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Do you struggle with motivation?
When life gets mentally challenging, sometimes I find it particularly hard to motivate myself. Sometimes I rise to the occasion and sometimes I don’t.
Do you struggle with motivation? If so, how do you manage on your bad days?
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23 Replies
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I struggle with anxiety, any stress makes it worse and then I seem to lose all motivation to do anything. It’s this in particular that’s really adversely affecting the quality of my life. I often feel it’s not worth living
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sorry to hear this as yes i agree with you! being alone with no help im scared when needing a nursing home and praying not! panic attacks like crazy! yes ANY stress even good stress like laughter! gotta keep CALM. not easy in this world.
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Totally understand you. Anxiety is we can’t move! We know how stress exacerbates the freezing and what are we to do? Music is therapy WHEN I follow my heart and not my head. Parkinson’s is a horrible disease like many. We’re dealing with it and the current society we have doesn’t help. It is so obvious Biden has PD but noooo, they won’t tell the truth to the public. And Trump would never care because he’s into himself. Narcissist. I say you’re just screaming for every right reason. Maybe a nice ice cream bar and tomorrow is another day. Hang in there.
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I have been having a lot of trouble with motivation lately. It just seems like I’m too tired to do anything even though I may get enough sleep. It just all seems too hard. I’ve been wondering how to lift myself up. I haven’t found an answer yet.
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Yes, apathy is definitely a problem for me. I don’t care about things i used to be passionate about. And a lot things seem too stressful. I just started on antidepressants and will see if that helps.
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I’m so thankful for this forum.
For quite a while I thought it was just me & to learn that others are experiencing the same things is so reassuring.
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Hi, let me know if they help as i was thinking about them too! do they help with PD?
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You’re being authentic. Of course you don’t feel like doing what you used to do because you aren’t moving. You’re real. Because you’re telling the truth, I’ll bet you’re creative enough to find a solution and do share with everyone. That old saying-When you’re being run outta town, get in the front and make it a parade!
Best to you.
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I find apathy and loss of motivation one of the biggest contributors to less quality of life for me. It’s very difficult and challenging to motivate myself when I feel so apathetic. I use prayer, exercise and a prescribed antidepressant to address feeling apathetic. Getting outside and changing my environment seems to be most helpful
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Whoa-you certainly motivated me-maybe for tomorrow since I’m complaining today. Seriously, good ideas. Thanks.
Music, humor, journaling, dancing-as Best as I can-doing things for others.
I like this-
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I have become very adept at pivoting. If I’m tired, my symptoms are more pronounced than usual or I’m feeling stuck, I’ll pivot, put off big things and focus on smaller goals like short bursts of exercise throughout the day or cleaning out a drawer. Even something silly like a Godzilla movie marathon while I work on some knitting helps. After a few days I feel better, pivot again, and tackle the big stuff.
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That’s what I usually do too but I didn’t think of the word PIVOT! Brilliant-thank you. Every little move counts. Cleaning drawers that are near you because it’s too difficult to reach new areas when movement isn’t working. Anything to keep my mind off what I CAN’T DO!!!
So helpful to everyone. Thank you.
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I find it very challenging to get motivated after going through illness or stressful situations. Sometimes our home lives aren’t as good as others. A lot of us lack any emotional support from friends or family and this makes us depressed.
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Absolutely. Unfortunately we can see these so-called lovely families and they’re intact and MOBILE!! Not being mobile is just AWFUL. One can never even imagine how weird I feel when the elevator doors open and I freeze! People stare and wonder-WTHECK??? It’s so brave of all of us to even go out and be with people who are mobile and didn’t we all just take our mobility for granted? IT’S NATURAL! Walking-being able to know you can walk across the room is almost a miracle. Did we ever think this would be us? So do we give up? Nah-we live for that new day when it becomes a wonderful day. It’s coming, just not today on my schedule.
Best~
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Sometimes when I feel stressed or unable to do anything, I will take a breather day and just do nothing or do something enjoyable.My friends are very encouraging and supportive. I find that if I exercise even if it is just walking, seems to lift my spirits. Sometimes just reading others problems or discussions help me. Aloha and thank you all out there!!!
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Aloha to you too. We used to live on Oahu-Aiea-Koaluka Loop. Ahhh-those were the days I would RUN around Pearl Ridge-go anywhere-sit-move when I wanted. Stress is the worst and it deeply affects me. Too much excitement contributes to anxiety as well. I’m so happy you write. Thanks for the memories.
Aloha-from Colorado
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Yes. I noticed in this past year, that my motivation to fight the good fight against Mr. P has been waning. As the years pass, I’ve often been complemented on my positive attitude and optimisim. But, as my symtoms have increased, it is harder and harder to stand tall. And so, I’ve discovered that my attitude has worsened. I called a friend last week, and revealed to her that I feel as though I am going down the “rrabbit hole”. She replied, “Get the fuck out of there!” The longer you stay in that depressing hole, the harder it is to crawl out! So, I focus on the people in my life that would be very sad if I was no longer on this earth. I don’t want to make them sad, so I do something that will help with this anxiety caused by Mr. P’… I do some deep breathing, I watch a favorite comedy, I listen to music, or I play some of my instruments; guitar or saxaphone. Maybe we should try to jam with eachother, because when playing music, there is no room for anything else at that moment.
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Sometimes I just feel like I’ve been fighting so hard for so long that I’m just tired. I’m 80 years old. Why can’t I just take it easy now. Then I try to tell myself that I don’t need to burden my family and that I need to move. Today my neurologist got after me for my pity-party. I have given up my singing and writing but she told me I can’t do that. So, I guess I’ll keep trying although I no longer have the ability to be on stage.
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Ok-your rabbit hole friend I’m sure means well. And I’ll bet she is MOBILE!
Funny ha ha and NOT! You’re permitted to be candid about your own life. It sucks and you’re being authentic about it. Of course you’re not going to REMAIN there. Give your friend a little visit in case she’s NEXT!!!!
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SOLUTION
I struggled with fatigue, stress, etc
I am now using 14 mg nicotine patches. After 8 weeks they still work. I get mine from CVS. If they work for you then you will know right away. I sat on the couch for 6 years..no more. I now have energy.
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What a novel use of nicotine patches! I had never thought of this. I will shop for patches tomorrow. Thank you!
My Parkinson’s is still in its early stage (gracias a las diosas) but I became plagued by anxiety. My neurologist told me I was suffering 5% from Parkinson’s and 95% from anxiety over the disease. I nearly lost my mind several months ago because my body and mind couldn’t sustain my over-the-cliff anxiety (fear).
My psychiatrist referred me to classes about how to cope with anxiety, and I was matched with a therapist whose specialty is to stabilize folks like myself. All this, along with a change in diet and exercise; taking a naturopathic doctor’s recommended supplements; and sheer exhaustion calmed my anxiety.
Aside from my long venture into anxiety, severe fatigue has been my worst symptom. More days than not, I’m able to complete only one household chore (washing a few dishes, folding one load of laundry, etc.) and I must sleep for several hours afterwards. Soon, when the weather warms more, I’ll be able to restart water aerobics enhanced with intense stretching. All this helps a lot with body stiffness and mood. In the meantime, I need a booster and I’ll try the nicotine patch.
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Did you give up smoking and that’s why the nicotine patches? Ok-hm-I recall my smoking days. Lovely. And unlike Mr. Clinton, I ENJOYED inhaling.
Best-
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On March 6th, a group of 24 participants from the Middle Years support group at BIDMC (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston), via Zoom, pondered the question of whether there is a Band-Aid for Parkinson’s disease.
While I could only answer for myself that day, the answer is still “yes.” My Resolve Band aids me every day in dealing with the Middle Years of this journey called Parkinson’s. This is the reason for the Band-Aid Box metaphor, a great visual and reminder of how valuable the band has become to me. Sharing my Resolve Band has unexpectedly fostered a significant connection with the other participants from that day, and more than half now have one.
I was diagnosed in 2020, and by 2024, I felt compelled to express my thanks to all the people who had helped me so far. I wanted the gift to be personal, simple, and meaningful to both me and the recipient, so I conceived the Resolve Band.
The concept for the Resolve Band emerged as a deeply personal way to express my sincere gratitude to the incredible network of friends, staff, clinicians, and doctors who have helped me over the past five years. I have greatly appreciated their compassion, guidance, knowledge, and willingness to share their expertise. To date, I’ve personally given out over 125 of the bands as a tangible expression of my profound appreciation for their contributions to my journey.
For me, the Resolve Band has become more than just a token of gratitude; it is a daily touchstone that offers two core tenets that help me navigate life with Parkinson’s. The word ‘INTENT’ is inspired by the empowering mantra of the Parkinson Voice Project to ‘Speak and Live with Intent.’ Using all CAPS reminds me of the intensity needed to accomplish this daily.
‘Perseverance’ is a longer, more subtle word I have always revered. It reminds me of the road ahead and the incremental wins and losses I can expect along the way. The light grey band reminds me of the muted, even subdued, moments to enjoy. The deep blue reminds me to be equally bold. The font is Gabriella, which means “God is my strength” in Italian.
The positive responses I receive when I share the band and describe how it serves as my personal compass underscore our need and desire for tangible reminders and coping mechanisms. While I do not expect everyone to choose to wear one, knowing that I resolve to wear mine each day is my way of acknowledging the essential and ongoing role that many individuals play in my Parkinson’s journey. I am not alone!
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