I have depression and anxiety, how do I become more motivated?

Question

I know that exercise is one of the best natural remedies for anxiety/depression. It can also help me cut down on my meds... but I can't seem to get the motivation... I have enough trouble getting out of bed in the morning or doing things I love to do, let alone exercise. Has this happened to anyone else? How did you overcome it? Gain motivation etc?

Answer 1

To some extent, you just have to suck it up and make yourself do it. You could get your meds adjusted some more so you have less depression and then you will have more energy and then exercise more & hopefully be able to cut back the meds more.

What I do (not that I'm perfect, hell, most americans don't exercise even when they aren't depressed!!) is make up an exercise music CD with my favorite loud, rocking hits and put it on really loud and just dance stupidly with a lot of kicking and stuff. I look like an idiot & I make hubby go away, but it really works!! I put some squats in there, too. The other thing I have done is created chores that have to be done, and they require lots of exercise, like keeping a vegetable garden, going deer hunting (hey, it saves us money!!) and burning wood (which also saves lotsa money). When I lived in the city, down in Los Angeles, I'd bike to the grocery store or walk to the corner store, and use a bus to go further, which meant a walk to the bus stop. Now I went the other way and I'm totally rural, and walking to the granary is a hike, even.

You might have to take those pills forever, depending on you. Some people have depression for all their lives. I hate it when people get on here and act like depression isn't a bonafide medical problem. Heck, your brain is malfunctioning! It could be temporary and get better, or maybe it won't, and you don't have a lot of control over that part. Hopefully you will be one of the people who gets better!!

Oh, another idea is to get some social support. got a friend who will walk with you and make you go out? maybe even guilt you out for a few weeks until you get in the habit?

Summary:
force yourself
Listen to your favorite music, played loud
Create chores that require exercise
have a friend make you do stuff

Good luck!!

Answer 2

First, are you seeing a counselor and talking about why you are depressed and have anxiety on a regular basis? This is very important, because if you are not working on the root cause, you are getting no where fast. Meds are a temporary bandaid and are not meant to solve anything, in fact they create more problems.

I suggest you begin to establish a regular session with your counselor and work on your issues that got you to this point in your life. Then, you can be taken off those meds and learn to cope with life so you won't have to be on them again.

Exercise will help you, I suggest you enlist a friend to motivate you and push you out the door at least 3-5 days a week to just walk or ride bikes or something. This will keep you going. Take care, you can do this.

Answer 3

I have anxiety disorder. I hate exercising, but I do it.

My motivation is the fact that I will feel better and not have an attack after I am done exercising. That is motivation enough for me.

I don't like the attacks, I workout to avoid them. Call me motivated because panic attacks suck!

Answer 4

I feel exactly the way you do and I am anxious to hear what the replies are. I need to exercise but just can't seem to motivate myself. Would like to get off my meds. because I hate having to depend on them. I want to feel alive again!

Answer 5

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Answer 6

#1 Social Reprogramming Method - http://SocialAnxiety.uzaev.com/?yFpe

Answer 7

While you're working on accomplishing Healing Hug's advice (which I highly recommend), you could try one of God's gifts to us in the form of herbal healing.
***VALERIAN ROOT
The following information came from this website
http://www.bulkherbstore.com/vrc...
"Traditionally valerian has been used medicinally to treat nervous disorders, hypochondria, migraines, insomnia, DEPRESSION, cramps, croup, colic, flatulence, whooping cough, typhoid, fever, epilepsy, vertigo, convulsions, diabetes, cholera, sores, heart palpitations, stomach ulcers, vaginal yeast infections, premenstrual syndrome, bed-wetting and sleep disorders.

Hundreds of experiments have been conducted on valerian primarily in Germany and Russia. These studies have substantiated the herb’s effectiveness in the treatment of nervous, circulatory, digestive and sleep disorders. Valerian root targets the higher brain centers, suppressing and regulating the autonomic nervous system. Consequently, valerian is very effective in dispelling psychosomatic diseases which result from a glitch in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Valerian pacifies the fear of hypochondriacs, soothes the nervous and calms the hysterical."

The following information came from The How to Herb Book
"Valerian root is a powerful, effective antispasmodic. It quiets, calms, and has a healing effect on the nervous system. Valerian root is a marvelous weapon against stress and nerves.
*Promotes sleep if taken at night. Has no narcotic effect.
*Relieves pain.
*Good to normalize heart palpitations, slows action of heart while strengthening it. Good for circulatory system.
*Stimulates secretion and peristaltic action of stomach and intestines.
*Anti-flatulent (gas) for adults and infants.
*Used for children with measles and scarlet fever for restlessness and pain."

VALERIAN is a natural product that should not cause side effects.
I have a friend who reported after his first night of taking Valerian that he had weird dreams and felt "loopy" the next morning. But he reported two weeks later that he was still taking the Valerian and was sleeping like a baby. Whether or not the Valerian caused his "episode" we do not know. But we do know that he is a happy camper now that it is in his system.

*You can buy Valerian Root Capsules at Walmart and other pharmacies.

Answer 8

How do you motivate yourself with depression? YOU CAN'T BY YOURSELF! The only way to get out of this depression you feel with all the voices you hear in your head with all the lies you hear is to give it all to Jesus for he is the way, the truth and the life! How do I know? I to dealt with depression and the one thing that really turned my life around was these three things: 1. Knowing that God and Jesus Loved me and I was valued! 2. Knowing I had people on my side at church, in my social life and in my family that cared about me! and 3. I had to get myself out of the atmosphere that I was in! If all you do is stay in the darkness thinking about how it is never going to get better and think why life is not worth living. Than your going to be proving yourself right and it will not get better! But, if you build a personal relationship again with other people and most importantly a relationship with God! Then you will see yourself back with a renewed joy! Know what the bible says about depression: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed! (2 Cor. 4:8-9)God said: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired and weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who HOPE in the Lord will RENEW THEIR STRENGTH! (Isa 40:28-31,41:10,Ps.50:15)
I would not be telling you this if I had not experienced what you feel myself! Know down inside you are looking for love and happiness but you will never find it the way you are living right now. However, God loves you, and He wants to come into your life and give you a joy and peace that you could never experience any other way. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" John 14:27. God created you, and God loves you. His only Son, Jesus Christ, loved you so much that he gave His life on the cross so you could be saved and break free from in perfectness, sin and this depression to become a child of God. I know you feel like you are caring your own cross on your back right now but, PUT IN DOWN THIS INSTANT! And give Jesus all your worries and burdens. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, something wonderful and supernatural happens. God Himself comes to dwell within you! You become part of His family, and you can know the joy of His presence every day. Pray right now and I encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart, ask him to bring back your social life and the joy back into your life! I to will be praying for you sister because I was too once where you are now and the only way am still alive is because my faith and trust in Jesus saved me and he showed me the better life I could be living if only I put my faith and trust in Him. I encourage you to read a bible right now! start with the gospel of John! There you will find a story of a man named John the Baptist the paved the way for another man named Jesus that loves you and will bring you guidance and hope to your life, if you look to him and follow him for your life's answers instead of yourself! I can't stress enough how I know what your going though and you really need a change of atmosphere in your life, get out of the darkness and try to meet new people! A lot of Church's have small groups and support groups! So, I would encourage you to do that because it wasn't till I started putting Jesus first before myself that my life started to get better, I had a whole new image of myself and I started to see how much I was really loved and valued in God's eyes. I leave you with a passage from the bible that started to pull me out of the darkness and into the light: TRUST in the Lord with ALL of your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding; in ALL your ways ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, and he will make all your paths straight. Prov. 3:5-6. I would like to recommend two great books to you for finding purpose in your life: 1. Joel Osteen: You Best Life Now: 2004 and 2. Rick Warren: The Purpose Driven Life: 2002. Now I encourage you to Go ahead right now, this minute, cry out to Jesus! ask him to lead your heart so you may trust him that everything will be all right and the next step you take will be right in line with what he wants for you in life, and what life is suppose to be like in serving him! Amen