Digging yourself out of that rut

We all know that feeling, where you get home and just don't do anything. Now I'm not talking about procrastinating on some responsibility, although I am very guilty of that, I'm talking about that empty feeling of why do I bother with anything?

There are some weeks where I feel everything just piles on top of me. I have no motivation to do anything. I get home and I'm exhausted. I feel everything I do is a chore. Being at home, reading or watching Netflix just drains me, I have no interest in doing anything anymore. Even seeing my lovely friends in school just doesn't excite me, and that's coming from someone who really enjoys school, who uses it as an escape from all the chaos they call home.


So apart from lying in bed crying , avoiding people and scrolling through memes how do I force myself out of the self-destructive cycle of unproductivity that I later regret and loathe myself for? I tend to avoid doing something completely new, pick up an old favourite of sorts, perhaps a classic Disney film like Aladdin or maybe turn on a nostalgic Nintendo game. Seriously anything to get you doing something, the best part is even if it's only a little you'll probably enjoy it just because it's a favourite. It may sound stupid but there are always some things that will just always bring a smile to my face, be it the entire Harry Potter series or that Road works ahead Vine, and reminding yourself of those things will bring you that tiny step closer to feeling slightly better.

You may think, 'Ok, watching old films and playing a game you've played 3000 times is great and everything but it's not exactly any more productive than lying in bed.' And in a way at the time yes, it may feel like you've done nothing more than waste an hour or two but I think from my own experience I wallow a lot, in my own misery or my own stress. I can spend hours even days crying over the same situation, and boy let me tell you I am always a pro crier, It's my biggest stress reliever but sometimes I admit I overdo it. I'll be in this upset, emotional state of general gloominess and I hate everything attitude and then suddenly I snap out of it. It could be natural, I just get over it slightly or perhaps I hear some good news but either way I'll start to think more rationally that's when my productivity starts up again. And that's why even knowing and remembering how to make yourself feel slightly better helps a lot, it gets me out of that pit of misery and into the hole of slightly less overwhelming sadness which may not sound too inspiring but it's where I'm just that tiny bit more rational than before. After that it's easier to move on and do something productive that you just couldn't before, like going for a walk or taking a shower. Which in turn may not make you feel like Happy Feet instantly but it will make you less miserable and unproductive which can be a milestone especially thinking about all those times where weeks have been spent in bed and not getting anything done.

​Paula