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Trying to find purpose each day, failing badly

15 replies

StrumpersPlunkett · 13/04/2020 21:10

returning to old ways of self sabotage, sleeping too long in the day so being up all night, not had a shower of over a week, I stink, I feel worthless.
Not sure how to progress.
I am on anxiety medication, have been up and down since 2008. Recently finding new career and total joy and purpose.
schools closing has ripped the stuffing out of me and I am once again empty.
I have so much work to do but am sabotaging it so that I fail as I now remember how useless I am.
being self aware isn't helping me change things.
ARGH what to do?

OP posts:
helpfulperson · 13/04/2020 21:16

The situation we are almost makes a mockery of the idea of purpose. Right now it's about living day to day. And not sweating the small stuff. Even those of us without mental health issues are struggling with some of these. I realised on Thursday when I had a skype meeting that I hadn't brushed my hair in three days.

When you say work is this paid work or just things to do around the house?

Whatever you do be kind to yourself.

TheMamaYo · 13/04/2020 21:18

Maybe just start with small steps. Do one thing a day that'll make you feel better and build up from there.

This is such a weird time and everyone handles it differently, so don't be too hard on yourself. If you set the alarm for even 9am or 10am in the morning and have a shower as soon as you get up every day, it is a good start. Once you've done that, maybe make sure you get a little bit of fresh air, even if it's just having a cup of coffee every day in the garden.

StrumpersPlunkett · 13/04/2020 21:23

thanks,
my alarm is going off at 8 and then I am snoozing/sleeping past lunch, passed 3-4 pm then not being able to sleep until 2-3 in the morning.
dreams are the worst I am having in years.
I am supposed to be writing my last pgce dissertation due in a few weeks, I haven't started. :-(
Before schools finished, I was teaching 80% of the week, the most beautiful wonderful class of 6 year olds. Now I am lost.

OP posts:
AmelieTaylor · 13/04/2020 21:24

Tell us about your new career that brought you joy & purpose....

StrumpersPlunkett · 13/04/2020 21:33

Turns out that small children are my life source.
They are so funny, silly and frustrating and brilliant all at the same time.
The way they learn and grow and change in their first year at school, going in not really being able to read or write, then by the end, being able to do both to a level that will change their lives forever!
I laughed everyday, I smiled for so much of each day, and loved planning activities for them to enjoy and explore. I didn't mind late nights of planning, weekends writing essays. The most amazing new colleagues, I have an offer of a teaching job at my placement school.
Now I feel quite empty.

OP posts:
Bagadverts · 13/04/2020 21:50

You should great OP. Could you contact the school to say you would be interested to see what they are setting (if anything) for the children, just to feel connected? Can you talk to a tutor if you need an extension - best to do before any deadline.

Op I used the following technique and it sometimes helped - start with tiny goal maybe something like get out of bed and having a shower. Then give yourself permission to get back into bed. If you achieve anything beyond the shower that is a bonus, success is getting out of bed. Sometimes you’ll find you do a little more - shower and have breakfast, but success was still the shower. Whether back in bed or up you can set another small goal.

StrumpersPlunkett · 13/04/2020 22:09

Thank you.
Target for tomorrow shower.

OP posts:
Whatifitallgoesright · 14/04/2020 09:36

Hi OP, how are you doing this morning? I'm having trouble with motivation and self-esteem at the moment. Waves of overwhelming uselessness. Aiming for a list of small things today. Shower, fruit, water, outside for a bit. Hope today's ok for you.

StrumpersPlunkett · 14/04/2020 10:54

Thanks for asking, sorry you are having a hard time.
I just woke up, dh has brought me tea.
Trying to pluck up the energy/ whatever to get up.
Although even typing that has made me cold all over and nauseous.
First. Drink tea.

OP posts:
Perfectstorm12 · 16/04/2020 19:34

Lower all expectations...and do that on repeat. You logged on here and you wrote a reply - that's a win! You drank your tea (or you decided not to..) - that's a win! You make a decision over whether or not to get out of bed - that's a win! Just try and acknowledge every small thing you do.
And hold on to why you are writing the dissertation, try not to focus on why you can't face it. Sit down, even for 5 mins at a time, and write small chunks of it. Don't lose your dream. But be unbelievably, lovingly kind to yourself. Treat yourself like you treat those kids at school, be compassionate, loving and kind to you. You can do this!!

springydaff · 17/04/2020 01:45

Do the next right thing.

I find that really helpful.

For me, a shower is a huge undertaking which wears me out . But brushing my teeth is manageable. Then washing my bum and pits (tmi, sorry). Then putting on my clothes - usually yesterday's but it's the best I can manage sometimes.

It helps if I plan it the night before. Otherwise I'm drifting in outer space. Not planning the entire day! But what I'll do in the 'morning' . Like an expedition. The first half hour/hour.

I do write a list, either the night before or in the 'morning'. It's something to galvanise and remind me to do stuff. My tasks are very small and I dont write many : call the garage guy, fill the dishwasher. Shower day is a big day. I don't beat myself up if I don't complete my list, even if I do one thing that's something.

I think it's amazing I keep going tbh. Bravo me!

bringincrazyback · 17/04/2020 03:00

First of all, OP, you're not useless. If you were, you wouldn't be feeling the need for change. Try to be kinder to yourself. Flowers

Second of all, I could have written so many bits of your post word for word about where I am at right now, so I really get it. I too am feeling really p'd off with myself atm for being less productive than I want and need to be (no work atm, self-employed and it's dried up thanks for COVID), my MH not good (anxiety here too, couple with depression), letting my sleep patterns slip and struggling to motivate myself to shower some days. I'm trying to remind myself that these are frightening, unprecedented times and even those who don't have health challenges to face are finding this whole thing tough going.

I've been thinking about this a lot, about how to simultaneously be kinder to myself but at the same time give myself a metaphorical (gentle) boot up the arse towards where I really want to be at the moment... can I hazard a guess at something, though please feel free to tell me to bog off if I'm completely wrong? Grin The way you talk about self-sabotage and the promising things you have ahead of you (dissertation, job offer)... do you think it's possible that having got so close to where you want to be in your career, you might have grown frightened by the possibility of 'falling at the last hurdle' so to speak and so you're starting to back-track a bit?

I might be talking bollocks here Grin but the reason I ask is the situation I am in right now... when not looking for work, I am currently writing a novel. I have been writing it for a long time. it is generally going well, I feel I can pull this off, if I manage it I will have fulfilled a HUGE dream of mine that I've had for about 35 years, that have been spent learning to write creatively, and practising like crazy, and writing a lot of absolute shit while trying to find my voice Grin, and finally I've reached a point where I feel I can do this. And yet... right when the next step is to get it finished and 'smash it over the net' so speak, my doubts creep in, and make me doubt whether I really can do this after all, and this inevitably leads to me sabotaging myself by wasting a lot of the time I could be spending writing on sitting around doing much less meaningful things instead... watching trash TV, letting social media swallow up too much of my time, succumbing to sleep when it gets too hard to work out what my next productive action should be (I have a sleep disorder, so the struggle to resist daytime naps is VERY real Grin ) Because there are times when putting myself to the test simply feel too scary, in case I discover I can't hack it after all, and the mere thought is enough to make me want to shut my laptop and start watching the Steph Show or something. Grin

Sorry, this may seem like it's descended into an irrelevant ramble about myself Grin but the point I'm trying to make is this: do you think it's possible that you feel stuck, and are prone to self-sabotage, because of worries about the next steps, about the opportunities they'll present, because the stakes are so high now?

I'm doing my best to work through my own self-sabotaging tendencies as best I can, but with anxiety we have to remember to take it slow and be kind to ourselves as well. I like @springydaff's suggestions about taking things a bit at a time, making a plan but not beating oneself up if the plan has to change.

Hope that ramble has been of some help. You'll get there, just take it one day/activity at a time, give it your best shot, but don't beat yourself up if you have an off day. You can do this. Flowers

user764329056 · 17/04/2020 03:17

OP, those lovely children who bring you such joy need you and you will soon be back in the environment that brings you so much satisfaction, I identify totally with what you say, I have lost all purpose, structure and direction and spent most of yesterday crying/sleeping and achieving nothing, have lost my freelance job as demand has dried up and it all seems pointless but I am trying to focus on better times that will be ahead, I hope you are getting some rest and feeling slightly better

StrumpersPlunkett · 18/04/2020 08:29

@user764329056 @bringincrazyback @springydaff @Perfectstorm12

You are angels. It is my sons 16th birthday today and due to stress worry anxiety I have had almost no sleep and I have a migraine.
I am lying here trying to work out how to not disappoint him today.
Start with the basics. I am going to get up in the next 15 minutes and have a shower. Then make him pancakes for breakfast.
If I don’t get anything else done it will have been a good start.

Thanks again
Sorry you are all struggling as well. I know I am v fortunate to have my job offer for September. I hope you all find some certainty soon. X

OP posts:
bringincrazyback · 22/04/2020 12:12

@StrumpersPlunkett you're welcome, hope you're feeling better now!

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