Even before becoming a mom, my depression
made it overwhelming to even get out of bed - let alone get anything
done. Becoming a mom has probably been the biggest motivation for me
because even though depression tends to keep you from caring about
yourself, the responsibility of having my baby depend on me
actually helps me want to care for myself too. I want him to be happy and
healthy, and I also want to be happy and healthy for him. Slowly but
surely, I've learned many motivational skills to help me get up and
going when I feel like lying around all day. One of my biggest
motivations is remembering how much better I will feel once I have
gotten things done.
Make this your Mantra:
Even if I only do a few small things, it makes me feel better about myself. The better I feel about myself, the more motivated I will become.
Here is just one of the techniques I use myself when doing housework:
The biggest mistake to make is to try to list or make a plan of action for tackling everything you want to get done. I often find myself spending more time planning my housework than I spend actually cleaning. That is the best way to overwhelm yourself, which can quickly send you into a complete shut-down that will keep you from doing anything at all. Don't think about getting everything done. Start with ONE small short-term goal and do not think about any other task until the first is finished. When I say "small," I don't mean: "I will get all of the laundry done." This is a perfect example of getting ahead of yourself. Instead, focus on only a portion of the task. For example: "By lunch time I will have a load of laundry in the wash while I fold an put away ONE stack of laundry." By only looking at that one small portion of the job, you feel less overwhelmed and actually get the entire job done faster. Once you have completed your first goal, make another small goal...and another..and another. Even if you haven't cleaned the entire house, you've gotten some things done and that is much better than getting overwhelmed and not doing anything at all.
This is actually the technique that professional organizers use to teach people to clear large amounts of clutter from their homes. You may have seen something similar on television shows about hoarders. They suggest draping a sheet over the pile, while leaving a small portion of the junk uncovered. That way you start by only sorting through the uncovered part, without becoming overwhelmed by seeing or thinking about the entire mess. Once you've finished clearing that little area, you continue to uncover the pile - bit by bit, until the job is finished. The same concept can be applied to anything. So instead of expecting everything to get done, just focus on one task at a time and don't feel guilty or ashamed when even the simplest of tasks feel impossible
(I was inspired to write about this topic when giving advice to a fellow mother asking for motivation on a BabyCenter forum called "Lazy Wives")
"Now, I definitely still am quite the lazy wife...but there is a way to be lazy and get things done at the same time. Just go at your own pace and don't expect yourself to get everything done. Surprisingly, when you don't expect to get much done, you actually end up doing a lot more than you would have with that "stepford wife" mentality." - part of my response to the Lazy Wives Club Posting on the topic of motivation.
Make this your Mantra:
Even if I only do a few small things, it makes me feel better about myself. The better I feel about myself, the more motivated I will become.
Here is just one of the techniques I use myself when doing housework:
The biggest mistake to make is to try to list or make a plan of action for tackling everything you want to get done. I often find myself spending more time planning my housework than I spend actually cleaning. That is the best way to overwhelm yourself, which can quickly send you into a complete shut-down that will keep you from doing anything at all. Don't think about getting everything done. Start with ONE small short-term goal and do not think about any other task until the first is finished. When I say "small," I don't mean: "I will get all of the laundry done." This is a perfect example of getting ahead of yourself. Instead, focus on only a portion of the task. For example: "By lunch time I will have a load of laundry in the wash while I fold an put away ONE stack of laundry." By only looking at that one small portion of the job, you feel less overwhelmed and actually get the entire job done faster. Once you have completed your first goal, make another small goal...and another..and another. Even if you haven't cleaned the entire house, you've gotten some things done and that is much better than getting overwhelmed and not doing anything at all.
This is actually the technique that professional organizers use to teach people to clear large amounts of clutter from their homes. You may have seen something similar on television shows about hoarders. They suggest draping a sheet over the pile, while leaving a small portion of the junk uncovered. That way you start by only sorting through the uncovered part, without becoming overwhelmed by seeing or thinking about the entire mess. Once you've finished clearing that little area, you continue to uncover the pile - bit by bit, until the job is finished. The same concept can be applied to anything. So instead of expecting everything to get done, just focus on one task at a time and don't feel guilty or ashamed when even the simplest of tasks feel impossible
(I was inspired to write about this topic when giving advice to a fellow mother asking for motivation on a BabyCenter forum called "Lazy Wives")
"Now, I definitely still am quite the lazy wife...but there is a way to be lazy and get things done at the same time. Just go at your own pace and don't expect yourself to get everything done. Surprisingly, when you don't expect to get much done, you actually end up doing a lot more than you would have with that "stepford wife" mentality." - part of my response to the Lazy Wives Club Posting on the topic of motivation.
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