can't motivate myself to do anything - please give me a nudge

[monkeyonthetable]

I wake up every morning and have zero motivation for anything. There are loads of things I'd like to do or could do but I seem to have an invisible block stopping me from actually doing any of them. I found it hard enough this morning to just have a bath and get dressed. Weirdly, the stuff I most want to do is even harder to get motivated about.

I am managing a walk most days, a bit of cooking, shared with DH and the bare minimum housework. But even the house seems so perpetually grubby from having everyone home all the time, and I don't have energy to clean, only to see it undone within 24 hours.

I feel like I need someone to tell me: do this now. I just can't find the ignition myself.

Anyone feel the same? Or have advice? or fancying telling me what to get started on? I know it seems silly but it is really dragging me down and making me feel deeply self-critical. Slippery slope.

Sorry Monkey. It's crap. I feel the same. I feel that am operating on 10% or less life capacity. I think it's the lock down taking a toll.
Sorry I don't have a suggestion for you. Am just trying to ride it out

Hi Ginger. Thank you for replying. I just feel - not even burned out - just flat. Like the battery has run all the way down and I can't kick-start myself to do anything at all. I keep reading about people kondo-ing their homes and running marathons and perfecting their gardens. All I do is get up, eat and go online.
There's loads I want to do I just seem to have some psychological barrier to getting started. Also, I have such low energy physically that I run out of steam almost immediately if I try anything too ambitious like decorating a room. wish I could be someone else sometimes. I'd like to know how it feels to wake up full of zest and cross loads of things off a to do list. I can do this once in a blue moon but it's about twice a year.

Sorry - feeling really sorry for myself today. Not attractive.

I know that feeling well at the moment. It's hard to stay engaged and energised for long. I find I do better on days I don't drink, get to bed early, wake up before the kids and have a coffee and manage to get out for a walk or a bike ride.
Maybe trying setting a goal or schedule for each day, as ambitious or unambitious as you like and go from there.
I find it makes me feel worse when others aren't pitching in around the house. Try a cleaning rota maybe?
Hope you start feeling better soon. It's a bit of a shit time at the moment and it seems to be getting us all a bit down.

@NotSureYet thanks for your reply. My problem is I don't even seem able to create a schedule. every night I go to bed thinking: tomorrow I will (list of DIY jobs, decluttering, ongoing creative projects, admin etc) but every morning i just have a coffee and go online and just can't find any motivation.

Today I have:
had a bath and washed my hair
been for a walk (about 6k steps)
put on a washload
cooked some rhubarb from DHs veg patch that had blown over in the wind.

That's all. It's mid afternoon. I've done no work, no cleaning, no admin, made no start on any of my creative projects or DIY projects which I know would give me loads of satisfaction if I did.

That sounds like a decent amount to me. Be kind to your self and don't set your expectations too high. Start small and slow.
I find the worst thing for my motivation is sitting down with a coffee and my phone first thing in the morning. It'll wear on like that for hours if I let it. Get up and get straight in to your to do list. Idleness seems to beget idleness.

I agree @NotSureYet. Starting the day on a screen is the worst. Maybe `i should make a list before bed and then try and get through it before I end up on a screen. I know part of the allure of screen-time is being bored and lonely in lockdown. At least on FB and MN I get to chat to other people!

Think small. Clean out one drawer or one cupboard. Focusing on everything you can possibly do is overwhelming and keeps us stuck. You might find that you want to keep going after one small thing is accomplished.

What I do is to make a list of things I could do the day before. A mix of easy and less easy tasks then I can pick something that seems manageable at the time.

Another one the same here. And I haven't slept really all week so now I'm tired and feel even less motivated.

A couple of days I've restarted C25K first thing and that makes the day better.

I need a kick up the arse.

Thank you for the ideas. I'm going to make a list of jobs - tiny, small and medium sized to start me off tomorrow and see how I get on.

If any one wants to join me @Mascotte, @GingerScallop, @NotSureYet, please do. I need some motivation.

Tonight I suggested we play cards instead of all going into separate rooms on screens. We ended up having a brilliant time and DS2 said he hadn't laughed so much in ages, so although it was hardly an achievement, I felt at least I'd suggested something that made the family happy.

Yes, @monkeyonthetable I'd like to be in.

Sounds like a nice night 😊 Let's be productive tomorrow

Morning. If anyone wants to set out a small list of things you'll feel good about having done by the end of the day, put them here. I am going to start with just three things:

Mow the lawn
Send off some paperwork I've been putting off for ages
Do 10 mins of arm strengthening exercises

I'm also at work via Skype all afternoon and have promised DC fish and chips from the local chippy that has just reopened for takeaways. Not the healthiest dinner to kick start me into a healthier regime, but they were so keen. I'll have a half portion and salad. Small steps.

@Mascotte - are you still in?

Yes.. but I'm glad you asked as I'm procrastinating 😃

I'm going to do my C25K.
Put my clean clothes away as I'm a hypocrite for nagging dc.
Paint my nails
Take the dogs out

Excellent idea. I've done nothing productive all week. A nightmare of procrastinating and a tired miserable mood.

Today I will aim to:
Wash all my bedding
Walk to Boots to get Calms or something to help me sleep.
Find some photos of fun times that I can get printed.

That all sounds good. I'm envious of C25K as I used to love running but I've only very recently got over plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the foot arch and heel) which I had for six months and was agony so I don't want to risk anything high impact as that was what caused it.

@Bigparrot - hi
Washing bedding is a good one. Always feel more on top of things with clean sheets. I might add that to my list if I get through the rest.

May I join?

I have lots of children (inc a breastfeeding 9 month old), a husband who doesn't really help with anything, and moderate depression which has been particularly paralysing over the past few weeks.

The house is disgusting, I just sit and look around at all the piles of random crap that need sorting, the mountains of toys that my four year old spreads all over the house, all the shoes, rubbish, dust and dirt on the floors... but I can't make myself get up and DO anything about any of it.

Modest list for this morning:

Put washing out
Empty dishwasher
Sort out 2nd prove of sourdough
Get grumpy teething baby down for her nap

Aspirational list:

Rationalise fridge contents
Hoover bathroom floor and do general quick tidy
Get the girls' bedroom back under control (it's on the edge...)

Hi I've been really struggling- I finally had a shower yesterday afternoon after nearly 4 days. Yuck.
When I'm well I shower daily.
I've started brushing my teeth twice a day again which is an improvement.
I need to clean my face at night before bed.

I did 3 days worth of washing up last night & had no hot water left.

I do have schizoaffective disorder & can lose motivation to do anything easily.
I've just been signed off work for 3 weeks as getting very paranoid.

Struggling here too. I'm going to try to

Take my recycling to communal bins
Give my car a drive as it says 'battery charge very low'.
Open my postbox which I haven't done for a week
Try not to drink wine

I was thinking this the other day.

I have a toddler and house is a mess. I feel like I have no energy and I definitely have no motivation. Getting my DC out of bed and changing his nappy and feeding him is all I manage to do some days. The irony is when I am at work I am the opposite.
Meanwhile, I have my mum on the phone telling me how she has shorted out her garden, declutter her bedrooms, cleaned the whole house spotless because she was so bored. Oh! And did some painting that needed to be done.

I have decided to start some iron supplements. I used to take them before and they helped with energy levels.

Today's list is:
Fold clean clothes and put away

Load washing machine with the rest of the dirty clothes

Wish me luck since that was my list for yesterday as well....

Hi @user1473343040 and @Terralee - those are exactly the sort of things i had in mind. Small lists that stop us from letting the basics mount up. A bit of washing, tidying, cleaning, and a bit of crucial self care too.

May I please join? I'm 12 weeks pregnant and suffering with both nausea and exhaustion and finding it hard to do anything that's not Youtube or Mumsnet. I'm actually making a dent in my sofa from sitting so still all day...

My list:

1. Do the dishes/wipe down the kitchen sides
2. Ring estate agent
3. Tidy the hall (a tiny tiny room! How does so much crap accumulate there? It's smaller than my bathroom!)

@monkeyonthetable thanks! And hopefully clean sheets will make an early bed more enticing!

@ChupForPresident I know what you mean about being more productive even when I'm busy at work. I usually manage much better than this but the lack of routine (and maybe the lack of adrenaline/pressure that usually rushes me through the day) is leaving me lost.

Put hot water on
Clean kitchen sides
Find a picture to draw over the weekend