I honestly can't tell.

So I just can't bring myself to do much during the day. Right now my child at home has been watching tv for two hours and I've been sitting here doing nothing. My house is a mess and I have a tonne of things to get done. This is every day right now. I DO have spurts where I get things done but I feel so lazy.

I'm obviously incredibly stressed with the church situation and losing friends and family over it.

I'm just wondering if it's related. Or if for some reason I've just become really lazy.

Is it normal to have lazy phases

I don't know if you ARE depressed, but what you describe is certainly one of the symptoms of depression.

You might try some of the standard things people who have been diagnosed with depression do...

1) Walking outside, especially in a "nature" area like a park (if you are in an urban area), or a more truly natural area if you have any nearby, can help (the exercise helps, the "outside" air helps to oxygenate your body and clear out toxins, etc.).

2) Drinking natural water (especially distilled water; which is economical and is available in gallon bottles) helps to clear out toxins in your body. Try starting your day (before you even brush your teeth) with nine bigger swallows of distilled water, and wait about twenty minutes for that water to go through your body, dissolving whatever needs to be dissolved and then getting those toxins out, before you drink or eat anything else.

3) Play "games" with yourself which can ease you into doing the things you feel most need to be done. It can begin with you doing ONE thing: like closing a drawer properly, or taking out the trash, or clearing a limited area of whatever needs to be cleared out (junk mail...clothes left behind...snack food that ideally should be in the kitchen instead of the living room...)

4) Take a shower or a bath, wash your hair, do something you might have been putting off in your grooming routine, etc. It might be really difficult to do this, but at the end, you almost always WILL feel better.

5) Take your child out for an outing (your local public library...the park...a local museum), which could include a very simple picnic if the weather is agreeable. Kids who are having fun often have a very positive effect on adults who are depressed.

Most all of us have to deal with depression, at least at some times, during our lives. If there isn't some obvious reason why you are depressed (the death of a loved one...etc.), the things I suggest above might help, at least a little.

I hope so.

The worst thing about depression, at least in my experience, is the feeling of hopelessness. If you can do SOMETHING positive to make yourself feel better, that alone can begin chipping away at the feeling of hopelessness.

Tevai has some good suggestions for a mild case of depression or "the blahs."

I am a natural procrastinator, so I've come up with some tricks to deal with that. One is to schedule myself. For instance, on a Saturday I might tell myself, "I'll get Task A completed by lunch time. Then after lunch I'll do Task B in the early afternoon. In the late afternoon I'll do whatever pleases me."

Another trick is to break up tasks into smaller parts. Maybe I can't get my entire bathroom cleaned, but I can give the sink and the mirrors a wipe down and sweep the floor. Maybe I can't do a thorough dusting with a cloth, but I can run around with a feather duster. I tend to be a perfectionist, but what I've come to find is that my house looks good with a less than perfect cleaning.

A third trick is to give yourself a deadline -- "I'll put 30 minutes into cleaning the kitchen. After that, no matter what, I'm finished."

One more trick is to reward yourself after every 15 minutes or so of doing something you find distasteful. Clean or organize for a set amount of time, then give yourself some web-surfing time. Keep repeating.

Positive self-talk can also be helpful. As you are working, give yourself (either silently or out loud) words of encouragement, i.e. "You can do this!", "Good job!" or "That looks great!"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2016 04:54PM by summer.

Lazy phases, lack of motivation, etc are all signs of depression. It can be acute and caused by a significant event or it can become chronic.

Chronic depression needs medical help. Acute depression sometimes needs medical help depending upon the severity.

Everyone has instances of acute depression. These are completely normal! The generally last from a few days for up to a month.

I had about 6 weeks of it when I was laid off from my last job. During that six weeks I probably read 100 books and watched the same number of movies. Then I got some help for a sleeping disorder, started looking for jobs seriously, and kept myself busy doing things I enjoyed. This is not the first time in my life to have this and I know it's not the last.

Things that have helped me.

Sunlight: Even if I'm laying in bed having the sun on me changes my mood.

Spending time with my kids doing fun things. Zoo, parks, baseball, etc... Unbridled joy from kids is infectious. They are also excellent motivators. If you promise them a trip somewhere fun, they will hold you too it.

Living things: I bred about 500 guppies. It's so easy anyone can do it. I had a local fish shop that would take the extra's for me. Bright colorful guppies that were a bunch of little piggies. I also tested out some CO2 injected aquatic plant growth. It was a lot of fun. On nights I couldn't sleep I'd turn the lights on. Feed the mass of fish and enjoy some scotch with my feet up. My dog also got a lot more attention.

Hobbies: Don't be ambitious but do something that you enjoy. I built some furniture for my wife.

You've taken the most important step already in identifying that something is wrong. If you can't ditch the lazy's in a few weeks talk to your doctor something else might be going on.

On bad days I let my kids watch TV for a few hours while I gather up my sanity.

My husband works away from home and I stay at home with the kids so I've got too much think time on my hands some days.

To give myself something to do I started selling stuff around my house on various selling sites to make a bit of extra money to treat myself or the kids.

It's been going so well that now friends give me things to sell for them and I get a commission. All the extra money is great especially now I don't waste it paying tithing. I stash it away until I have enough to buy something I want.

Things will get better, don't be hard on yourself. Recovering from Mormonism takes a lot of mental energy. It's like overcoming a disease, some days will be good and others will be hell. Go to the doctor though if it's not lightening up soon.

There's nothin' wrong with doin' nothin'. Take a break. Enjoy it. If you're not depressed, you'll probably, eventually, get bored enough, or rested enough to get back to doin'. If doin' nothin' becomes the norm, seek help.

I have been going through something similar for months, and for me it is absolutely connected to my change in belief. I have only been able to minimally function. I feel duped, lied to, stolen from, judged, I feel like my whole life has been based on a lie. I have given away time, money, missions, testimony. I have taught my children lies. I may lose family, friends, and respect. I have often thought to myself, when I couldn't function and felt like I was wasting so much time "I'm deprogramming"

My husband and I have had several conversations, fights, over the last year about the things I didn't know about this church, and the current despicable things they are doing. I finally got the courage to tell him that I no longer believe any of it, no visions, no restoration, no angel with the sword, no Book of Mormon from gold plates, no priesthood, no modern prophets. They are people just like everyone else. It was very hard, and he is not happy about it.

But, suddenly, I feel much better. I'm being truer to myself. And when he gets more used to the idea, I'll expand out and tell others. One step at a time for me.

So, be gentle on yourself. It does take time. And it may help to see a doctor or therapist.

One tip that helps me, set the timer for 5 minutes, and say to yourself, I'll only work on the kitchen (or whatever) for 5 minutes. When it dings, I don't have to continue. It usually turns out that I want to continue, but if not at least I got something done.

Thank you. I will use these tips for sure. I guess I'll monitor to see how long it lasts or if other signs occur.

one more--put on your favorite, happy music.

One hour of "Shut up and dance with me"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgawnFVM1VA

If this doesn't get you on your feet, it's time for medical intervention...

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One hour of "Shut up and dance with me"

[...]

> If this doesn't get you on your feet, it's time
> for medical intervention...


Dancing is always good!!!

:) :) :)

When was the last time you had a regular physical exam?

Some of the symptoms you describe could be something besides depression or a mood change. It could be from a physical malady that's undiagnosed.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid problems, low iron, etc.

I like Tevai's suggestions for countering depression, or just plain lethargy.

Spending energy begets more energy. The more you burn, the more you make.

Getting moving helps energize. Just doing simple routine things like taking a shower is invigorating. Also concentrate on foods that give you an energy lift like protein, citrus, B vitamins and anti-oxidant rich foods. Getting enough calcium is important too for us women, even moreso as we age.

(Formerly GodLedMeOut)

You've gotten great advice here, thatsnotmyname.

Have you started drinking coffee yet? Caffeine is a time-honored antidepressant and analgesic. Try not to consume much after about 11:00 am, or it may keep you awake at night.

A therapist told me Vit C is helpful, but make sure it contains bioflavonoid or buy some to go with it.

Good luck to you!!!

The times I've complained to my doctor about feeling tired and lethargic, besides or in addition to my physical checkup I try to do fairly consistently, he "prescribes" Vitamin D.

Living in a northern climate we don't get as much sunshine on average as people who live say in the sunbelt. Because of the lack of sunshine our bodies become deprived of that very important nutrient. So the antidote is 1000 IU daily of D.

Plus, something that mimics depression but isn't, is Seasonal Affective Disorder (commonly referred to as SAD.) It affects millions of Americans, again primarily those who live in the northern part of the country, and some Canadians. It can also affect sunbelt folks who inversely get afflicted by too much sunshine year round. I've read accounts of those too.

Besides upping the Vitamin D, sun lamps and daylight bulbs help offset the effects of SAD, inside the home.

Your doctor can also prescribe a commonly used anti-depressant that is used in treating SAD, known as Welbutrin. For SAD sufferers it's taken from October through March of each year, the lowest average daylight times of the year. When the days start to get longer again, SAD sufferers go off the Welbutrin, until needed the following season.

I was just reviewing old threads. I hope the OP reads this or has read some of my other posts. The OP should drink coffee and consult specialists - preferably psychologists instead of psychiatrists. Personally, I have had depression going way back but found that coffee balances my blood sugar. Depression relates with low blood sugar.

Hi guys, i am pretty certain I am depressed now. Dealing with a LOT of stress. Sooooooo hard to get things done. I probably spend one hour dicking around and feeling tired or unmotivated for every half hour of productivity. That might be a generous assessment. That being said I have spurts every few days where I will have a very productive day. Then I crash again. But I do get bare minimums done every day and sometimes more (I do a little work from home and I always get it done on deadline). And I can socialize with my friends no problem - most of the time I'm not even faking the happiness/good feelings when I'm out with my friends.

I am also having a buttload of existential crises. I mean the real ones. Maybe every two weeks?

I have started taking vitamin d, blood tests currently back normal, seeing my doctor next week for another checkup, getting outside, just started drinking coffee (unrelated to this post and more related to defiance of the morg lol - so not a regular consumption but I will do more research on that health benefit and decide if I want to start consuming regularly),

And elderolddog I don't know if I can crank that song but maybe I'll try timberlake's new song for a while...

told me to do. It helped a lot. I was already on Prozac at 30 mg. I found out later that Prozac at that dose makes me feel more lethargic. I called it painful numbness. I take only 10 mg now. It is just right.

Sounds like me (minus the kids), and I've been dealing with low level depression for a few years now.

I simply don't care anymore.

Here's some info from Web MD that will answer all your questions and give you info about the different kinds of depression.

good Luck

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-symptoms-and-types

Now that you are seeing a doctor, and taking your vitamins, look at your environment. What's going on around you?

You mentioned losing family and friends--that is terribly stressful!!!!

Shunning is abuse!

Mormons don't realize how very cruel shunning is. People who once loved you, will not speak to you. They won't even look at you, or acknowledge that you exist at all. It is a kind of emotional "murder." You no longer exist in their Mormon world.

Maybe your Mormon relatives and neighbors are nicer than mine were--they were especially mad, because I was the only organist, and there was no one to replace me for a while. Even so, people who shun you, judge you, and gossip about you are being ABUSIVE.

Shunning is just Standard Operating Procedure in the Mormon cult, so they don't stop to think how badly they are hurting you. They treat everyone this way!

That's right. Please understand--shunning is not personal! It's not you, it's them. Mormons will shun and disown their own children! My Mormon neighbors have grandchildren they have never seen, yet they claim to be "all about family." My own in-laws disinherited me and my husband and our children, when we resigned from the cult. It doesn't matter how nice you are, how gradually and softly you leave, how much you love God, how much you love the Mormons--they will still treat you like you are a follower of Satan.

You seem to be on the right track, with what you are doing.

Some more advice: In the business world, there is a "75% Rule." This means, if you are productive for 75% of your day, you are a success. Your Mormon upbringing has brainwashed into you that you are of value only according to how "productive" you are. Especially, you need to work hard for the cult. I have had to struggle with this all my life. I never felt loved, or of value to anyone, unless I was doing something productive. Outside of Mormonism, I have discovered that God and my immediate family love me unconditionally--just for being me. Even if I'm too sick to work, my grandchildren can crawl into my lap, or just know I'm there in the room with them, ready to listen.

You are a grownup, and you don't HAVE TO do anything you don't feel like doing. Maybe you need a summer vacation--like everyone else is having this summer.

One more story: I was in my thirties, with small children, and I went to my wise old uncle, an MD, for a checkup, because I was "tired all the time." He sat back in his chair, and said, "Tell me about your typical day." I told him, and my days were typical of most moms.

The doctor laughed, and said, "OF COURSE you're tired!"

If you can't take that summer vacation, plan little mini-vacations, here and there, like the other posters recommended.
(((hugs)))