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Daza68New Contributor
I'm really struggling with the guilt of waking each morning and allowing my day to be nothing but sitting and achieving zero. I want to do things, even reading is hard. So I find with my depression and ptsd I waste the daylight hours only to get to bed time and worry about the next nightmare. I know people talk about getting out of bed is an achievement, but it is hard.
In response to: Procrastination and guilt
SANE-AdminAdministrator
Welcome to the forums. It's great to have you with us @Daza68
Based on what you have mentioned, we hear your frustration and upset.
Would it help to start off with one small achieveable goal each day? For example, have a shower; tidy a drawer?
You are not alone in what you are gonig through. I'm sure the community will be able to shed light on this too.
In response to: Re: Procrastination and guilt
Daza68New Contributor
In response to: Re: Procrastination and guilt
AlwaysMyselfSenior Contributor
Some days can be rough with motivation eh. @Daza68 . I think @SANE-Admin advice was great re: starting small - even tiny! And celebrating the small stuff and once you get in a better routine to do those things OK then start to add another tiny thing and see how you go.
And there will always be some days where we feel like we are "falling back" or "failing", but its OK to have days where we're tired or need a rest and that's not failure.
Do you have a small goal for today?
Does having a friendly-supportive-encouraging "accountability buddy" help?
(E.g. we have a thread for doing some peddling for this purpose Sane Tour De Aus! which im finding really helpful myself for doing 5min cycle peddle a day as a goal)
In response to: Procrastination and guilt
Rubyrose1Senior Contributor
@Daza68 this really resonates with me, I’ve been struggling with this for quite some time now and it’s been very hard to get out of, is incredibly frustrating, I feel your pain and hope things improve for you
In response to: Procrastination and guilt
CuddlebearSenior Contributor
@Daza68 Hello it is really nice to meet you. I can understand what you are going through as I’m experiencing the same.
I do get out of bed and brush my teeth and look after my dog. I consider those achievements because I do it despite feeling awful and having to push through. I respond to messages and I pay bills. All of these are simple tasks but I’ve come to learn that considering how bad we are feeling doing those things is pretty impressive.
Having said that I do understand that as humans we need more than this to thrive. We need to be able to live life not just go through the motions of small tasks and sit at home feeling lonely and depressed and unable to do things we once enjoyed. It’s not wasting the hours in the sense of being “lazy”. The mental and physical symptoms of depression and complex PTSD stop us from doing the things we desire. It’s not easy to live with and takes time to recover.
Taking small steps has been helpful even if inconsistent. For example, reading could involve just reading 1 page or having an audio book to listen to for a few minutes. Washing dishes might look like doing the cups and taking a break then going back to do cutlery. I’m basically saying breaking something up into smaller bit can be helpful.
Are you able to socialise at this point? Being around people you like can provide some joy and over time can help us engage in life and look after ourselves.
Talking here about how you feel gets all the emotions off your chest and people here all have lived experience and are kind and caring.
I do SANE recovery club 4 evenings a week. It is on Zoom and it is an activity where I’m around humans. I don’t have to even have the camera or microphone on. I can type in the chat to interact or can sit back and listen. It’s a really safe, warm and welcoming space.
I don’t have all the answers but I can say you are not alone. You are not worthless or hopeless. Mental illness is not simple to get through but here you are reaching out and showing a lot of strength doing that.
In response to: Procrastination and guilt
Fadednfried223Contributor
hey mate,
i feel where your coming from. its hard dude. look, im at the point where im not even guilty. im at the point where its like scary. so, before u get there, dont take drugs ! or drink! really try work on yourself to get out of it. you can do it brother.
In response to: Procrastination and guilt
WaveGoodNightContributor
Thanks @Daza68 for reaching out. Living with both the guilt of feeling unproductive during the day and the dread of nightmares at night must be exhausting. The struggle is real, and by opening up here you’re already taking a step to break that cycle. Thank you for trusting the community with this
There should be no guilt in what you are feeling, you are moving in the right direction by your acknowledgement. Every small step will get you closer.
As mentioned by @AlwaysMyself , give yourself small tasks and slowly build on them, it’s about routine and giving yourself achievable goals. You are doing great and we are all here to support you on this journey
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Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
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