I don’t feel like doing anything (7 reasons & solutions)
By
OptimistMinds
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this blog post, we talk about the reason why someone may not feel like doing anything, and what are the possible solutions and outcomes.
What to do when you don’t feel like doing anything
What to do in those moments when you feel like doing anything?
We all have faced such moments in our lives when although we had many things to do, we were unable to complete any task.
In such moments, you feel that everything is a mess around you, but especially in your mind.
You feel tired, you don’t have much inspiration, your efficiency level is low, you don’t feel like doing anything.
Then more than ever, it’s handy to pick up the phone and get distracted by social media, which will inevitably create more frustration.
So, what can you do about it?
The reasons why you may be feeling like this are individual, but generally speaking, we can speak of physical fatigue, poor diet, routine, sadness, dissatisfaction, overcommitment, clutter (around you and/or in your mind), etc.
In order to get yourself together, it is first necessary to understand the reasons behind your state of apathy.
And the next best thing you can do is to take a break from everything. To log out completely!
This break will have to last as long as necessary to find out what is really happening to you.
It’s true that if you have a boss, you can’t just tell him “I don’t feel like working today, so I’m going home”, but you can ask him for a 30-minute break.
Enough time to take a walk in the open air or to talk to someone who can help you.
If you are facing something like this right now, you should know that once you have discovered what is exhausting you, you will have to treat the cause, to prevent things going worse.
Physical fatigue
If physical fatigue is the cause of the discomfort you face, then you must rest.
If you spend a lot of time at the office, locked in a room and always with your eyes in front of the computer, your body will suffer.
Therefore, you need to develop a discipline that includes:
- enough sleep (8 hours of sleep a night, and if you have too much to do, it is recommended to take a nap of 30 minutes during the day)
- short breaks (including a short walk and/or “wake-up” movements),
- outdoor walks,
- exercise (at least 30 minutes a day).
Your nutrition
- Eat foods that support the proper functioning of the brain,
- avoid excessive coffee consumption (one coffee a day should be enough),
- drink enough water,
- from time to time, it is beneficial to aid your body through dietary supplements.
Routine
We must leave room for spontaneity in our lives. You will overcome your routine only if you leave your comfort zone.
- If you always say you don’t have time to relax, you have to include it in your schedule. This way, you will automatically become more productive, because you will have to finish your tasks in time to…relax!
- Don’t be afraid to ask your work colleagues if they have any suggestions for fun things to do (together or not, you decide),
- Discover new places and include different and unique activities in your life.
- Read an interesting book.
- Play for interactive games.
Sadness
Sadness is a negative emotion sometimes very difficult to overcome. Sadness can have a real reason, due to a difficult situation we are in or it can appear without an explanation.
Whatever the reason, we can overcome it if we seek help, and the solutions are as follows:
- You need to take time to calm your mind, to meditate, and if you are spiritual, to pray. Quietly, you will find strength, courage and determination again. You will be surprised by what you begin to hear when you are silent.
- Find people you trust and talk to them about your problem. If you need help, ask for help.
- Find ways to unload, scream, cry, get out of your system what is pressing you.
- You need to know that no matter what you go through, every problem has a solution. And the problems that arise in our lives are meant to make us stronger and to reveal the courage and potential that hides in us.
Dissatisfaction
Dissatisfaction comes in our lives when we live a life without purpose.
You will start to feel better when you will set a great goal and start working towards it.
In addition, you must find your own happiness.
Don’t wait for others to make you happy. It is not the duty of others to make you happy and it is not your duty to make others happy.
Too many people are waiting for someone or something to make them happy.
A new house, a new car, will bring you joy only in the short term, then you will want a bigger house and a more expensive car.
“After I finish school; after I graduate; after I get married; after I have children…” – these are all good wishes, but you don’t have to wait for a certain moment to be happy.
A frustrated person is an unhappy person.
You must learn gratitude, you must learn to appreciate the things you already have rather than focusing on what you don’t have.
Overcommitment
The problem is that when we wake up with the burden of yesterday, we also affect the current day, and the feeling of overwhelmingness is often the reason we cannot manage to finish what we’ve set for ourselves.
If you feel that you have too much to do and you don’t know what to start with, you will have to sit down and write everything on a list.
Order your tasks based on their importance, consider only what is really necessary, and only then start working.
You will feel great once you start removing tasks from your list.
Clutter
You need to organize your thoughts, your home, your working desk, your desktop, your inbox.
Be disciplined in everything you do and think about the important things, the things that really matter.
At the same time, analyze the time you allocate to unproductive thoughts, conversations, and actions to understand where you can stop wasting time. Start being productive, not busy!
How to organize your time more efficiently
We will present you some simple methods, through which you will be able to understand why it is important to organize your time in an effective way and how to apply them in your daily life.
- Write it down!
You can organize better making a top 3 things you want to accomplish today. It is good for your physical and emotional health not to overcommit. So don’t try to do more than necessary.
Carry this list with you and analyze it throughout the day to focus more on it.
Take it as a game and you will feel the challenge of achieving what you set out to do.
- What is more important?
Whether it’s long-term plans or daily goals, we all know that it is necessary to prioritize both activities and their planning.
And the most effective way to prioritize is by answering the following questions:
- How urgent is it?
- How important is it?
- How does it help me?
- Does it make it easier or is it an obstacle in achieving my goals?
- Does it bring me happiness, peace, fulfilment, or does it make me sad and exhaust me unnecessarily?
- Does it improve my health or harm me?
- Does it improve my relationships with others or affect them?
- Does it help me progress?
- Does it help me to evolve spiritually or does it block me?
- Take a break!
We need rest, even for a few minutes. You can take a break by taking a short walk or talking with a loved one.
Whatever you choose to do, it is important to make sure that it relaxes you and gives you a good mood.
Then you will feel enthusiastic and full of energy again to finish what you set out to do.
Also, take a break when you are in a tense situation.
You may be harshly criticized if you do so, but this is the smartest way to act, because you can avoid making a bad decision or saying something wrong, and you only find the best solutions when you are relaxed.
Conclusions
In this blog post, we talked about the reason why someone may not feel like doing anything, and what are the possible solutions and outcomes.
What is important to remember is that when you are feeling like this, you probably need a break.
You also need to take more care of your physical and mental health. Hope the tips mentioned above will help you!
Please feel free to leave any comments and ask any questions in the comments section below.
FAQ about I don’t feel like doing anything
What to do when you don’t feel like going to work?
When you don’t feel like going to work, take a few minutes to disconnect and gather your strengths.
Do some breathing exercises, a short meditation or take a short walk if possible.
How do you get motivated when you don’t feel like it?
To get motivated when you don’t feel like doing anything, try to remember yourself about the important things you want to accomplish.
Talk to someone who can support you, watch some inspirational videos or read a few motivational quotes.
What to do when you don’t have anything to do?
If you don’t have anything to do, it is the perfect time to start something new, to learn a new language, to start a new book, to get a new hobby.
What causes a lack of motivation?
Many things can cause a lack of motivation.
Among them: you are not doing something you like, you are physically tired, you don’t have a schedule, you are procrastinating.
What does it mean if you don’t want to do anything?
When you don’t want to do anything it means that you are in a state of apathy.
There may be numerous reasons behind this state of mind, so it’s best to do some introspection and think about what exactly may cause your apathy.
If you need help, ask for it.
How can I increase my motivation?
You can increase your motivation by becoming more organized, by scheduling time for rest and fun things.
Also, make sure to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how little they are.
Recommendations
- Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World
- Awaken Online: Apathy
- Bored? Games!: 101 games to make every day more playful
- Pen and Paper Games
- Apathy and Other Small Victories
References
Apathy Is Not Depression Morgan, by L. Levy, M.D
