Depression: 12 Steps to Creating Motivation When You're Depressed
Written in the front: Xiao Zhang has written more than 200 articles about depression, but many Yu friends said, "I understand the truth, but I can't move or do it" and so on. To this end, Xiao Zhang wrote down the steps of improving and creating motivation in great detail, starting from waking up in the morning, and teaching you to create motivation step by step. Of course, you or your sick family member should also try to do it, because each step is really small, and it can be done in a week if it cannot be done in one day. If you think these are still not detailed enough and still not feasible, please leave a message in the comment area, and Xiao Zhang will introduce each step in detail.
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Creating motivation when you're depressed can be one of the hardest things.
Depression flares up, and energy can be depleted both physically and emotionally. The simplest tasks seem to require maximum effort, sometimes beyond.
Some people may feel lethargic and have difficulty eating, cleaning or showering at home, or even getting out of bed.
Driving motivation can be difficult when depressed because people instinctively wait for the energy to come back.
Depressed people often fall into the trap of trying to wait - if you give in to the urge to lie in bed for a few days, you feel like you'll be reenergized and energized for a few days. However, it usually doesn't.
We can change the way we think through small, manageable behavioral steps and change the entire experience of depression.
These steps can help us move on with our lives while helping us continue to deal with potential problems.
- Make the bed - you may find it difficult to get out of bed. The first step we take is to sit on the bed, put your feet on the floor, and imagine leaving all your worries and thoughts on the bed. Then, get up, make your bed well, and leave your worries behind. Making the bed during this process is essential because it signals to your brain that there is no option to go back to bed that day. As you make your bed, imagine the annoyance you left behind when the comforter is pulled up.
Washing - After you make your bed, it's better to try to do something else. Try washing your face and brushing your teeth to help wake yourself up. With these steps, you can train your brain to understand that you're getting ready for something instead of hanging out all day.
Get dressed - this is a key step from bed to day. Even after you "escape" the bedroom, you may still be sitting on the sofa in your pajamas. Getting dressed reduces the urge to rest because your brain reinforces that you're getting ready for something.
Set an alarm - it's not just for waking up. An alarm can be used for anything that signals symptoms of depression. You can set an alarm to wake yourself up at a certain time to make sure you wake up in the morning; or you can set an alarm to indicate when it's time to eat, eat, do laundry, or do a bunch of other things, and more. An alarm can serve as a reminder to draw your attention to areas you wish to improve.
Going out - This can be one of the hardest steps for those struggling with depression. One of the problems with this step is that it's easy to hold back because there's nowhere to go. "Okay, I can go outside...but so what?" So for this step, the idea is that there is nowhere to go. The goal is to get out, not that you go out to a particular place. Go outside, close the door behind you, and do whatever comes to mind - walk around the block, pace the street, pace your doorstep, get in the car, drive, etc. It can be anything or nothing, but the goal is to be outside for at least ten minutes before returning.
Choose an exercise - Getting your body moving is a great way to start feeling better. Choose an exercise that works for you: walking, running, swimming, jumping rope, etc., but whatever you choose to do, keep that in mind every day when you're out and about. If it's indoor exercise (like a treadmill), do it before going outside.
Make an Activity List - Make a list of things you enjoy doing, both at home and outside. These activities can be a mix of productive (eg work-related) activities, hobbies, and self-care.
Schedule Events - Schedule events throughout the week. Try to plan a week or two in advance and write the event into your calendar with a specific date and time. Do them as much as you can, and make sure you stick to the plan.
Daily Necessities Schedule - If you are having difficulty with daily activities such as eating, cooking, bathing or other household chores. To do this, you create a daily family schedule. Choose a specific time each day for each activity you want to do. It can be specific to your needs: get dressed, brush your teeth, start cooking, eat, shower, turn off the TV before going to bed, etc. This is to help you actually carry out the daily necessary activities every day.
Watch family and friends - this one is more about people than activities. Being around other people often helps improve mood. Schedule meetings and entertainment outside with family and friends, and the more you can get out of your depressive environment (usually your home and bedroom), the more likely you are to overcome it.
Psychotherapy - It is important to remember that the desire to stay indoors and lie down is not the cause of depression - it is a symptom of depression. Psychotherapy remains a necessary step throughout the treatment of depression to prevent further episodes, reduce severity, and eliminate depression as completely as possible. Even if we can address some motivational issues by pushing ourselves to take behavioral steps, there is still a need to address the internal issues that lead to depression. Otherwise, when our motivation drops, depression may come back if we don't deal with the underlying problem.
Contrarian behavior - In dialectical behavior therapy (a branch of cognitive behavioral therapy), contrarian behavior is forcing yourself to do something you know is good for you to prevent bad habits from reinforcing. For example, if you want to sit on the couch watching TV all day, when realizing that this will only lead to depression, the opposite behavior would say getting up and going out, knowing that it would be a healthier behavior. This is the "exactly the opposite of your unhealthy urges" technique. In CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), the basic idea is that your actions can have a positive impact on your emotions.
Most importantly, you won't want to do any of the above, and if you're waiting for it to "naturally want to do it," then it probably won't happen. Taking the opposite action will be a necessary first step in conquering depression—knowing in your heart that taking steps forward and doing so will do you good.
By participating in psychotherapy, you are still able to pay proper attention to what is going on inside of you (medication may also help), and you do have the ability to increase your motivation and get out of depression. It may take some effort, but then you will have a chance to get your life back.
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