If I have one left over characteristic from when I was drinking, it seems to be lack of motivation. I just cannot seem to get back any type of groove with keeping a routine. I can’t even be bothered to take simply vitamins every day that keep me feeling well! I do not understand it. They are just vitamins. Why is it so hard?
Because of my Hashimoto’s, I take Iron, Biotin, and Vitamin D. However, most of the time I simply fail to take them. I can only take one kind of iron and ran out of it a while ago. It’s expensive, and only comes with 30 pills. When it’s gone, and we don’t have a ton of money, I just go without it. I cannot do this! Without iron I start feeling headachy, weak, and my hair falls out. When I first got tested, my ferritin levels were under 10, which is freakishly low. I’ve always been anemic, but I just cannot get on a routine with taking them EVERY SINGLE DAY!
I seem to not make my health a priority, and this simply just won’t work any longer. I feel like a tub of lard these days. I sit on my ass 8 hours a day at my job, and while I can get up and move around whenever I like, I often don’t because, well, I’m supposed to be at my desk working! I go home, and sit down to eat dinner. I keep making all these grand plans with my husband to have a daily chore, and we can’t even do that. Not once have we made it an entire week doing the chores we should be doing. I kind of feel like I’ve got no direction right now. I did a whole100 and ate so damn good. I saw so many positive things happen with my body, and my mindset, but I’m back to eating crap again, even though I know it’s not good for me. Sugar makes me feel awful. It makes my face break out, and appear for red and blotchy. Still, I can’t stop! I feel like I am not in control right now. It sounds kind of dramatic, but it’s true.
I miss running, but do not have the time to do it. It’s dark when I get off work now, and it’s not safe, and in the mornings I have my daughter alone while my husband is at work. I can barely leave on time now, and don’t see how I can add running into the mix and still leave when I need too. Plus I will admit, I HATE running once it gets really cold and windy out. I say “I’m going to do an exercise DVD tonight!” and don’t. Ever.
What do you do when you are in a slump? Any suggestions, or positive words to give me a kick in the pants? I’m so frustrated..
One Girls Journey For a Better Life... 
I’m sending you a big hug.
I understand. Sometimes it seems like when things start to slide it is insurmountable.
Those are times I try to drastically change everything, and inevitably fail.
Most of us can’t do everything at once, even if we have before or like to be extreme. It is anxiety producing.
The one thing a week rule has actually worked for me. It sounds like your vitamins are important. Start there. Put them beside your tooth brush (or in your lunch bag or whereever is easy) and take them every day for the next week. That’s it.
Next week pick one small next thing. Maybe drinking more water. Maybe taking sugar out of your coffee. Nothing crazy. Not the whole 30.
It sounds too small, but in times of distress it is training your brain for success. And that’s what we need. Simple, positive step.
Anne
You are so right. I try to do so much at once. I set myself up to fail continuously and then I get so upset with myself. The vitamins really are crucial, and I will have to start there. I need to keep them stocked at all times and take them EVERY DAY! I will start here… Thank you!
I feel your position. So many of us are there. If I may offer a few suggestions: 1.) your vitamins seem to make a big difference for you. Focus on making it a daily habit. Google Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg or look up some old posts on my blog about him. His specialty is creating positive habits. He suggests doing tiny habits (start with just the iron for example), create a trigger (After I give my daughter her cereal, I’ll take my iron), make it as easy as possible (keep your iron pills next to the cereal box and already have a drink ready) and celebrate every time you do it (don’t worry about the times you don’t – just give yourself a small high five or a “good job” – focus on those wins). 2.) decide to exercise or don’t exercise on a given day and then move on. That is, don’t commit your future self to doing the DVD later. Just decide you aren’t going to exercise today and don’t worry about it anymore. That nagging “ok, now I have to exercise tonight on top of everything else” sucks the energy and motivation out of your day. 3.) investigate your thought. The way the human mind works is that thoughts lead to emotion/feelings which lead to decisions which leads to action/inaction which leads to outcomes which reinforce thoughts. So when you are getting outcomes you do not treasure, ask yourself what you are thinking about it. People have around 60,000 little thoughts a day but most of them aren’t even noticed. Start noticing those little thoughts that are nagging at you. It may be something like, “oh this won’t add up to anything” or “it doesn’t really matter if I do X.” What ever it is, investigate it. Understand it. Notice it. When you start noticing it automatically, explore those thoughts and try to work toward new thoughts. 4.) if you aren’t able to exercise in chucks (running, DVD), working in little exercises throughout the day, e.g. every 30 minutes, stand up and do a quick stretch or walk to the further bathroom at work and back. Quick little exercises throughout the day add up quickly and CELEBRATE every incremental stretch. 5.) Last one I promise. Motivation doesn’t just happen. I have a client who wants to wake up and clap her hands just because it is Tuesday. We jokingly call it being the Folger’s girl. We are working together to create something to be motivated toward. Some ways to do this is think about who you will be 3 years from now if you do the things you value vs. who you will be if you don’t. Which one do you want to be. Alternatively, ask yourself who will be affected and how if you do those things. How will your husband’s life change? Your daughters? Some people have luck with a dream board. Simply cut out a bunch of pictures and quotes that mean something to you and tape/glue them to a piece of cardboard. It gives you a quick visual of your goal. I’ve added a twist to this by then writing down those things that are blocking you from achieving your goal and taping them over pieces of your dream board. It shows that your dream is obtainable but you have to focus on a few things before you can realize it.
Thank you so much for this! I love everything you said, but I really loved the “positive ideas” board and think this would be really great for me! I will work on doing something like this.
Also, the hard part about my iron is that I can’t take it within FOUR HOURS of my thyroid meds (which I take twice a day) so I think that’s where some of the problem comes in! It’s not like I can just wake up and take the iron and move on with my day. I have to wait until I’m in between meds, and blah blah. I think i’ll buy more iron and then bring 5 to work to keep here and set an alarm here at work. Then I really only need to focus on making sure I do it on the weekends, as I know I’d probably me more likely to do it regularly at work. Not sure why I haven’t thought to do this yet!
Sounds like a great positive solution. Find a trigger that works for you (appropriately timed with your other meds) and do it the same time/way every weekday. Even if you don’t do it reliably on the weekends but hit most work days – THAT’S A HUGE IMPROVEMENT!!!!
I think lunch time is a good time for my meds! 5 days a week, I eat at 12 noon. So it’s a good jumping off place. I will also make sure I always have a few iron pills on me on the weekends since we are hardly home. I will set an alarm on my phone and that way I can take them even if we aren’t home!
Just checking in. Have you found some successes?
yes! I have been taking my iron every day, and other meds ! hopefully I can stay on top of it!
Sorry to hear that you experience these difficulties. 😦 I’ve had these same ‘motivational issues’ too. Personally I do not think for me it is motivation. Everybody is naturally motivated to live their life and do stuff, that is how we are naturally wired. It is only when things in our (energy)body don’t go well that we run into ‘motivational’ problems. Maybe the trick is in finding the source of your problems. I myself have contacted and Ayurvedic doctor and now that I take my Ayurvedic medicine (all plant based) I feel loads better.
I have no tips for you other than the one I am trying for about 2 weeks now: ask myself ‘What would a woman who loves herself do?’ And funny enough, that’s when I do it because it feels good. I thought I would turn absolutely lazy over that. I don’t! The other day I actually opened my paper mail at the moment it came in because I realised that a women who loves herself does not want that letter to be out there and making me anxious. 🙂 Some things I do less: mostly I berate myself less and wow! that leaves so much energy for nice stuff.
Hope this brings you something. 🙂
xx, Feeling
I also want to give you a big hug. You are in the same space as me. Overwhelmed, lazy, not sticking to a routine, hating myself, making grand plans then not following through. I self sabotage every day. But like you, I have health issues and I feel drained of energy and motivation to do most things. You have a very good reason to feel dispondant with all that you have going on. PLUS you are 3.5 years sober. That in itself is truly a remarkable effort and is, in itself, exhausting. The mental effort that you have to put into being sober is huge. I am yet to be sober for longer than 2 weeks so the energy that goes into that angst for me is huge. You are doing an amazing job and I reckon your a fighter. So be kind to yourself and when the body or mind is on low reserves, treat yourself well. It will pick itself up in time. I am going to try a dream board myself. I used to think they were airy fairy but there’s power in visuals. So, if I surround myself with pictures of where I want to be, hopefully I can get there quicker. Big massive hugs to you xox