How to deal with laziness? Tips for those who want to pull themselves together

Depression is a concept that can often be heard in modern life. It denotes a certain difficult mental state that every person has encountered at least once in their life. Depression often occurs in autumn, spring or winter, but the time of year has little bearing on its course. Autumn blues are practically no different from spring and winter. It can overtake a person at any age, not only in adolescence or old age, as is commonly believed.

Depression can be triggered by various factors: problems in your personal life, poor physical health, some financial difficulties and other life moments. The causes of the blues will be discussed in more detail below.

A person’s depressive state is often expressed not just in a very bad mood, which tends to persist for quite a long period of time, but in a complete loss of physical and mental strength, absolute indifference to the world around him and to the people who are nearby, despondency, and an extremely negative worldview to everything that happens around.

Those who have encountered similar feelings are wondering: how to deal with depression and apathy on your own? Indeed, overcoming the problem is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. It is not for nothing that many experts say that depression is easier to prevent than to treat, because it is one of the most severe mental disorders, and only special therapy, medication and a complete change in one’s inner mood will help in the fight against it.

But don’t be scared; you can get rid of mild forms of depression without the help of a highly qualified psychotherapist and pills. The main thing is great desire and perseverance.

What kind of disease is this

To defeat the disease, it is important to know what exactly you have to fight.

Depression is classified as a mental affective disorder that is accompanied by a triad of symptoms: persistent depression of mood, negative mental activity and retardation of movements. If we consider the broader picture, then it is characterized by the following manifestations:

• melancholy, a feeling of hopelessness, loss of faith in a bright future;
• anxiety;
• loss of meaning in life;
• loss of interest in everything, even in things that used to be particularly enjoyable;
• self-blame or blaming others;
• decreased self-esteem, suicidal thoughts;
• insensitivity, decreased emotions;
• decreased thinking abilities;
• impairment of memory, perception;
• inability to plan actions;
• according to the patients themselves, thoughts are distinguished by viscosity and clumsiness;
• any mental attempt is difficult;
• patients spend most of their time in bed;
• stop washing and changing clothes;
• amicable facial expression.

It is very important to correctly interpret such signs, to be able to distinguish depression from ordinary depression or bad mood. Each of us has moments in life when we give up and don’t want to do anything. The main criterion here is the duration of symptoms. If they accompany a person for about 6 months, in this case it is worth thinking about the development of such a disorder.

In any case, you shouldn’t guess on the coffee grounds: it’s better to contact a specialist for qualified help.

How to overcome lack of composure

While studying the problem of lack of composure, the same English scientists found that their compatriots are distinguished by this property more often than residents of other countries. This conclusion was made after one statistical study: how many UK residents lose their keys per year? It turned out that there are quite a few of them - more than 5.5 million, and women in this sense are “champions”, losing different keys 4-5 times a year.

What is the reason for such lack of composure? Psychologists believe that CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) is to blame: tired people unconsciously strive to get rid of their keys in order to reduce the number of responsibilities and problems that “fall” on them every day.

Conclusion: in order to get rid of disorganization, you should do exactly what interests you, and not convince yourself that “everyone lives like this” and “there is no escape from problems.” A person is happy to bear responsibility for himself and his life only when he is doing what he truly loves, and in such cases there will simply be no place for lack of composure and other negative phenomena in our reality.

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Tags: lack of composure

Why depression develops

One of the common causes of this condition is a traumatic situation: loss of loved ones, dismissal, bankruptcy, change of residence, violence, etc. Depression that appears under the influence of such factors is called reactive. It develops rapidly, but with the passage of time and the absence of a traumatic agent, it passes.

Neurotic depression appears against a background of constant stress, and sometimes it is difficult to name its specific cause. Suspiciousness as a character trait, low self-esteem, and pessimism can become fertile ground.

All these were causes of psychogenic depression. But there is also an endogenous form, that is, when the development of the disorder is provoked by physiological processes:

• disruption of the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain that affect a person’s mood, namely dopamine and serotonin;
• hormonal imbalances - childbirth, menopause, puberty;
• some somatic diseases.

Depressive disorder can manifest itself in varying degrees: from mild or erased, to pronounced, with a riot of symptoms. Naturally, treatment will depend on the intensity of the clinical picture.

Laziness doesn't exist

In fact, before we fight the notorious laziness, we will have to stop and find:

1. motivation to change something;
2. time to study its possible causes and reflect (yes, the series will have to be postponed after all);
3. energy for action - you can know anything, but the fact that without application the theory is powerless, I think, is also clear.

I’m not sure that in this material I will be able to collect even a fifth of the possible problems that manifest themselves in the form of laziness, but I think that if you work even with this material, you will be able to launch a mechanism for finding ways to deal with laziness and apathy.

Pills to fight depression

Antipsychotic medications are one of the most reliable ways to banish negative thoughts. But not all depressed people need them. The question of whether or not to use such drugs in the treatment of a disease is decided only by the doctor. Therefore, the first thing you need to do if you notice depressive symptoms is to consult a specialist.

The most effective antipsychotics are antidepressants. In addition to them, tranquilizers and antipsychotics are also prescribed. These groups of drugs are powerful fighters against depression, but due to their specific action, they require strict control of their use and strict adherence to dosage.

Among other general strengthening agents, nootropics and normatives are prescribed to improve mood. B vitamins help restore the nervous system, and sleeping pills improve the quality of sleep.

Order, discipline, reward!

Answering the question of how to cope with laziness, psychologists remind us of the importance of self-discipline. The first thing you need to do is clean up your workspace. Nothing should distract a person. It is necessary to remove all unnecessary items. Next, you need to properly organize your work and plan your day. Drawing up a schedule will help here, which is better to write down and strictly follow it. Of course, you need to set aside some time for rest so that the body regains its strength for new achievements.

Experts say that complex tasks are best completed in the first half of the day. It is at this time that a person’s performance increases. It is important to start with the difficult work, otherwise it may remain undone. The ability to switch from one task to another is an excellent ability. If a matter does not require an urgent solution, you can put it off for a while and do something else. The main thing is not to mess around. It is equally important to reward yourself for a job well done. For example, you can allow yourself to spend half an hour on social networks or drink a cup of tea with a delicious candy.

Non-drug method

Psychotherapy is another important and effective stage in the fight against depression. Its goal is to influence the patient’s psyche in such a way as to change his false ideas, change his thoughts and correct his behavior.

Individual, group, and family psychotherapy are used to treat depressive disorders.

Based on the tasks performed by psychotherapy, it is divided into:

• supportive - installation of protective reactions of the psyche that can maintain mental balance;
• retraining – teaching new behavior patterns through their approval and criticism;
• reconstructive – understanding the internal conflicts that caused the disorder.

One of the most effective methods of psychotherapy for depression is the cognitive behavioral approach . It allows you to identify distorted interpretations of situations and teaches acceptable models of behavior and self-control.

This type of therapy involves immersing the patient in a negative situation through his own imagination or by actually creating such conditions. Then the patient is taught how to overcome it.

In this case, the psychotherapist uses different methods of influencing the patient. These can be methods of reinforcement: praise or, conversely, remark, reducing susceptibility to fears, explosive therapy - plunging a person into a state of panic fear and helping to find a way out of the situation.

Psychodynamic therapy is also quite effective in this case. Its goal is to resolve conflicts between the unconscious and human consciousness. A different, more positive understanding of what is happening to him comes to him. His thoughts change towards positive thinking.

With the help of this technique, a person is able to recognize emotions, events and feelings repressed from the subconscious. This is done through analytical analysis of dreams, slips and typos, and reflection. The patient manages to reveal the reasons for his condition, which were laid down in childhood. As a result of such work, the true “culprits” of the disorder located in the subconscious come out. The patient is aware of them and seeks ways to resolve them.

The founder of psychodynamic therapy is Sigmund Freud, who, by the way, himself suffered from depression.

Existential therapy . Proponents of this method argue that the cause of depression is an existential vacuum. It is formed when a person is in a state of alienation and loneliness. Such feelings appear when the patient loses contact with society. At the same time, he tries to escape reality, plunging into his unreal world.

This therapy is aimed at developing the patient’s self-respect, adequate self-perception, and search for the meaning of existence. The method uses interesting methods of influence aimed at performing actions that are embarrassing and frightening for the patient. They allow him to get out of his comfort zone, helping him reconsider his values, behavior, and restructure his thinking.

Sport is the best antidepressant

Depressed people have significantly elevated levels of adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones not only provoke the development of stress, but also have a detrimental effect on health. They can provoke circulatory disorders and heart diseases, kidney problems, digestion and other unpleasant consequences.

Physical exercise acts as a counterbalance to the above processes. They promote the production of endorphins - the well-known hormones of happiness, help relieve fatigue, fight stress, charge the body with energy, and increase tone. As a bonus, you get a beautiful, toned body.

Sport improves blood circulation, including in the brain. Increased cerebral circulation promotes clarity of thoughts. After training, you will no longer want to burden yourself with a negative attitude.

By the way, a number of studies were conducted in Ireland that found that strength training has the greatest success in the fight against depression. Their combination with drug therapy significantly accelerates the result. Of course, in such a depressed state it can be very difficult to pull yourself together. Well, excuse me, no one will do this for you! Tune in and start taking action if you want to get out of a state of dejection. The main thing is to start!

If it is difficult to start strength training right away (perhaps your health condition does not allow you to do this), start simply with morning exercises - ten minutes to start. Gradually increase this time. A light jog or just a walk in the park is perfect.

If you don't like strength or cardio exercises, take up Eastern techniques. In the East, sages believed that depression occurs due to energy imbalance. To restore it, use practices that help focus attention and energy on yourself and your body. Yoga is great for this. It is based on a specific breathing system, which helps to maximally saturate the body with oxygen and charge it with vigor. Add various types of meditation and mantra chanting to yoga.

Meditation is another way to stabilize your mental state and improve your mood. It has been laboratory proven that it activates alpha waves, which trigger brain function, allowing you to relax and find calm.

Many people do not believe in the effectiveness of meditative practices, believing that they will not solve their pressing problems: they will not attract happiness, abundance and other resources into their lives. Undoubtedly, with the help of meditation you will not get a bank account, but it will allow you to change your thinking and create psychological comfort. And then you will probably find ways to solve your problems on your own.

Wasted energy

Constantly thinking about a problem means you will never solve it, since all your energy is spent on thinking and blaming yourself for what you haven’t done.

Start “working out” the little moments in life. Going to the dentist, fixing a closet door, throwing away or donating unnecessary things - all this will give a feeling of completion and give strength for greater achievements.

The most effective way to release energy is to leave destructive relationships. For example, a neighbor or colleague who constantly whines and demands to listen to her can drain all your energy. Finding the strength to end unnecessary contacts is a step towards overcoming apathetic states.

Other ways to combat depression

Here are other options that will tell you how to cure depression yourself.

• Journey. A change of environment will allow you to get new impressions and take your mind off bad thoughts. The famous and beloved actor Brad Pitt, at the dawn of his popularity, faced a condition such as depression. He did not know and did not understand what to do with his fame, how to behave. This fear led him to turn to marijuana and alcohol. He avoided people and tried to drown out his fear with food. A trip to Morocco brought him out of this impasse, where he managed to abstract himself from harmful thoughts and rediscover himself.
• Communication. If you feel sad and sad at heart, go “to people.” Communication with friends and loved ones will lift your spirits and give you inspiration. Or just visit a crowded place: a park, theater, exhibition, zoo. Receive positive emotions and interesting information. Avoid loneliness.
• Sleep is the best medicine. A well-known, and most importantly, true saying: in sleep, not only the body, but also the thoughts rest. It helps you relax and not think about depressing situations.
• A good option to switch attention from the negative is to find something you like. It could be anything: culinary practice, handicrafts, learning foreign languages, creativity. Every person is able to choose what interests him.
• Or just read a good, interesting book. Perhaps you have a favorite work or author. In case of depressive thoughts, it is recommended to resort to literature that promotes positive thinking. The go-to option if nothing comes to mind is Dale Carnegie’s books. You can glean a lot of useful, positive, developmental information from them.
• Take a contrast shower. The temperature difference is a great shake-up for the body. Makes you wake up from hibernation.

Here is an unexpected method for getting rid of depression, which may amaze you with its simplicity. But it is so effective that once you start using it, you will definitely feel better.

So, it's simple. Regular gratitude is a great antidote to depression. Thank each and everyone for every little thing that has positively impacted you in one way or another. Thank the Universe for the things you already have. Every day, look for something in your life for which you can express simple, sincere gratitude.

Incentives

The reward system works great not only in childhood, but also at a very conscious age.
Promising yourself a reward for cooking lunch, ironing clothes, going to the gym, or doing some spring cleaning is a great incentive to actually do it. The main thing is not to get carried away with food or material incentives, otherwise there is a risk of turning into a successful, well-earning chubby shopaholic.

Encouragement can be a trip to the hairdresser or spa, meeting a friend in a cafe, or spending time for yourself in the evening with a cup of tea and your favorite book.

What are you thinking about

Your thoughts are an important tool in the emergence of “black melancholy”. Here are a few destructive ideas that swarm in the brains of depressed individuals:

• I have depression because I am an unbalanced, impressionable and sensitive person. In fact, these are empty excuses for unwillingness to work on oneself;
• someone or something is to blame for your condition. Bad job, lack of money, marital misunderstandings - all kinds of tricks the psyche will go to in order to justify the current situation. In general, depression can distort the real essence of things. She exaggerates the negative aspects, focuses attention on them, exaggerates minor problems and shortcomings. Because of this, life is perceived as a swamp, a quagmire, one continuous suffering. A person must realize that the cause of his condition lies within himself, and not in external objects. By changing your thinking, you transform your life;
• decreased self-esteem. Perception of oneself as a useless person, incapable of anything;
• the opinion that people around them treat a person negatively, with hostility;
• lack of hope for a positive future, concentration on negative outcomes and defeats.

It is important to control your thoughts. In principle, this should be done not only in a state of depression, but in general. Try to look for the positive in everything. This may be difficult to do at first. Concentrate all your attention on this. And protect yourself from negative information, be it conversations or TV programs.

Analyze the situations that caused your current state, whether they are so deplorable. Don't judge yourself or scold yourself. Share your thoughts with loved ones, ask for advice.

Meet laziness

You worked, learned something new, communicated with colleagues, grew. And then suddenly (and at what moment did this happen?) they found themselves lying on the sofa among the pillows with a dish of fruit, or even a can of beer, watching the third episode of some multi-part series.

It would seem that you are resting, what’s wrong. Now recover and go into battle. But is it? It's easy to check:

• is your body relaxed?
• Are your thoughts calm and completely focused on relaxation - the plot of the series and your favorite taste?
• Are you in a wonderful mood and are you filled with joy?

If you answered “yes” to all the questions, then go ahead and create further, and then relax - after all, you know how to do it, love it and practice it masterfully. But since you are reading this article, then, most likely, everything is somewhat different.

Thoughts in the spirit of: “the deadline is on its way - it’s rolling like an inevitable snowball, accelerating, the work hasn’t even started, the customer seems reluctant to lose, and, they say, reputation in this environment is an important thing, you never know where it will catch up” - running around in a panic in your head, they bump into something cottony and get stuck - laziness.

If you monitor the reaction of the body at the moment of the collision of laziness and the remnants of responsibility, you can find that you are experiencing quite a lot of stress, which settles in the body through muscle reactions. At this moment, I have a noticeable tension in my hands along the line from the thumb up to the middle of the chest. Approximately along the red dots.

Illustration of my body's reaction

It is quite possible that you experience completely different sensations, but I am 100% sure that they arise. Moreover, in psychotherapy there are areas that, based on the type and location of tension in the body, can diagnose many interesting things living in the subconscious. This would be very useful to us (you will understand why below), but for hardware and practical work, turn to specialists; this is not even a topic for an amateur’s article.

And we will return to the image of a “resting” freelancer:

• thoughts from the series constantly flow away to the gnawing conscience for unfinished work;
• the body responds with nervous tension;
• the mood... appropriate.

Doesn't really sound like relaxation, does it? I highlighted the ending of the word here. If we take laziness with the connotation that is usually broadcast to us since childhood - you have to work, and here you are being lazy (read: slacking off), then all this wouldn’t happen, but there would be a great mood and everything would be like in the first example.

Therefore, the concept of “laziness” is very conditional, I will return to this later. But for now let’s save this word to denote the state “Work? Reluctance!"

What is depression afraid of?

Willpower is what can help you overcome a disorder and never return to it again.

It should be immediately noted that this quality does not appear suddenly, out of nowhere. It needs to be developed and cultivated step by step. Of course, it is more convenient and comfortable for our psyche to lie in bed, laze around, looking at the ceiling. But you must understand that laziness, negativism, powerlessness are excellent fertile soil for cultivating depressive ideas. And even antidepressants, without your efforts, will turn out to be the remedy that can only lift you out of despondency for a short period of time: after you stop taking them, everything comes back again.

Know: depression does not like efficient, positive, active individuals. Learn to counteract your fears, laziness, and despondency. If you want to lie down and mope, get up and start doing something: anything, even just wash the dishes. If you want to complain about a difficult fate, instead, say something positive or interesting, give a compliment to your interlocutor.

Work on yourself, even if it is difficult at first. And get results!

Negative emotions

What is lack of will in its pure form? This is an unconscious desire for peace, endless rest, oblivion. It has been noticed that a person with a reduced energy resource gets tired more, sleeps, eats, and moves less. He can go to the store, buy groceries for the week, and do whatever is required of him. But he is always busy with everyday affairs, immersed in the demands that society makes. This is what the problem of laziness and lack of will is. Strong people are always simple in reality. Anyone who wants to improve themselves always finds time for their hobbies, new interesting ideas, and promising activities. He also works, but in a different way: for him, activity is not just a source of income, but a way to change himself, show his best character traits, and cultivate talents and abilities.

Eat right

Did you know that there are products with antidepressant effects? If you take them regularly, it will lift your mood and get out of a depressing state.

1. Banana. The fruit contains the alkaloid harman, which can literally cause a feeling of bliss. One fruit a day is enough to get pleasure.
2. Any vegetables or fruits in yellow and orange colors - carrots, oranges, grapefruits, persimmons.
3. Chocolate is the first, main antidepressant. It contains phenylethylamine, which is involved in the synthesis of endorphins, and magnesium, which stimulates the nervous system.
4. Honey. An excellent natural product that promotes relaxation and enriches our body with nutrients. Recommended dose – 1 tsp. 3 times a day.
5. Dried fruits, nuts. Simply useful!
6. Oatmeal. Her secret to a good mood is thiamine, the “vitamin of optimism.” Magnesium secures the result.
7. Chilli. Capsacin in its composition suppresses pain and improves tone. In addition, burning sensations will help you switch your attention and occupy your thoughts with other concerns.
8. Salmon. This fish is rich in vitamin D as well as omega-3 fatty acids. These components are excellent helpers in the fight against depression.
9. Cheese. It contains many amino acids that are necessary for the functioning of the entire body as a whole. Roquefort cheese is the most dangerous for depression.
10. Coffee. A tonic, invigorating drink. Gives strength and energy. Allows you to enjoy the pleasant aroma and rich taste.

    

Eliminate fried, fatty, smoked foods from your diet. Try to eat only healthy foods.

Drink soothing, warm herbal infusions. Use the following herbs to prepare them:

• St. John's wort;
• ginseng;
• mint, lemon balm;
• hawthorn;
• rosemary;
• Aralia.

Herbal teas relieve stress and help you relax. They improve the quality and duration of sleep, eliminating insomnia.

Natural, high-quality products can bring into your life the pleasure that you are missing. A good dish lifts your spirits, and preparing it will allow you to spend your time profitably.

Motivation

Perhaps a person simply does not have the proper motivation for certain actions.

• Go to the gym to lose weight? My wife loves me anyway.
• Change your job for a better one? So it seems like there’s enough for everything now.
• Go on vacation? It's calmer on the couch at home.
• Buy a car? Additional maintenance hassle.

If there is no motivation, nothing will happen. If it doesn’t exist, you need to either really give up the idea and not waste energy on self-flagellation, or strengthen your desire for the desired event or thing.