How to get things done when you don’t want to move

Life

Apr 4

We’ve all had times where we just can’t seem to get anything done. Whether it’s because depression is making it hard to find motivation or you’re just lacking energy, here are some tips for getting things done when you don’t want to move.

Remember Newton’s first law of motion: an object at rest will stay at rest until an outside force acts upon it. This applies to more than just physics. When you are feeling psychologically or physically stuck, interrupting that stillness with force can help you get moving on your to-do list.

Do something to get your brain and body moving. If you’re stuck scrolling on your phone or reading and need to start getting things done, put it down. Even for just a few seconds. If you can’t put it down, close whatever app you’re on and open Spotify instead. Listen to some music, stand up, walk to a different room. Once you force yourself into a motion from stillness, even if it’s not initially the task you need to get done, it can help you get to that task.

Bribe yourself. Look, I’m not above bribery. Sometimes just telling myself, “If you finish this deadline today, you can read until you fall asleep” is enough to get my ass moving. If I’m working on a larger project that doesn’t have immediate gratification of a finished product, I give myself incremental deadlines and bribe myself with small treats like eating a lollipop while I write or going to a coffee shop to work on a project after you hit a certain milestone.

Am I suggesting you bribe yourself with a Dum Dum like a kid after a doctor’s appointment? Yes, I am. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

Make adjustments when you need to. I’m not here to tell you to work faster, harder, yadda yadda. I’m here to remind you that it’s OK to do what you need to, and to put into perspective what you need to do versus what you feel like you should do. If you really can’t get out of bed, work from bed.

Look at what needs to get done — what will negatively impact you or others tomorrow if you don’t do it today. If you’ve done the things that need to get done today, and your energy is depleted, it’s OK to rest and distribute your other tasks to different days.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do things a certain way that we think are the “right” way, but most “right” ways are just as made up as any others. Use the methods to get through your responsibilities that work for you and make sure to give yourself grace in that process.

Header photo by Samson Katt / Pexels