be hard to find. You have to cure that first, so agree with the above posters that finding support and perhaps counseling would be a good move and then the rest will come. Many posters have this problem or have gone through it, so they can give you good advice if you need it. Best of luck.

RelCanonical · November 2019

I use a site called Habitica and reward myself for doing basic things like brushing my teeth and logging my food. I then save up the coins and set "prices" for my rewards. Right now I'm saving up 3000 coins for a Nintendo Switch. I get into self-care slumps too. I know I feel better when I do my self-care, and it gets easier when I try not to rush through it to get it done, and instead try to be more mindful about how it makes me feel (better).

ElizabethKalmbach · November 2019

RelCanonical wrote: »

I use a site called Habitica and reward myself for doing basic things like brushing my teeth and logging my food. I then save up the coins and set "prices" for my rewards. Right now I'm saving up 3000 coins for a Nintendo Switch. I get into self-care slumps too. I know I feel better when I do my self-care, and it gets easier when I try not to rush through it to get it done, and instead try to be more mindful about how it makes me feel (better).

YES! That was the gamifying app I was thinking of!

seltzermint555 · November 2019

I agree with Elizabeth above...habit, routine, discipline. Make it something you just do every single day.
You might not be excited about it, but hopefully over time you will see the value it brings to your life and health.

Sort of a silly example...but I never took care of my facial skin, until my late 30s. I didn't wash off my makeup before bed and rarely used moisturizer. I didn't have bad skin...but I realized I should do more to care for my face as I age. I started a 3 step nighttime routine plus A.M. moisturizer with sunscreen. It's just something I do now, as simple as brushing my teeth or putting on a bra. I have started to notice benefits, but it's honestly taken a few years of consistency before I saw any real change.

Motivation for self care?

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