It is often taken for granted that there is only one way to hit rock bottom psychologically: to feel deeply sad and suffer intensely. However, this is not the case.

There is also another kind of psychological wear based not on excess but on absence. Specifically, the absence of energy and motivation. This feeling of emotional stagnation and lack of motivation is usually expressed in a very simple thought: “I don’t feel like anything” .

In this article we will see what the characteristics of this state of mind are and what can be done to stop it.

I don’t feel like doing anything: the warning signs

The lack of desire to do anything is something totally different from laziness or tiredness . It is a psychological disposition by which the person feels that it does not make sense to set goals or objectives in the short or long term.

Among the most common signs that something is not right in someone who does not feel like doing anything are the following:

  • Maintenance of a very sedentary life.
  • Isolation and lack of social interaction .
  • Abandoning projects that were kept afloat, or investing in them far less work than expected.
  • Feeling that one lives without exciting goals and without direction.
  • You just feel like sleeping or trying.

Abulia

In the most extreme cases of this phenomenon, it is called abulia, and is one of the typical symptoms of depression. Abulia is the total absence of desire to live or do any activity . On the other hand, abulia frequently appears together with anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure, with which it feeds back by encouraging an extremely sedentary life.

In these cases, it is very important to attend to the help of mental health professionals as soon as possible , given that the problem is serious enough to seriously undermine the quality of life and even increase the chances of thoughts of suicide appearing.

Possible causes

There are different possible causes that can lead to a lack of desire to do any activity. It is, as it happens with practically any psychological phenomenon, multicausal , and part of what causes it is biological, while the other part has to do with our experiences when we relate to the outside world and to others.

What to do to regain motivation?

Anyone who feels identified with this idea of “I don’t feel like doing anything” can follow these tips to improve and get out of this stage.

Make commitments

From the very first moment a person decides to get involved in getting out of that state that they don’t feel like doing anything about, that’s already great progress, given the nature of the problem to be solved. However, this will not be of much use if it is not translated into action , if it does not materialize.

Therefore, we must be clear from the first moment that what is coming is to do the opposite of what the body is asking us, since the problem is that the body requires us to stay still and do nothing. The logic to follow from this moment is to force oneself to be involved in tasks.

2. Practice physical exercise

Physical exercise is probably one of the things you least want to do when you experience abulia or a similar psychological phenomenon. However, much of the solution lies in literally activating : giving yourself over to tasks that are moderately physically demanding.

This is a simple solution for both good and bad: it is easy to understand what needs to be done, but having the strength to act on it and investing time in working on it is not pleasant.

Doing this helps to achieve a minimum state of activation that will help us to be able to look forward to more projects and experiences , so it is one of the most important tips when starting.

3. Relationship with others

Social relationships generate contexts in which it is easier to get in touch with new and exciting situations. Breaking the routine by widening the circle of friends is something almost spontaneous, which happens without having to make an effort.

The situation already provides with this kind of experiences in which other people bring us new philosophies of life, new perspectives and sources of motivation , and that in general, give us reasons to do more than just sleep or stay in bed.

4. Lead a healthy life

Sleep just enough; not too little, not too much. Also, don’t stay in bed for hours if it’s not to sleep, and eat healthy so you don’t run out of energy easily .

5. Divide your projects into shorter objectives

Lack of motivation is a problem especially in the beginning; once you have started to do something, it causes more pleasure to keep doing it, and it compensates more for the effort it requires.

Therefore, we should try to make it easier to start the activities , and dividing them into small sequentially ordered tasks is the most effective way to achieve this. This way, the prospect of getting on with it doesn’t seem so hard.

6. Go to therapy

Having the psychological help of a therapist is always a way of betting strongly on the recovery of motivation. The desire to do more than just sleep is often triggered by a visit to a psychologist.

Bibliographic references:

  • Pantoni, L., Basile, A. M., Romanelli, M., Piccini, C., Sarti, C., Nencini, P., et al. (2001). Abulia and cognitive impairment in two patients with capsular genuinfarct. Article]. Scandinavian Neurological Act, 104(3), 185-190.
  • Schuch, FB; Vancampfort, D; Firth, J; Rosenbaum, S; Ward, PB; Silva, ES; Hallgren, M; Ponce De Leon, A; Dunn, AL; Deslandes, AC; Fleck, MP; Carvalho, AF; Stubbs, B (1 July 2018). “Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies”. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 175 (7): 631–648.