inertia
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Join Date: Apr 2015
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inertia
you ever feel certain days like you feel like getting something done and you think about it and you know it needs to get done .You get past a certain point that you just don't wind up doing it at all you just opt out of doing it and laz around instead is that inertia?
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
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I'm not sure what other people call it. Inertia is as good a word as any.
It's pretty common in early recovery.
I recommend trying to get at least something done every day tho, especially those things that need to get done
D
It's pretty common in early recovery.
I recommend trying to get at least something done every day tho, especially those things that need to get done
D
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
My problems were as big as a mountain range & something happened one day
i mentally blew up the mountain and walked through there was rocks and stones to i had move along the way each day to pass through (it was a massive moutain range) but as i proceeded through that mountain range i picked up some tools to help and it made the job of moving the rocks & stones a lot less dificult there were some rocks that were heavier and required more effort on my part but on the whole i kept moving at a steady pace and one day i came across another person who was struggling with a rock so i gave him the tool i was using as i had picked up a few tools on the path i took
i mentally blew up the mountain and walked through there was rocks and stones to i had move along the way each day to pass through (it was a massive moutain range) but as i proceeded through that mountain range i picked up some tools to help and it made the job of moving the rocks & stones a lot less dificult there were some rocks that were heavier and required more effort on my part but on the whole i kept moving at a steady pace and one day i came across another person who was struggling with a rock so i gave him the tool i was using as i had picked up a few tools on the path i took
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
No, it's not inertia. More like indifference, laziness, depression or a bit of all three. For me most of my days like that are childish immobility (I ain't doin nuthin!) and nothing gets done until I do something, anything really to get the self-care moving again. This morning that may just be 10 minutes on the treadmill for me. Got any ideas for yourself?
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
I definitely had this, actually much more during my heavy drinking but I really struggled initially in early sobriety as well. I wasn't depressed then, was just used to not doing decent things and it took a while for my motivation to return in a steady way. I also struggled a lot with procrastination, which in my case was ~a life-long bad habit, much worse when I was drinking. The procrastination for me is largely an anxiety-driven behavior (plus I sometimes just want to distract myself) and I went to therapy to address it, worked pretty well but I need to keep an eye on it. My therapist said back then that with my pattern, it might take a good year to stabilize a new behavior and he compared it to my going on a different diet and sticking to it. It's been ~a year now and I feel quite comfortable
Practically speaking, there are a lot of ways to tackle this if you know the reason, I think. I like Soberwolf's post about gradually increasing the work load. I also work best when I break down big projects into smaller parts and target them strategically, otherwise I tend to get stuck in the anxiety of overwhelm. Oh, and the "paralysis by analysis" too, I am very prone to it. Another anxiety-related habit for me and the way around it is forcing myself to do the thing regardless of my initial feelings (even if it's lack of motivation). Once I'm on the task, all those feelings typically vanish, I feel quite driven, and happy when things get completed.
Like others said, it takes a while. If you can afford to be patient with yourself, it's a good idea, but do try to give yourself small projects to start the process.
Practically speaking, there are a lot of ways to tackle this if you know the reason, I think. I like Soberwolf's post about gradually increasing the work load. I also work best when I break down big projects into smaller parts and target them strategically, otherwise I tend to get stuck in the anxiety of overwhelm. Oh, and the "paralysis by analysis" too, I am very prone to it. Another anxiety-related habit for me and the way around it is forcing myself to do the thing regardless of my initial feelings (even if it's lack of motivation). Once I'm on the task, all those feelings typically vanish, I feel quite driven, and happy when things get completed.
Like others said, it takes a while. If you can afford to be patient with yourself, it's a good idea, but do try to give yourself small projects to start the process.
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Originally Posted by soberwolf 
My problems were as big as a mountain range & something happened one day
i mentally blew up the mountain and walked through there was rocks and stones to i had move along the way each day to pass through (it was a massive moutain range) but as i proceeded through that mountain range i picked up some tools to help and it made the job of moving the rocks & stones a lot less dificult there were some rocks that were heavier and required more effort on my part but on the whole i kept moving at a steady pace and one day i came across another person who was struggling with a rock so i gave him the tool i was using as i had picked up a few tools on the path i took
i mentally blew up the mountain and walked through there was rocks and stones to i had move along the way each day to pass through (it was a massive moutain range) but as i proceeded through that mountain range i picked up some tools to help and it made the job of moving the rocks & stones a lot less dificult there were some rocks that were heavier and required more effort on my part but on the whole i kept moving at a steady pace and one day i came across another person who was struggling with a rock so i gave him the tool i was using as i had picked up a few tools on the path i took
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,778
Originally Posted by haennie
I definitely had this, actually much more during my heavy drinking but I really struggled initially in early sobriety as well. I wasn't depressed then, was just used to not doing decent things and it took a while for my motivation to return in a steady way. I also struggled a lot with procrastination, which in my case was ~a life-long bad habit, much worse when I was drinking. The procrastination for me is largely an anxiety-driven behavior (plus I sometimes just want to distract myself) and I went to therapy to address it, worked pretty well but I need to keep an eye on it. My therapist said back then that with my pattern, it might take a good year to stabilize a new behavior and he compared it to my going on a different diet and sticking to it. It's been ~a year now and I feel quite comfortable
Practically speaking, there are a lot of ways to tackle this if you know the reason, I think. I like Soberwolf's post about gradually increasing the work load. I also work best when I break down big projects into smaller parts and target them strategically, otherwise I tend to get stuck in the anxiety of overwhelm. Oh, and the "paralysis by analysis" too, I am very prone to it. Another anxiety-related habit for me and the way around it is forcing myself to do the thing regardless of my initial feelings (even if it's lack of motivation). Once I'm on the task, all those feelings typically vanish, I feel quite driven, and happy when things get completed.
Like others said, it takes a while. If you can afford to be patient with yourself, it's a good idea, but do try to give yourself small projects to start the process.
Practically speaking, there are a lot of ways to tackle this if you know the reason, I think. I like Soberwolf's post about gradually increasing the work load. I also work best when I break down big projects into smaller parts and target them strategically, otherwise I tend to get stuck in the anxiety of overwhelm. Oh, and the "paralysis by analysis" too, I am very prone to it. Another anxiety-related habit for me and the way around it is forcing myself to do the thing regardless of my initial feelings (even if it's lack of motivation). Once I'm on the task, all those feelings typically vanish, I feel quite driven, and happy when things get completed.
Like others said, it takes a while. If you can afford to be patient with yourself, it's a good idea, but do try to give yourself small projects to start the process.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 44
for me it was like id get the though in my head that something had to get done but i would just let whatever emotion get in the way of holding me down .like id feel the anxiety overwhelm me and i wouldnt budge id just think about
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