Avatar Posted by Bluemuse37 226 days ago (Question)
I just wondered if anyone had any advice on how to break the cycle of procrastination. I know it's a difficult subject, but I have so many things I want to do, I will plan to do them (start exercising, eating better, cleaning my house, even just enjoying the moment), and it seems everyday these important things are put off again and again. I am way beyond being sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have fibromyalgia and am in a lot of pain a lot of days, but I don't want that to keep me from living life and being the kind of person I WANT to be but am choosing not to be. I have to accept that this is MY fault. I oftentimes feel completely frozen in place and just put things off - escape by watching TV or surfing the internet. I feel as I am getting older that time is so precious... so then I get more anxious and depressed that I am failing at embracing life the way that I should be! I would appreciate any advice. Be hard it's fine - I just want to get out of the funk! Thank you!


Answers


bella
226 days ago
Hi - sorry you're struggling and dealing with daily pain. First thing - are you in treatment for the fibromyalgia and if so what kind of treatment? Ask your doctor what kind of exercise would be good considering the fibro. I know water aerobics is great for arthritis and fibro patients. ATM it seems you're overwhelmed with what you want to do and how to start. When you can't motivate yourself, this makes it worse.

Start small and make some simple lists - like cleaning one room a day or going for a 10 minute walk. Gradually you can do 5 more minutes each time. One thing that works for me is - I don't allow myself a pleasurable activity like being on the computer or watching TV, unless I do what needs to be done that day. Basically you force yourself to do 1 or 2 tasks.

When you think of all the tasks/self goals you're not doing....then you feel like a failure. Take baby steps - clean one room, make a nutritious lunch and then go for a walk. It might hurt a bit more to exercise but this is temporary. Not exercising will make your pain and general health worse. You can do these attainable goals if you take it in small steps -best of luck.
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pul90
226 days ago
Totally agree.
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Bluemuse37
225 days ago
Thank you guys so much! You hit the nail on the head... instead of just taking small steps, I really do mount up all the "haven't done yets" against myself and then become paralyzed while taking an inventory of all my faults. I am going to... and it's a perfect time to start here at the beginning of a week... stick to taking a walk and modifying my diet a bit. I have a yoga/pilates DVD, and I have done it a couple of times and it is really great - even though yes I have pain after, but it will strengthen my core, and if I can lose a bit of weight, I think that helps with the pressure on some of my joints. I've got to take a step back right now because I want to start adding up even more things to do, but if I do, I won't, so I'm going to stop there :) Take it slow... baby steps... I will commit to this, and I thank you for your time in replying to my question. I really appreciate it.
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Zeltarsgirl
205 days ago
I can totally feel for you being a fellow Fibro sufferer myself. I've struggled with this illness for almost 30 years. I know how horribly painfull it can be. It also causes me much of the time to not be able to do the things I really know I should be able to do so I know how frustrating it can feel. I am a mother and homemaker and I also find that I become so depressed that some day's I am so paralized with it that I can't seem to fight my way to the surface to be able to do even the slightest little things. I sometimes feel so overwhelmed all I can do is to sit down and cry. (then of course absolutely nothing is accomplished). Part of my problem is I'm finding I have no energy at all and so just trying to begin to do anything becomes exhausting for me. I've suffered from Depression off and on for several years because of the Fibro. I am on pain meds to help control the pain as best as they can as well as muscle relaxants. Finally, a couple of years ago I couldn't take having the loss of energy and feeling so down and depressed any longer. I knew the depression was eating me alive. I am not a young person any more and just want to live some type of quality of life. I went to my doctor and got help for it. We finally, found an anti-depressant medication that works well for me. It not only lifts my moods but it also helps to give me a bit more energy and focus than I didn't have before. I had tried other anti-depressants in the past and non of them seemed to do anything to have helped me. I was sort of scared that there might be notheting they could do for me to help. Therefore, when I went 2 years ago I didn't have a lot of hope anything would be any different. All I knew was it felt like I was dying a little more every day and needed some sort of help. I needed to try something. It has now been 2 years and 3 months that I've been on the med. I feel so much better and am very greatful that my doctor and I were able to come up with something that helped me. Now I am not only able to clean my house again, drive my daughter to her several activities she's involved in but I am also proud to say I went and took horseback riding lessons, learned to ride and now and a proud owner of my own beautiful wonderful horse. She herself is like medicine to my sole. I get to ride most day's (I still have some bad ones.) But I've realized that sometimes even if I'm down and feel like I'm dragging myself to the barn. Once I'm there working with her and riding her and even when I can't ride just spending the time brusing and grooming her I feel so much better. It's great to that when I return home I've realized I'm not as sore as one would think and my energy level is better along with my much imporved outlook on life altogheter. I am now able to actually handle getting some of the necessary chores done. I am also finding that when I go to bed at night I have a much more satisfied feeling much with the progress of my day. I'm by all meaning not saying I don't have those horrid day's when I hurt so bad I can hardly move so there is no way going to the barn or even any moderate housework will get done. But I try to keep looking forward and not backwards that tomorrow will be a better day and go from there. I don't know if this will help you any, but I hope it will in some way. I do feel your pain, I know how difficult depression is to fight. But I know you can win this battle or at least get a handle on it. Life is waiting for you! :)
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