Struggling with Depression: Why Simple Tasks Seem Impossible

@hashtaghopie I feel the same. I try my best to cut tasks down to smaller pieces so it doesn’t seem as scary or exhausting. If you write the smaller pieces into a list and cross off ones you did it feels good seeing oh, I can do this cuz I already did that and that. Sending good vibes

Thank you so much! These are great suggestions. I do have a therapist and I feel like sometimes she helps idk. It helps to have someone to just talk to about all the things going on in my life at the moment but I don't think she has really helped me actively come up w a plan to cope w depression. I know that having someone there does help me stay motivated. The only problem is that I can't rely on that. I have my boyfriend and that's about it. Everyone else in my life is not reliable enough to actually be there, be there. The other thing is that I don't wanna bother my boyfriend all the time cuz we're both in our 20s and so we both have a lot of responsibilities. Plus, we have separate apartments but we live in the same college town. We go to college together. But I do notice that I am definitely less depressed when I'm around him and more motivated. My therapist said I might have borderline personality disorder and I think she might be right. I get really depressed usually when I'm alone and I just feel weird when I'm alone. And I'm alone alot cuz I have my own apartment. As for the other suggestions, I'll have to try them out. They seem like they'll be difficult for me especially since most of the time I can't really think of good reasons to do tasks, like it just seems monotonous and meaningless. I struggle w apathy alot which is another depressions symptom obviously. Either way though, thank you so much for the detailed response. It means alot.

Hello. Sometimes it helps me to just have someone else in the room "accountable" for me. Like today, during my therapy session I was cleaning my room. The other person doesn't have to actually do anything. Sometimes the simple tasks seem daunting, but having someone on the phone/in the room while I do something simple makes it seem easier. That's just what helps for me. I don't know what will help for you, but try some different things. On another note- someone once told me that "should" statements are useless. Don't beat yourself up over things you "should" be doing, come up with a better way to think about these tasks, maybe like "I want to brush my teeth" instead of "I should brush my teeth" and you might feel more motivated to do it. For some people it helps to go through logically why they want to do these tasks, like "I want a shower because I know I will feel better afterwards, I will smell clean and fresh, I will be more relaxed" or whatever it may be. "I want to clean my room so that I feel more comfortable in my space, so my cat can come in, so I no longer have this daunting task ahead of me, and so I can find the things I want when I want them." Focus on why these things will help You, specifically, because you're the one who has to put in the effort to do them. The other thing that I'll say on this topic is that punishing yourself/feeling bad about not doing something simple doesn't help any. It just makes you feel worse. Try phrasing your things you haven't done with a "yet" at the end- "I haven't showered today yet" it makes it seem more like you'll end up doing it later for your brain. I know people say putting things off is dumb but sometimes we just do it and it's not the worst thing in the world to put off something unless it's directly harming you. If you didn't shower for three days or something then there would be cause for concern. Try talking with a therapist if possible about this- they usually have tips and tricks on what to do in these situations. I hope this helps.