[Closed] Complete mental inertia

I'm 100mg Sertraline too, and definitely know what you mean.

I can't really cope with periods of doing nothing or I just can never summon up the gumption to get going again.

It takes a lot of effort sometimes to start doing what I have to do. Mostly though, if I can get myself started then I'm all over it.

Some things though which are perhaps not so engaging I can really struggle to actually do, but I suspect that's how 'normal' people are to a degree too.

I get this ALL the time, unless I am under direct and significant pressure to get something done. And it's not to do with medication either. It's just who I am.

I have no project at the moment, I have endless scope to do some great work without commercial pressure, and yet here I am doing basically nothing. It's not really forum addiction - it's just that the forum is where I go when I feel like this. If I have lots to do I come on here far less.

molgrips - Member

I get this ALL the time, unless I am under direct and significant pressure to get something done. And it's not to do with medication either. It's just who I am.

+1....

I have no project at the moment, I have endless scope to do some great work without commercial pressure, and yet here I am doing basically nothing.

Very much this.

I get this ALL the time, unless I am under direct and significant pressure to get something done. And it's not to do with medication either. It's just who I am.

I have no project at the moment, I have endless scope to do some great work without commercial pressure, and yet here I am doing basically nothing. It's not really forum addiction - it's just that the forum is where I go when I feel like this. If I have lots to do I come on here far less.

Yay 🙂

It's because the world is such a full and rich place, there is everything to explore and think about, and almost all of it is not my job. So I do it anyway, and then get stressed cos I'm not doing my job.

But it's not my fault I'm just to damn interested in everything...

I get this ALL the time, unless I am under direct and significant pressure to get something done. And it's not to do with medication either. It's just who I am.

Same here, and I've always been like this. If I don't maintain a base level of doing just any old thing, the inertia becomes huge.

32 years of it so far!

molgrips - Member
I get this ALL the time, unless I am under direct and significant pressure to get something done. And it's not to do with medication either. It's just who I am.
+1....

Back to the OP, I was on Sertraline a few years ago, I can't remember it changing my motivation for the worse, if anything it helped. Didn't like the way it knocked off the peaks as well as the troughs but that's another discussion.

I think that people hanging around on the internet during the day are probably a self-selecting sample 🙂

among my recent mental travails one thing that has been teased out of me is an innate fear of laziness. I hate thinking I'm lazy, or that others think me lazy.

Yet the role I'm in now keeps me on average busy for maybe 4-5 hours per day. Sure, there's deadline tasks that come up that lead to a few 9-10 hour days as well. I get energised by those, the 4-5 hour days leave me feeling worn out.

My paradigm shift is that rather than thinking I'm lazy - I've actually realised I'm just brilliant, in that i can do a "full day's work" for my employer and still have time to go on here every now and then. I periodically go out and tout for more stuff but mostly that's wasted time because my colleagues haven't got capacity to move at the same speed as me anyway so even if I do find other stuff to do, they then get pissy because inevitably I start poking into their areas as well.

Task rather than time based employment, that's where it's at.

I'm not lazy. My brain is always working. Just not on the things that I should be working on.

When I'm not on here I'm on Wikipedia half the time reading about history or geography, or I'm planning adventures.

Try using something like the pomodoro technique - can put an app on your phone. Just cuts the day into 25 minute sessions of concentrating on your taks, then a 5 minute gap when you can browse the forum, etc.

I tried medication and it massively worsened the effect. It left me completely unable to focus and robbed me of what little mental sharpness I had left.
I was able to exist but unable to function at the required mental level to do my job properly.
I have had to learn to cope without it and coming on here and making snarky one liners is a big part of my coping mechanism.

It's like sharpening a razor with a strop. It gives me the mental stimulation to keep going throughout what would otherwise be a soul destroying day.

Write an email...
Stupid pun...
Pay an invoice....
Snarky one liner....
Measure from a drawing...
Post humorous meme...
Ad infinitum.

I get more done during the day using this technique than I was ever able to in the five years previous.

I think that people hanging around on the internet during the day are probably a self-selecting sample

good point 😆

I've come to realised that I'm very task orientated, when I've got a deadline I'm focused and never miss it, I'm also motivated then to get more strategic things done but don't have time. When I'm not busy I lose the motivation and go in to shut down. I'm the same with stuff at home, either full on to cleaning, and DIY or slumped on the sofa. Two speed Full On or Standby with nothing in between
Not a great situation when you have a micro business and family dependant on it's income.

This. This is exactly me. I do worry that the ON moments could be classed as a mania.

It gives me the mental stimulation to keep going throughout what would otherwise be a soul destroying day.

Similar here.

I look at other people with their heads down all day working, and they don't get any more done than I do. I think that whilst my mind is wandering, in the background the tasks and problems are settling in. I think about them occasionally, forming them in my mind and shuffling them about to get a feel for them, and then when I do pick up the tools I go straight in and write the solution straight out. If I find a missing piece of information then I google that and it goes in to be processed whilst I'm surfing etc.

Of course I also have colleagues who do all this without the endless surfing, and they are the ones with all the kudos. Rightly so, because they know things and solve problems without needing a deadline or external motivation.

If you're procrastinating, stop procrastinating. If you feel a tangible mental fog combined with sluggishness then consider changing your diet.

I cut sugar out (as much as possible) eat plenty of healthy fats and a mixture of supplements rumoured to boost testosterone while trying to avoid things that lower it. Brain fog pretty much gone.

If you're procrastinating, stop procrastinating.

I've tried to stop. It's just really difficult to get started...

go somewhere and do something different. immerse yourself in something emotional and engaging. think about how you can apply that to your life. speak about it with a stranger. come back enthused. use that enthusiasm.

Me?

Genuine fear of filling out forms either by hand or on computer... Dealing with stuff, making calls etc
Can't focus to read or write much at all (most of what I write here an elsewhere is short and sharp.... often with terrible grammar)
Feeling what little intelligence I have seeping away
Not being 'switched on'
Awful memory, beyond a joke
Many stupid moments
Loss of interest in anything that I once liked
'Lazy' ... Well, most would call it laziness, I wish it was! Doing all but the simplist of tasks requires a huge effort
Miss details, I'm not focussed
Find myself stuck for the simplist of words that I need to say, can picture what I want to say, but do you think I can translate that picture in to a word and send it out of my mouth?

Some other bits and bobs that I can't remember right now

Ive noticed this happening and worsening over the last 10 years now. During (and before) this time I've suffered mental health problems, taken meds for these.... even at times where I've been well, I've struggled with the above… An illness, meds, computer/mobile phone use, cosmic death rays, brain shrinkage… ive no idea what the reason behind it all is

I know the brain is a muscle that needs exercising, but when you can't focus or be bothered to exercise it, then it's a struggle

I have to say, the diet thing has some merit.

I feel much better when I haven't been snacky. I don't cut out carbs completely, I just follow the iDiet. A small amount of carbs, a biscuit here and there doesn't matter much to me, but a big dessert or plate of mash, that doesn't help. Unless I've been riding a lot.

I think it's not carbs that is the problem, it's actually surplus of carbs. So if my glycogen stores are depleted (i.e. I've been riding a lot) then it's fine, if I haven't then it's fog time.

Like PP, I had to learn to manage without the pills. Except I don't think I've found a similar set of coping mechanisms.

Tried Sertraline for half a year and found myself just not caring about anything (rather than caring far too much about everything). Came off them, started drinking again and still do! It sort of works for me.

Don't drive. Take a taxi.

Cheers T-G, have downloaded a tomato and will be organising my life around its pips to see if that makes a difference.

have downloaded a tomato and will be organising my life around its pips to see if that makes a difference.

it's a little struggle to actually be disciplined enough to not get distracted in the 25 minutes.

Counting how many pomodoros you achieve in a day can be a motivating factor, and maybe also having a notebook near to quickly write down any tasks that pop into your head, which you should do in your 5 minute break or at lunchtime, as the temptation is to do them right now before they are forgotton.

Google tasks can be useful as you can use that on your PC, tablet and phone.

Good luck !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

Me?

Genuine fear of filling out forms either by hand or on computer... Dealing with stuff, making calls etc
Can't focus to read or write much at all (most of what I write here an elsewhere is short and sharp.... often with terrible grammar)
Feeling what little intelligence I have seeping away
Not being 'switched on'
Awful memory, beyond a joke
Many stupid moments
Loss of interest in anything that I once liked
'Lazy' ... Well, most would call it laziness, I wish it was! Doing all but the simplist of tasks requires a huge effort
Miss details, I'm not focussed
Find myself stuck for the simplist of words that I need to say, can picture what I want to say, but do you think I can translate that picture in to a word and send it out of my mouth?

Some other bits and bobs that I can't remember right now

Ive noticed this happening and worsening over the last 10 years now. During (and before) this time I've suffered mental health problems, taken meds for these.... even at times where I've been well, I've struggled with the above… An illness, meds, computer/mobile phone use, cosmic death rays, brain shrinkage… ive no idea what the reason behind it all is

I know the brain is a muscle that needs exercising, but when you can't focus or be bothered to exercise it, then it's a struggle

Houns, you are me & I am you. 😥

Houns, you are me & I am you.

It's a fupper isn't it? I briefly rise up out of it quite often but then I'll be manic which usually leads to the bad things happening. I get myself in to situations that the withdrawn me doesn't have the will to see out which does nothing to help the associated feelings of dread and despair.

Find myself stuck for the simplist of words that I need to say, can picture what I want to say, but do you think I can translate that picture in to a word and send it out of my mouth?

I don't know actual sign language but I speak with my hands a lot for this very reason. People I know get it for the most part, I'm on my own with strangers though.

I hide from jobs like filling in forms and calling people to sort stuff out. So much so that it's cost me many many thousands of pounds over the years. I dread to think how much. A couple of BMW's worth probably. Just by not filling in forms and sorting stuff out.

So much of the above is true. I just can't be arsed with the mundane and need some sort of looming deadline / threat to get me to do so. Give me something interesting though and I'm all over it.

As above it seems to be mania or nothing.

Not sure whether it's a sign of mental health issues, diet, etc. Or whether it's completely normal for a mid 40s bloke.

Just out of interest - is age a common factor in this? Late 40s is often the 'lowest' point in a man's life

Hmmm..... I'm 48. And on the happiness scale, I'm 'not very'

I've had some therapy paid for through work (which is nice of them). My therapist (can't believe I've written that) went through this with me at our first meet. Late 40s / early 50s is often a time for quite significant life changes.

Death of parents, kids leaving home, etc. Can often have a 'what now' effect on people potentially leading to apathy and so on. A lot of it rang true for me.

47 btw. I'm counting that as 'mid' 40s, just

There was an intresting article in the radio today about focusing on a task.

In short it said multitasking isnt effective.

We have a certain bandwidth and can either apply it fully to one task or spread it across multiple tasks, doing the latter is less effective as the brain cant remember un related information.

I'm lucky with work as its rarely time based and I work from home so if I can get done whats needed by Thursday then Friday is a cycling day. Thats a good incentive to crack on.

I usually write a list of jobs to do (old fashioned but effective) and relentlessly apply myself to each, one at a time until they are complete often starting at 5/6am when I find the first few hours of the day the most productive.

I'm lucky to have avoided any medication by applying a long term strategy of ignoring any problem until it goes away.

Here is an occasional and mosty pleasant distraction but also quite often informative.

The only time I have lethargy is when I have more than two of anything to drink. Then the next day is a write off.

I hope it's not an age thing, I'm 28 so it's going to be a long and boring slope to my late 40s 😐

I've not had good experiences with antidepressants and I'm just about getting by. I do occasionally feel so sleepy that I can't concentrate but I find that a quick walk round the block for 20 mins can help.

I came off of SSRI's just over a year ago after about 15 months. I totally 'get' what the OP is on about. The drugs let me get some perspective (rather than spiraling down) and get a new job. The main (and only) reason for my acute issues at the time got sorted as a result and I am now in a job where I am comfortable and the people around me are all pretty much pulling in the same direction. But (and it is a big but) I am still in a sector I fell into by default and basically hate.

So now I find that if I'm not under direct pressure, often I just cannot get going. But I am pretty much trapped as I earn a pretty good wage and would have to take a massive (and not very practical) pay cut to do something else - not that I know what that would be.

I know the whole 'modern life is rubbish' thing has a momentum of its own and that I should be grateful about not having to walk five miles for clean water, but that doesn't help me get 'going' when I've got yet another nitpicking load of shite to assess with Microsoft excel. My job is dull, and I don't get any satisfaction from it whatsoever other than knowing that I've done a reasonable job of stuff and managed to deflect any questions by judicious decision making as it is often so vague I can come up with two opposing extreme scenarios just by using different and apparently rational criteria. I'd much rather keep my head down than provoke debate as that just means I would have to do more spreadsheet crap.

I don't know if that has helped anyone, but it's made me feel better!

molgrips - Member
Yay

It's because the world is such a full and rich place, there is everything to explore and think about, and almost all of it is not my job. So I do it anyway, and then get stressed cos I'm not doing my job.

But it's not my fault I'm just to damn interested in everything...

Any vacancies, CountZero?

Sounds right up my street

As it is, I've found the next best job; driving other people's cars from point a) to point b)

I sometimes think my most developed skill is procrastination, often I'll just put stuff off for no good reason even though I know I'm just screwing myself over (more work tomorrow/next week/next month depending on how much I procrastinate...). I'm currently 3 weeks behind in producing a design for a project that's already being deployed (it's all in my head/made up on the fly...).

STW doesn't help either, I often read threads that I know won't affect me in anyway (e.g. I don't own, and likely never will, a wood burning stove but I know about the pros and cons of different flues and have admired various images of stacks of logs).

I think fundamentally it's because I'm not motivated by my job and very little of it is interesting to me anymore, that coupled with a lack of self-discipline means I'm probably not as productive as I should be...

My job has also changed to where as before I could focus on one or more projects (and be hands-on) I'm now just supposed to know about every project and be able to answer questions from PMs and assist with issues at the drop of a hat. Some days my head's spinning by the time I go home yet I don't really think I've achieved anything, just been an information middleman mostly.

Still, it could be worse, although I work on secure projects I have a separate air-gapped PC with Internet access. Some people on even-more-secure projects aren't even allowed a mobile phone in the office let alone Internet access, I do wonder sometimes how they fill their time :p

^ you need to sort that stove problem out!

dad, is that you?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/05/i-assumed-it-was-all-my-fault-the-adults-dealing-with-undiagnosed-adhd?CMP=fb_gu

5 to 4. 3:55pm... 15:55... don't tell me this is your most productive time of the day too??
Document to write, open Word, stuff... lunch... stuff... 5 mins to 4 .. oh yeah Word! I' sure I wasn't always this way.

[i]think fundamentally it's because I'm not motivated by my job and very little of it is interesting to me anymore, that coupled with a lack of self-discipline means I'm probably not as productive as I should be...[/i]
Amen.