Get Motivated!

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Zumcddo on 2023-11-22 13:53:34+00:00.

I’ve always struggled with extreme exhaustion and a lack of motivation to do literally anything outside of the bare minimum. It may not seem like the biggest challenge to most, but it held me extremely far back for so long in life.

For years, I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I tried adderall, anti-depressants, and other things, but nothing really worked for me. I thought that I was basically just lazy and stupid.

In college, I started listening to certain podcasts, following subs like this one, and consuming more what I’d call “motivational” content. I started learning about dopamine addiction and realized that I was completely addicted to my phone. Scrolling would be the first thing I did when I woke up and the last thing I did before I went to bed. It became obvious I was completely overstimulated with dopamine.

I became OBSESSED with breaking my phone addiction. It was super hard, but eventually, I was able to go from 8+ hours per day to under 2 hours (and still trying to get under 1).

My sleep quality has dramatically improved, I now have sustained energy throughout the day, I work out consistently because I’m now able to derive pleasure from it, I started cooking healthy meals, and I started loving and performing well at my job.

It was the single best thing I ever did.

I think a lot of people don’t really like to admit it but have the same screen time problem that I had. It can be difficult, but here are the three easiest things you can do to dramatically lower your screen time and feel the benefits right away:

Waiting an hour before checking your phone. Our dopamine baseline largely resets overnight, meaning we have the most self-control in the morning before we start scrolling. Use this to your advantage by delaying usage as late as possible

Getting a good screen time app. App blockers never worked for me, so my friends and I all use the “Present - Screen Time Control” app because it gamifies reducing your screen time in a way that’s actually motivating. Essentially, it replaces dopamine from scrolling with dopamine for reducing your screen time. Plus, you can play with your friends. But there are others out there, find one that works for you.

Delete your most distracting apps from your phone. You don’t have to delete your account, just force yourself to use the apps on your computer. Most of the time when we access these apps on our phone, it’s completely mindless. Using them on your computer makes it more intentional.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Zumcddo on 2023-11-22 13:53:34+00:00.

I’ve always struggled with extreme exhaustion and a lack of motivation to do literally anything outside of the bare minimum. It may not seem like the biggest challenge to most, but it held me extremely far back for so long in life.

For years, I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I tried adderall, anti-depressants, and other things, but nothing really worked for me. I thought that I was basically just lazy and stupid.

In college, I started listening to certain podcasts, following subs like this one, and consuming more what I’d call “motivational” content. I started learning about dopamine addiction and realized that I was completely addicted to my phone. Scrolling would be the first thing I did when I woke up and the last thing I did before I went to bed. It became obvious I was completely overstimulated with dopamine.

I became OBSESSED with breaking my phone addiction. It was super hard, but eventually, I was able to go from 8+ hours per day to under 2 hours (and still trying to get under 1).

My sleep quality has dramatically improved, I now have sustained energy throughout the day, I work out consistently because I’m now able to derive pleasure from it, I started cooking healthy meals, and I started loving and performing well at my job.

It was the single best thing I ever did.

I think a lot of people don’t really like to admit it but have the same screen time problem that I had. It can be difficult, but here are the three easiest things you can do to dramatically lower your screen time and feel the benefits right away:

Waiting an hour before checking your phone. Our dopamine baseline largely resets overnight, meaning we have the most self-control in the morning before we start scrolling. Use this to your advantage by delaying usage as late as possible

Getting a good screen time app. App blockers never worked for me, so my friends and I all use the “Present - Screen Time Control” app because it gamifies reducing your screen time in a way that’s actually motivating. Essentially, it replaces dopamine from scrolling with dopamine for reducing your screen time. Plus, you can play with your friends. But there are others out there, find one that works for you.

Delete your most distracting apps from your phone. You don’t have to delete your account, just force yourself to use the apps on your computer. Most of the time when we access these apps on our phone, it’s completely mindless. Using them on your computer makes it more intentional.

This is an automated archive.

The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Glad-Room5715 on 2023-11-22 04:29:49+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Glad-Room5715 on 2023-11-22 04:29:49+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Mon3297 on 2023-11-21 20:59:28+00:00.

I have a competitive exam coming up and I want to leave no stone unturned to clear it. Apart from studying for it by making notes and revising, what more can I do? What are some of the strategies students can use to improve concentration? What kind of habits lead to a better performance?

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Mon3297 on 2023-11-21 20:59:28+00:00.

I have a competitive exam coming up and I want to leave no stone unturned to clear it. Apart from studying for it by making notes and revising, what more can I do? What are some of the strategies students can use to improve concentration? What kind of habits lead to a better performance?

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Choice-Gate-4764 on 2023-11-21 14:42:23+00:00.

Life has become a puzzle in a box I don't know if out this box will be any better so

I'm deciding on leaving my studies for a this semester and return after a break . I have to decide on a lot about myself. I'm in final semester for my current institution.

But as I was away for quite a while on my own I had days of complete neglect towards myself. There was weeks when I didn't take trash out and there were bags of it . Didn't dusted or mopped the floors . Everything was scattered all over the place. My devices were shut for weeks . And my mind was shut too . Some nights I cried cried myself to sleep . Somedays I cried for more than a day and still couldn't understand why I was like this . I am in a better condition than many why I am not being thankful to it . Visited my parents recently and gathered courage for first time to tell them and talk to them about a lot.

And my eyes would always get teary In between talks . I would look around or go to bathroom to not let them know I'm teary .

Met my friend . Gathered courage to talk to her about some questions I wanted to ask to her .

Looked at my finances till now , thought about my life to do things in the next two months .

And my exams come next month and next too. I haven't studied a bit . I was always good but i can't seem to understand why I am unable to do well in studies this year . To tell you being alone maybe gave me a lot time alone to think of my choices that I made till now . A lot good more bad ones . My health too .

I Don't want passing grades in it and I have option to take a year off and come back to study . I have taken 2 months off at the beginning of the year . So I'm thinking of taking a semester off this time .

I don't plan on traveling or spending my or my parents money . I wish to do many part time job for two months earn a bit enough and save that money and go back home then maybe loose weight alongside. And I'll think of others things after it .

Financial security other than my parents or living alone without someone elder than me around. At this age still trying to find out if I can take a step away from my stable career setted up .

I want to ask is it right of me to do so . Or am I wrong somewhere.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/absurdman007 on 2023-11-21 13:45:53+00:00.

These past 2 years have in every sense has fucked up mindset. Things i used to enjoy earlier doesn't feel fun anymore and it isn't that something major happened with me. I have forgot how to react or talk in these situations due to which i am coming across as arrogant, negative person at my post-grad. I was mot like this! I want that back. People used to say i talk too much, but now, man i can stay quite for hours! Please help. I don't want this dull life.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Glad-Room5715 on 2023-11-21 04:53:18+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Glad-Room5715 on 2023-11-21 04:53:18+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Ex_Nihil on 2023-11-20 23:47:03+00:00.

If you're not feeling like doing a task; then, give yourself a little boost of motivation: "I can do this. I got this. Let's go!" That will allow you to avoid the mania.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/True-Grapefruit4042 on 2023-11-20 22:19:31+00:00.

I have worked out 3-5x/week for the last ~12 years. Through college, a job, getting married, the pandemic. I spent a small fortune in 2020 getting a really solid home gym setup because I was so dedicated. However this entire year has been full of injuries and now I am out of the habit and not motivated. At the start of the year I was recovering from COVID, then I pulled my back and it kept me from weights for 2 months. Then I sprained/fractured my ankle and kept me from doing legs for 6 weeks, now I have a shoulder injury that's almost healed but not quite 100% that kept me from doing upper body for a month. I feel like this whole year has just been a setback, anything other than biking is so difficult to get started for some reason. I always am glad when I am able to actually go and get a good workout in, but I have lost almost all of my motivation to actually put in the effort at this point.

Can anyone please give me some advice on things I can try to get some motivation back?

Edit: Thank you all for the kind and helpful comments. I think I need to just suck it up and force myself to keep going and get back on my routine as much as possible. Thank you all again for reading and commenting!

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Pojoba01 on 2023-11-20 18:52:06+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Careless_Shoulder_15 on 2023-11-20 13:04:06+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/vhpoet on 2023-11-20 12:24:09+00:00.

I've been journaling pretty consistently for the past 18 years. It's been incredibly beneficial for my mental wellness helping me understand my thoughts and emotions, especially when I'm going through stuff and need to process my experiences.

I've also been in tech for about the same amount of time. When ChatGPT came out, I became really curious about how it could enhance my journaling, considering its vast knowledge from every conceivable book and article on psychology, philosophy, self-help, etc. Initially, it was just me asking ChatGPT for insights, kind of an exploration. But this quickly turned into something bigger. I found myself developing a unique journaling method/tool that really tailors the experience to my needs. This new approach has seriously taken my introspection to a whole new level. It helps me dive deeper into my experiences and gain a much better understanding of myself. I've been using it pretty much daily and wanted to share it with you guys, hoping you'll find it useful too.

Basically, the way it works is I start a new session and jot down all my thoughts, just like I normally would in a journal. When I feel I've said all there is to say, I click 'go deeper.' This prompts the AI to analyze my writing and ask tailored, deep questions that poke me in the right spots and help me see things from new angles. It generates some incredibly insightful questions which often reveal blind spots or aspects I might not have considered, which is awesome. I continue writing and answering these questions, just like in a journal entry. When I feel I'm done, I click 'go deeper' again, and new questions come up, sparking further thoughts and so on. By the end, my journal entry is much deeper than my initial one, and I'm left with greater clarity.

Many concerns about using AI in mental health stem from its lack of emotional intelligence, potential biases, and the risk of misinterpretation. I completely agree that we're not at a point where AI can or should replace professional therapy. But this is exactly where this journaling method fits in. In this approach, AI doesn't provide the answers, direct guidance, or diagnoses. Instead, it generates thought-provoking prompts and questions based on your text encouraging deeper self-reflection. The goal is to assist introspection, complementing rather than replacing the nuanced understanding a human therapist provides.

I don’t want to directly advertise here, but if you’re curious about the tool, it’s called Deepwander. Feel free to google or check out the new subreddit r/deepwander I just created. Alternatively, you could use chatgpt to recreate a similar experience, though it would offer a much less tailored user experience.

I'm really curious about how you all integrate tech into your self-reflection practices. Have you used AI, or are there other tools and methods that have deepened your introspection? Would love to hear your experiences.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Dry_Foundation3337 on 2023-11-20 11:58:46+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/kbronander on 2023-11-20 11:32:32+00:00.

It’s rare that we ever find ourselves doing something poorly on purpose.

In trying to become a bit better each day, every action we take, every endeavor we embark upon, becomes an opportunity to optimize, to do better.

And yet, we allocate widely varied efforts to different activities depending on their importance and the context of the situation.

We spend much more time drafting an email than a text message and texting takes on a new level of importance when we’re messaging a longtime friend compared to a recent crush.

Drawing a line that limits the time and energy we allocate to a specific pursuit is easy when the stakes are low, but the question of where to draw the line becomes much more difficult when we’re choosing how to approach the truly worthwhile pursuits in our lives.

We all want to be better. We all want to live a fulfilling and rewarding life. We all want to do the very best we can with everything that’s important to us, but doing so requires an immense amount of our limited time and energy. The more we lean into one pursuit the less we have to allocate to another.

The question shouldn’t be how to achieve mastery in all of our worthwhile pursuits. If we attempted mastery in each pursuit, we’d either achieve it in one pursuit at the expense of the others or spread ourselves too thin and make limited progress.

Instead, we should ask ourselves where we can draw the line to limit our effort in each pursuit so we can allocate enough resources to each of the most important areas in our lives to be proud of the results.

Allocating our time and energy is like choosing a cart in a game of Mario Kart. We need to balance handling, acceleration, top speed, and off-road capabilities. The perfect cart, like the perfect life, doesn't exist.

Instead, we're faced with trade-offs - opting for better top speed may come at the cost of acceleration, and choosing great handling might mean sacrificing performance off-road. These trade-offs mirror the complexities of real life.

If we choose to invest all our time and energy into our jobs and our social lives then we need to accept worse outcomes in other areas of our lives like our health and our hobbies.

We all want to be healthy and fit, be an incredible parent, get a promotion at work, spend more time with friends, travel to new places, and master our favorite hobby, but if we don’t learn where to draw the line, pursuits of excellence will hurt more than help.

A fulfilling life is rooted in the balance of focus and diversification.

Focus too much on one thing and we’ll get results we’re not happy with in other areas. Diversify too broadly and we’ll have subpar results as well.

Learning to draw the line at good enough allows us to excel in the small number of things that are of outsized importance. If we’re proud of the results from what matters most, the rest will take care of itself.

Adapted from Prompted, a newsletter delivering insights and prompts designed to help you become a bit better each day.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Glad-Room5715 on 2023-11-20 04:43:50+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Impressive_Sir_332 on 2023-11-20 03:48:24+00:00.

I don't know why but the problem is getting worse and worse. I can't focus, I'm unmotivated, every time I try to sit down and be creative (it's part of my career path) I'm distracted by social media, snacks, chores, or literally just my own thoughts. If I try REALLY hard I can get a little bit of work done, but I have to be listening to music.

I'm 24 and I need to get my life together...it's almost like I'm getting dumber, not smarter. I'm forgetting important things now too. I almost lost my job at a bank I clean because I forgot to lock the door. I'm constantly fatigued, or my mind is so energetic that I can't sit still. Meanwhile I see everyone in my life making big accomplishments and working hard, and I keep beating myself up for being lazy.

I sincerely WANT to accomplish things but my brain HATES me. It wants me to waste my life!

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/femcel_420 on 2023-11-19 21:54:29+00:00.

I catch myself getting an attitude with family members, customers at my work, etc. for small things, usually for not going at the same pace as me (keep asking questions, rushing me, interrupting, not understanding something, just generally being inconvenienced). I really hate that I’m like this, I feel guilty almost every time I do it. What are some ways that I can change my attitude towards people and in general? I know everyone is in their own world and almost nothing is personal but it’s hard not to react like it is.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/femcel_420 on 2023-11-19 21:54:29+00:00.

I catch myself getting an attitude with family members, customers at my work, etc. for small things, usually for not going at the same pace as me (keep asking questions, rushing me, interrupting, not understanding something, just generally being inconvenienced). I really hate that I’m like this, I feel guilty almost every time I do it. What are some ways that I can change my attitude towards people and in general? I know everyone is in their own world and almost nothing is personal but it’s hard not to react like it is.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/fp_admin on 2023-11-19 21:01:26+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/fp_admin on 2023-11-19 21:01:26+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/sinist5r on 2023-11-19 19:16:26+00:00.

apologies for the format, i’m on mobile. potential tw, no details and nothing graphic.

to contextualize the rest of my post its necessary to mention that my childhood was psychologically abusive. i underwent a major traumatic event during the first of my teenage years and subsequently i was subjected to more psychological abuse, this included removing me from formal education and forceful isolation for the remaining duration of my teenage years. over time i lost most of my friendships as i wasn’t allowed to leave my house. as you can probably imagine, it did a number on my mental health leaving me with chronic depersonalization and derealization.

however, now in my early twenties, i am in a better place and consider myself to be more stable than i’ve ever been. i did therapy for a few years although, aside from it plateauing, it isn’t in the best interest of my current budget.

after living most of my formative years as a shut-in against my will, i am desperate to move on with my life. my circumstances are similar, not as bad, i have fixed my relationship with my parents but i still spend a lot of time alone. i want to engage the motivation i have but i don’t know how. i don’t know if it’s accountability i need, validation, encouragement, dialogue, i don’t know but sitting on it won’t yield any more of an answer. there is so much i want to do, i want to create but i can’t seem to bring myself to start, i want to study international law but i graduated with a ged due to being forcibly removed from highschool and being a non-american it has derailed my academic trajectory.

i feel like i have no chance of finding my way back on track and securing myself on a sort of upward path, it makes me feel like my life isn’t worth living, i’m not worth knowing and the future isn’t worth pursuing. i really don’t want to amount to the sum of my childhood. i feel like time is running out. my peers have surpassed me. the fear of dying with nothing more to me than what i’ve been through is incapacitating. thanks if you read this far.

if anyone has any tips to soloing motivation, engaging and applying it within the confines of the same four walls you’ve seen since childhood, i’d appreciate hearing from you.

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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/Royal_Tumbleweed_910 on 2023-11-19 15:48:15+00:00.