I, probably like many others, am struggling with exhaustion that seem hard to shake. It kills my hobbies and interests one by one, it makes doom scrolling and watching stupid shows seem like the only valid activities I can handle.
I have tried the “touch grass”, I regularly switch off my phone to take breaks from social media, but it is hard to find motivation to anything but sleep and watch TV on the weekends.
Are there methods to deal with this sort of exhaustion from… gestures broadly at everything ?
Edit: after the initial replies I realized I probably should mention that I already do regular therapy and take prescription drugs for depression.
Edit 2: Thanks everyone for replying and handing out advice. My plan moving forward is to get some labs done to make sure I don’t have any deficiencies and have my meds adjusted if they need to be. I will try eating better, be more conscious about sleep and regular exercise.
a good dropperful of liquid vitamin D is good for me once a week. make sure it’s enough – the typical recommended daily values (at least in the US) are pretty low.
Check for Iron and B vitamin deficiency if doc didn’t already suggest it.
I can relate, I suffer from anhedonia which sounds like what your describing, I wish there was a quick fix for it because and life can be a chore…very hard to overcome but I believe one day it will happen for us!
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Hard to give much advice without knowing much about your lifestyle, but I try to prioritise sleep above all else. If I need to be up at 6am, I’ll make my herbal tea at 8pm and start winding down, be in bed by 9.30 so I can read a bit and be sure I’m asleep by 10. If I’m having trouble sleeping I’ll look at cutting caffeine completely, and/or no screens before bed. The other part (for me) is physical activity/ exercise. It’s hard to get started when you’re exhausted, but once it’s a habit, it gives you more reserves. And improves your sleep.
I’m going to piggy back on this, because sleep is incredibly important for me.
But more than that — routine is more important, and you mentioning habits is the way to get there. Want to help yourself sleep better before bed? Maybe walking every day between dinner and rest is what’ll help. I can’t say what works for others, but that’s what works for me, with anxiety/depression. The consistency is key.
Another option for OP is to set goals. They don’t have to be major; maybe it’s signing up for an event (I’ll use a 5k as an example) that’s months away and then training for it. Have reasons to look forward, and not dwell on the present/past.
Have you tried therapy?
Are there methods to deal with this sort of exhaustion from… gestures broadly at everything ?
Before you put the blame on everything outside - not being judgemental, it’s definitely not going great out there - have you gotten checked out by a doctor? Exhaustion might just be because the world is in shambles, but it’s just as likely to be because of something fixable - depression, some thyroid disorders and iron deficiency all present in the same way as what you describe.
Definitely echoing the talk to a medical professional comments. I have pretty severe depression and that sounds a ton like the fatigue I’ve been dealing with. Especially if youve also been feeling hopeless, irritable, had problems with appetite (too much or too little), problems with sleeping too much or too little, or anything like that.
It probably seems impossible but exercise is amazing to boost energy. I started going to the gym and I have more energy than ever. It’s intimidating to start but after you break through the first barrier of getting there it’s easy. There’s tons of work out regiments online but if you want more info on how I got started and what I did I’m more than happy to share. Also, eat healthy and drink water. (I can’t believe I’ve become one of these “exercise and eat your greens” people)
Get a sleep lab done and check if you need a CPAP machine.
There is so much most want to do in life. Perhaps you are stretching yourself to thin, trying to do it all at once. Don’t see the current lack of something as “killing” your hobbies. They aren’t dead, you’re working towards those things. It’s a plan for the future. Right now you’re focusing the energy you have right now on something else (for now).
Work less.
Obligatory: this is not medical advice. This is merely my personal experiences. In fact, the only thing I will advise anyone on is that if they feel overwhelmed, they seek advice from a licensed therapist.
So I’ve had a similar problem for the past 9 years. For me, I have to come to the conclusion that I’m in a freeze-state of my dysregulated nervous system.
I’m in weekly talk therapy, and have been working on recognizing the things that have been causing me the most stress, and ways I can deal with or mitigate those things.
And that’s been all fine and good, but I still struggle with getting started on actual activity to help deal with my compounding responsibilities. It’s hard, and some days are better than others.
I used a combination of calendars and reminders to help break down and organize my tasks. I give myself grace if I can’t get them all comply when I initially wanted to finish them, and I try to do at least 2 or 3 things a day ( o matter how small).
Not a diagnosis, but sounds like depression.
Perhaps counter intuitively, exercise (get that heart rate up and sweat exercise) has always been the most effective for me. Managed my depression for ~25 years that way, such that I only have occasional (temporary) bouts of ennui.
I’d keep up with the touching grass too.
As a depressive myself, I concur. Sounds like OP is one of us.
The key is finding coping strategies. I exercise every day and lift weights five days a week. That helps me tremendously. As far as exercise goes, you basically try everything until you figure out what you like and a routine that works for you. If your energy peaks at a particular time of day, that’s when you should plan to exercise. (For me it’s in the morning.)
I also read a lot of books.
Thing is, I don’t engage with people much, and that actually helps a lot with my mental health. I have one in-office day a week and that’s enough to fill up my social gauge.
If your energy peaks at a particular time of day, that’s when you should plan to exercise.
This is very sound advice and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.
I hope you find a routine that helps you deal with this. It’s tough stuff, but once you figure out what works for you, coping’s way easier.
Working out was great for me too, I found the most exhausting thing I could do. Did a 1h class 3 x Week, no need to plan or prep anything, just show up and get absolutely exhausted.
I know how it sou da but you get SO much energy back.
I’d recommend cycling or hiking. Great ways to combine touching grass with exercise. And both great for working through things you have in your mind.
I’m sure many have seen it, but Kersgezat recently put out video that opened my eyes to the less-obvious benefits of exercise.
This was great, thanks!
Something to consider when we talk about disconnecting and “touching grass”… it’s not an immediate thing. You need to be vacation for several days before you can genuinely begin to relax and feel and positive effects. So this idea that we can just nip out for 20 minutes and leave our phone behind for serious benefit is pretty much worthless.
So if you’re “disconnecting” and you spend the first few days just sleeping or staring at the TV, that’s pretty understandable. You’re paying off a fair bit of “rest debt”.
WRT your update: That’s great that you’re getting professional help. Make sure (if you aren’t already) that the feels you’re sharing here are being thoroughly conveyed to your doctor. Medication can be fantastic, but you may benefit more from a different medication. All good things to bring up with your professional.
Good luck!
So if you’re “disconnecting” and you spend the first few days just sleeping or staring at the TV, that’s pretty understandable. You’re paying off a fair bit of “rest debt”.
This is actually a very solid point, thanks!
Classic burn out.
