#Anxiety #Depression #MentalHealth #SelfCare
Living with anxiety and depression can make even the simplest tasks feel like an impossible mountain to climb. It’s a struggle that can be overwhelming at times, but there are strategies and coping mechanisms that can help those with anxiety and depression to finish their tasks and chores. In this article, we’ll explore some practical tips and techniques for managing anxiety and depression and staying on top of daily responsibilities.
Understanding Anxiety and Depression 😣
Anxiety and depression are both common mental health disorders that can impact every aspect of a person’s life, including their ability to complete tasks and chores. The symptoms of these disorders vary from person to person, but they can include:
Constant worrying and fear
Feelings of sadness and hopelessness
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue and lack of energy
Procrastination and avoidance
These symptoms can make it incredibly challenging to stay motivated and focused on completing tasks and chores. However, there are strategies that can help individuals with anxiety and depression to overcome these obstacles and maintain a sense of productivity and accomplishment.
Tips for Finishing Tasks and Chores When You Have Anxiety/Depression 😌
1. Break tasks into smaller steps: Large tasks can be overwhelming for anyone, but especially for those with anxiety and depression. Breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps can make them feel less daunting and more achievable.
2. Set realistic goals: It’s important to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself. Trying to do too much in a short amount of time can lead to feelings of failure and disappointment. Start with small tasks and gradually work your way up to larger ones.
3. Create a routine: Establishing a routine can help individuals with anxiety and depression to stay on track with their tasks and chores. Having a set schedule can provide structure and predictability, which can be comforting for those dealing with mental health challenges.
4. Use positive reinforcement: Reward yourself for completing tasks and chores, no matter how small they may seem. Positive reinforcement can help to motivate and encourage continued success.
5. Practice self-care: Taking care of your physical and emotional well-being is essential for managing anxiety and depression. Engage in self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with friends and family.
6. Seek support: Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Whether it’s from a friend, family member, or mental health professional, reaching out for support can make a significant difference in managing anxiety and depression.
7. Challenge negative thoughts: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques can help individuals to identify and challenge negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression. By changing the way you think, you can change the way you feel and behave.
8. Consider medication and therapy: For some individuals, medication and therapy can be beneficial in managing symptoms of anxiety and depression. It’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for your specific needs.
Conclusion 😊
Living with anxiety and depression can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that there are strategies and coping mechanisms that can help individuals to finish tasks and chores despite these obstacles. By breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting realistic goals, establishing a routine, practicing self-care, seeking support, and challenging negative thoughts, individuals can learn to manage their symptoms and maintain a sense of productivity and accomplishment. It’s essential to take care of your mental health and prioritize your well-being when dealing with anxiety and depression.
If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety and depression, don’t hesitate to reach out for support. You are not alone, and there are resources and professionals available to help you navigate these challenges and live a fulfilling life.
Playing a movie/show in the background that I’ve already seen 1000 times before
Taking it one step at a time, setting small goals, and rewarding myself when tasks are done helps me push through with anxiety or depression.
Using the energy when you get it. Sometimes planning/scheduling things doesn’t work as well as just doing things as soon as you get the motivation.
The feeling of “oh **** at least thats over with” became a lot more comfortable than having things to do hang over my head and erode my self worth lower than it already is.
The key part is doing without thinking, doesn’t matter if you’re motivated, just start moving your body. It’s like a muscle, the more you force yourself to do things the easier it gets to force yourself to do things.
This is probably gonna be the shittiest advice in this thread, but on the off chance it does help at least one person, I’m gonna share it. I am also going to try my best to explain it, but I don’t know if it’ll make much sense.
I had a friend once tell me he doesn’t stay in bed after he wakes up (you know, chilling, scrolling phone, whatever). I obviously made a joke along the lines of “oh wow, look at him, he actually has a will to live” and he said that “no, it’s not that, it’s just.. might as well get it over with”. In that period of my life I wasn’t doing so great mentally, a situation had happened and I was in a wave of depression, so most chores weren’t getting done. After that convo I had a running joke with myself, saying “ugh, might as well” to get me out of bed in the morning. It sounds so stupid, but it really helped me when I was very low. Takes the perssure off, because you aren’t viewing the task as a thing you absolutely have got to do in order to get better, you’re just doing it for the sake of doing it/getting it done. And you’re not gaslighting yourself into believing you want to do it, you’re acknowlegding that it’s a shitty task you gotta do and you don’t feel like doing it, but you’re gonna do it irregardless.
So eventually, I started saying “ugh, might as well” for the basic things, like getting up in the morning, eating, showering, etc. And then after a little while, I started applying it for the dreaded tasks- cooking a proper meal, dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Stuff that required energy. (I do have to mention that for most of the tasks, it wasn’t a daily thing, one day I’d do the dishes, and the next I’d do the laundry, etc).
Then a thing happened, after a while I subconsciously started saying “might as well” to all those tasks. For all of you that weren’t paying attention, “ugh, might as well” turned into just “might as well”. So, somehow multiple tasks started getting done at the same day, because they didn’t seem like such a bother anymore.
Eventually I sterted doing those tasks without even giving them a proper thought. It’s like I remembered that a task has to be done, so I’d autopilot it. Dishes started getting done as soon as I was done with the meal, laundry started getting done as soon as I noticed I have enough for the washing machine, somehow the dreaded grocery store didn’t look so far away, etc.
I still have days and tasks where I have to “ugh, might as well” them. Especially when I’m not doing so great. But when you take the pressure off of yourself to do the task, it makes it look like just a thing you ought to do. No pressure, no guilt, no stress. Just mindless action.
As I said, I can’t explain it properly, but it did (and continues to do) wonders for me when I’m in a bad state of mind haha
Breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting realistic goals, and celebrating small achievements helps me. Remember, progress, not perfection.
Waiting until the last minute, when I’m motivated by absolute panic.
Offensive smells, physical discomfort or worrying about my cat.
Discipline.
Making new habits. They are harder to stick but not impossible.
Discipline vs Motivation imo
One of the two may be lacking but you can lean on the other.
First of all I have a change in meds which is helping me. I try to make lists and even if I don’t feel like it. On bigger tasks I time myself on the task, take timed breaks and do a fun activity on the breaks.
I’m obsessive about everything due to my anxiety. Makes it simple. Not easy, but simple
Remembering that any progress is still progress (if I wash one dish, that’s an improvement). I usually can at least do something small this way with the energy I have.
knowing how good i’ll feel after the chore is done
Finding small wins in my daily life really helps me overcome my anxiety/depression. Breaking down tasks into manageable steps and celebrating every accomplishment, no matter how small, keeps me motivated. In addition, having a supportive regime and the support of loved ones is of great importance.
Focus sessions through the Microsoft Clock app on my PC. It’s baked in, so there’s nothing to download. It’s really helped me stay on task.
Oh, and getting treatment for my depression and Low T helped a lot. I swear I hit 50 and my warranty expired.
Doing things in bits and pieces. The idea of cleaning the bathroom, for example, can be overwhelming. But emptying the bathroom bin after I have a shower, then later in the day cleaning the mirror, then next time I’m up there putting bleach in the toilet, etc… Makes it all much more manageable.
i don’t finish them
I realize that if I can take care of basic, productive things every day regardless of how I’m feeling, I can at least mope around without feeling like I gave up on taking care of myself. It’s generally accepted that doing things like showing up for work/school, getting chores done, and practicing simple hygiene are important for coping with depression and anxiety and they tend to help you feel at least a little better. If nothing else, help provide some semblance of control.
Some days it’s hard just to get up and be a living human, so at those times all I set out to do is fulfil my basic obligations and not allow myself to live in squalor or smell awful, alongside following the most basic work expectations. I need to put bread on the table and take care of my most basic needs for the day, and after that I can wallow and mope all I need to.
Every day doesn’t need to be an A+ performance. Getting a C- or even a D is just fine when times get rough.
A few years ago I saw the idea that doing a little was better than doing nothing at all. If I started the process of doing laundry, I was one step closer to completing the laundry even if I didn’t get it done. I started doing little bits at a time and celebrated those little victories. I focused on how great I felt after doing those little things and they turned into bigger accomplishments. That little game has helped me tremendously.
As we know with depression and anxiety it waxes and wains, so that means there will be days where I can get a lot of things done, and says when I don’t want to do anything besides being on the couch. I’ve been dealing with this for 20 years now. I now have the mind set to not let depression win. If I sit on the couch and don’t complete anything, the depression won that day. It’s a fucking battle at times.
I don’t do lists because I seem to beat myself up if I don’t complete them.
i kinda have to force myself to work sometimes
i can get random bursts of motivation or get it naturally but most of the time motivation doesn’t come naturally, I need to earn it by starting and the more I do it, the more I get into my groove, and then the motivation hits
don’t get me wrong it’s hard af sometimes to force urself to do something ur putting off, but when u finally get around to doing it, it becomes way more fun
think of it like rolling that boulder over a hill, nobody wants to push it up, u only want to push it down. But in order to push it down u gotta do the hard part first and who knows maybe you’ll get into it halfway through
Some days it’s do nothing. Some days it’s only doing 1 or 2 things. I’ve been trying to celebrate little victories rather than extravagant events that take time to complete. A little will certainly go a long way… at least that’s what I’m forcing my brain to think 😆
sometimes i’ll have fleeting moments of motivation when i just feel like cleaning my room of trash bags and food containers
ADHD medication.
Understanding no one is going to do them for me. Therefore they are my responsibility and mine to get done. How I feel doesn’t change that fact.
When people with depression have good days and they struggle less with their symptoms, they may use those feelings as motivation to complete a task, says Cassiday. For example, they may clean their kitchen because they know it will bring them a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment later on.
Remembering the dopamine hit you get when you’ve finished them.
Motivation cannot be relied on. Planning and discipline are the only things that work. Sometimes I get overwhelmed at the idea of a task because I’m thinking about it. I have to just “start” something, even if I’m going to redo what I’ve started because it helps me get over that initial paralyses. I also don’t reward myself for completing things, which seems counterintuitive, but instead I try to enjoy the task at hand and the accomplishment of doing something hard. I find that can be addictive and can help push me to do things for the sake of doing them instead of trying to think of rewards.
You have to realize that it’s all in your head.
And you have to “manipulate” your brain to be able to do more, for example to impose the thought “everything is fine” “it’s going perfect”, positive thinking helps most of the time but even to believe that… then maybe another crazy thought comes with: “you’re going to die”, you do a task that convinces you that you won’t die and you’ll see that nothing happens, everything starts from what you conceive.
Breaking tasks down into easy bite sized task. Let’s say the living room needs to be cleaned. I break that down into cleaning the coffee table, cleaning the sofa, dust, vacuum. So I’m able to check each little thing off that eventually leads to cleaning the whole living room. I guess I trick myself into doing one small task then move onto another because it didn’t take much time.
Daily Routine & music
Meds
I act like a robot to perform one tiny, single duty at a time. I truly start to believe that my personal drive is completely irrelevant.
Pure determination. A child of mine requires my attention more than I do.
play pretending I am my own friend nurse taking care of someone as I visit them home LOL, it works though. gentle affirmation, dont we feel bettet after a hot shower???? yes we do, now for some lunch. try it lolÂ
I guilt trip myself
With anxiety/depression, finishing tasks? Blackmail from my to-do list.
Sheer will
beating the living shit out of a lego batman stuffy.
A sense of accomplishment. I like order and turning chaos into order gives me satisfaction.
For instance, I make my bed before I leave my bedroom because I like to return to a made bed. It makes me happy. Probably why I like staying in hotels so much too.
I pack my bong and let it sit until I finish. I call it my Motivator
I resort to sheer force a LOT. Panic is a close second.
That it’s better to do them now and have better things to do later without worrying I didn’t do shit and that tasks and chores could distract me from thinking.
The dead time is where your mind wins… for me, at least, wake up, coffee, go get it….. doesn’t matter how big the list, go get it done, no breaks…. it’s a bit manic, but a clean house and the errands done really helps when you feel bad
Medication. That’s the only way I get stuff done.
If I don’t do it my mum will when she visits and she’s already done too much for me.
Having people over to my home,i want my guests to be cozy even when I’m struggling to make it cozy for me. Some people if they come over and the place is trashed realize I must be feeling pretty bad and we work on it together.
Setting small, achievable goals, taking breaks, and seeking support from loved ones helps me cope despite anxiety and depression.
To do list and small rewards when finishing some tasks.
Rewarding myself with coffee