“I don’t feel like doing anything”: causes and coping strategies

Sometimes we live in times characterized by a mixture of exhaustion and apathy. We feel low energy, discouraged and demotivated. Find out in the following text what this could be due to.

There are times when one does not feel like doing anything, the spirits go down the drain and neither the body nor the mind seem to be in harmony. Everything weighs, everything exhausts and any task becomes a mountain. Although it is common for this experience to be something specific and over the days you regain motivation, the problem arises when that “scab” of discomfort does not disappear.

Factors such as stress lower motivation to a minimum. However, there are other physical and psychological conditions underlying these types of states. Depression or unhealed trauma frequently accompany such behavioral and emotional conditions. Knowing the causes helps to know how to act. Let’s delve into this topic, below.

Emotional exhaustion is often more disabling than physical exhaustion.

What does it mean to not feel like doing anything?

Who hasn’t ever said: “Lately I don’t feel like doing anything”? It is something we hear frequently and, even we ourselves, experience it firsthand more than once. Now, it is necessary to clarify precisely what this experience implies.

Not wanting anything shows a psychophysical state that goes beyond physical exhaustion: emotional or mental exhaustion appears.. In most cases, these are specific situations resolved over the days, after giving ourselves a break or solving what worries us. However, it is possible that it becomes chronic over time.

When lack of motivation, discouragement and fatigue last more than two weeks, perhaps they are symptoms of a health problem or psychological disorder. The following are characteristics that accompany these sensations:

Hopelessness. Muscular heaviness. Irritability and bad mood. Difficulty reflecting. Tendency to procrastinate. Discouragement to start the day. Exhaustion and no energy.Lack of initiative and motivation.Disadvantages for making decisions. Need to sleep more than necessary.Disinterest in leisure or social activities.There is no performance at work or studies.Anhedonia or inability to experience pleasure.

What could be the reason for this lack of desire?

Not having the desire to do anything is a problem when our responsibilities are many and we cannot stop. Work, household chores, family or the goals we want to achieve in life require movement and action. But, sometimes, strength and spirit fail. In these situations it is necessary to know what causes are behind it. We analyze them.

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Health problems

States of discouragement, apathy and fatigue are common in patients with thyroid disorders.. The journal Frontiers in Physiology highlights in an article that there are women who, as a result of adverse experiences, at some point develop alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.

Ruling out problems in this sense is essential when we encounter unmotivated and tired patients. However, there are other factors to consider in the physiological aspect; These are the listings below:

Migraines.Fibromyalgia.Hormonal alterations.Chronic fatigue syndrome.A weakened immune system.Insomnia and other sleep disorders.Poor diet and lack of nutrients.

Boredom and the weight of routine

Perhaps in seasons we lack motivators, hopes and exciting goals. The weight of routine and boredom are like rust to the brain. Human beings need stimuli in their daily lives. to find that impulse with which to continue moving, setting dreams and objectives. If this fails, discomfort and discouragement arrive.

Chronic stress and not wanting to do anything

Sometimes, we overlook the effect that stress that we do not regulate, which overwhelms us, has on our physical and mental health. Studies such as those published in Future Science comment on its effects. The neuroendocrine circuits that are activated can alter multiple processes, affecting our immune system, cardiovascular health, etc.

Let us ensure, as far as possible, that these states of worry, tension and anguish are as punctual and limited in time. Let’s use appropriate coping strategies.

The weight of unresolved problems

You don’t feel like doing anything when there are too many problems and you don’t know how to address them. For example, disagreements with a partner are mixed with lack of work or poor working conditions. Added to this is the frustration due to unfulfilled dreams, the lack of time for oneself and the constant shadow of uncertainty.

How to deny it? Sometimes life is too complicated and our mind, as a defense mechanism, asks us to stop.. The feeling of tiredness is just a warning to give ourselves time, think and make decisions.

Exhaustion, a sign of depressive disorders

Tiredness and lack of motivation are two recurrent characteristics of depressive disorders. From Frontiers in Immunology they give us an explanation of this cause. It is common for depression to occur with an inflammatory activation of the immune system that impacts the central nervous system itself.

This explains the feeling of heaviness, muscle pain and that exhaustion that does not disappear, even if we have slept for ten hours straight. However, let us keep in mind that there are more criteria to know whether or not we are facing a depressive disorder.

Hopelessness.Low self-esteem.Sleep disturbances.Negative thoughts.Suicidal or self-lytic ideation.Eating disturbances.Inability to solve problems.Anhedonia or inability to feel pleasure.

In those times when we don’t feel like doing anything, it is very useful to give ourselves a few days of rest and disconnection. Artistic techniques, such as painting or writing, are cathartic.

Unresolved traumas

Many of us deal with some traumatic experience: losses, emotional breakups, accidents, assaults or witnessing a violent event, to name a few. In most cases, we are able to overcome these events. It is true that they are not forgotten, but we learn to live with that memory without the weight of negative emotions affecting it excessively.

However, there are those who cannot. Above all, if these stressful experiences happened in childhood, when we had the least coping resources at hand. It is important to know that the neurobiological mechanics of trauma are profound and damaging, causing the mind and body to be affected.

An illustrative example is what they point out in a study published by Archives of General Psychiatry: Childhood trauma increases the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome.

How can I address that lack of energy and motivation?

If we haven’t felt like doing anything for a while, the best thing to do is start with a medical checkup; The first step is to rule out problems in this area. If you do not find health problems, such as an alteration in the thyroid, it is time to become aware of a key aspect: implement changes to recover energy and well-being.

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An essential step to initiate such change is to commit to ourselves. Sometimes, we focus more on the outside than on our own needs. It is time to practice self-care and to do so it is advisable to apply the following:

Set new goals and purposes.Learn problem-solving techniques. Learn relaxation and deep breathing techniques.Integrate resources to manage stress into your daily life.Improve your mental focus and rationalize your negative thoughts. Organize your routines so that you have several hours to enjoy leisure. Make small changes in your life. Sign up for a course, meet new people. Enjoy art therapies. Painting and writing are wonderful cathartic exercises.Become aware of those activities or people that bring you more stress than well-being.Give yourself some time to rest and disconnect. It’s time to listen to yourself, to know what you want in your life. Apply behavioral activation. Even if your mind tells you “I don’t feel like doing anything”, get moving and go for a walk. Often, when the body kicks in, the mind changes.

The best psychological therapies against discouragement

In case our discouragement and lack of energy do not disappear, it is time to request expert help. Let’s see what therapeutic models help to overcome these conditions.

Solution-focused brief strategic therapy allows us to identify what is happening to us, to then enhance our strengths and achieve new goals. It is a very effective resource.Cognitive-behavioral therapy. It is the most used approach and the one with the most scientific evidence available. Work on our negative thoughts and limiting beliefs to integrate healthier behaviors.Acceptance and commitment therapy. This model helps us understand that life is not easy, that adversity exists and that we must accept it. At the same time, it provides tools to clarify values and empower us to move forward.

Let us not hesitate to ask for professional support if these states of discouragement and lack of energy blur who we are. We all deserve to enjoy living and be active beings capable of fighting for what they want to have the life they deserve.