Motivation - where do you find it?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Experience depression? Unfortunately, yes.

Seasonal Affected Depression (SAD). Used to come on every start to winter. As soon as the days got shorter and sunlight grew more scarce. I got desperate enough to go to the doctor. They prescribed Pharma. This was before I learned what to expect? I refused.

Tried buying "full spectrum" lights. Signed up for a spin class. Took up cross country skiing. Or rather tried to? Even tried the tanning beds. Nothing really gave lasting relief. The dark mental clouds were crushing me.

My wife talked to a local pharmacist. He handed her a simple bottle of vitamin d3. It didn't work immediately. But after the second or third day, started feeling uplifted. That was almost twenty years ago. I continued the supplement to this day. And changing to the low carb, high fat diet has been another level up! I've recently decreased my d3 daily dosage.

I found out that vitamin d3 deficiency is very common in the northern hemisphere. Especially amongst dark complexes folks? Anybody who works indoors a lot? Or the unfortunate many that try to follow a low fat diet?
 
Experience depression? Unfortunately, yes.

Seasonal Affected Depression (SAD). Used to come on every start to winter. As soon as the days got shorter and sunlight grew more scarce. I got desperate enough to go to the doctor. They prescribed Pharma. This was before I learned what to expect? I refused.

Tried buying "full spectrum" lights. Signed up for a spin class. Took up cross country skiing. Or rather tried to? Even tried the tanning beds. Nothing really gave lasting relief. The dark mental clouds were crushing me.

My wife talked to a local pharmacist. He handed her a simple bottle of vitamin d3. It didn't work immediately. But after the second or third day, started feeling uplifted. That was almost twenty years ago. I continued the supplement to this day. And changing to the low carb, high fat diet has been another level up! I've recently decreased my d3 daily dosage.

I found out that vitamin d3 deficiency is very common in the northern hemisphere. Especially amongst dark complexes folks? Anybody who works indoors a lot? Or the unfortunate many that try to follow a low fat diet?
Thanks, I'll give it a try.
 
Experience depression? Unfortunately, yes.

Seasonal Affected Depression (SAD). Used to come on every start to winter. As soon as the days got shorter and sunlight grew more scarce. I got desperate enough to go to the doctor. They prescribed Pharma. This was before I learned what to expect? I refused.

Tried buying "full spectrum" lights. Signed up for a spin class. Took up cross country skiing. Or rather tried to? Even tried the tanning beds. Nothing really gave lasting relief. The dark mental clouds were crushing me.

My wife talked to a local pharmacist. He handed her a simple bottle of vitamin d3. It didn't work immediately. But after the second or third day, started feeling uplifted. That was almost twenty years ago. I continued the supplement to this day. And changing to the low carb, high fat diet has been another level up! I've recently decreased my d3 daily dosage.

I found out that vitamin d3 deficiency is very common in the northern hemisphere. Especially amongst dark complexes folks? Anybody who works indoors a lot? Or the unfortunate many that try to follow a low fat diet?
I have heard of studies done in the state of Washington. Dreary rainy weather for weeks on end and high rates of suicide and divorces
 
I remembered this thread today as I tried something new......a reverse list! What's that? Well, I had the whole day to myself and I didn't need a list to tell me what to do. All I had to do was look around. There were also some things knockin' around in my noggin that I knew I needed to stop procrasting and just get done. So, instead of making a list of things to-do, I made a list of things to-done.......er, I mean done.

I started making a list of things that I completed and then moved right along to the next one. Sometimes I was working on a few things at a time and then would write them down when they were completed, like laundry. It was a decent motivator b/c I was moving all day long and didn't actually finally call it a day until 8:30. I usually quit doing stuff after dinner is put away and the kitchen is cleaned, so the reverse list motivated me to keep on movin' much later than I normally do. I got 12 things done (without listing daily chores). One of them was a biggie b/c it took 2.5 hours to thoroughly clean the camper for the season. I put that off wayyyy too long. I also made some calls and did some paperwork that I didn't want to do. It was a productive day. I think I might have to try this again!
 
I had no motivation yesterday, it was cold and raining and I really seemed to need a break , so I sat there and watched youtube and netflix LOL
I almost never do that ( did do the necessary things, take care of animals and cook and did bake some bread because we were out)
I noticed doing nothing makes me tired. I went to sleep earlier than I usually do. But that makes sense, when I was younger I always got more energy from exercising a lot. It sounds backwards but it works for me
 
Yo
I had no motivation yesterday, it was cold and raining and I really seemed to need a break , so I sat there and watched youtube and netflix LOL
I almost never do that ( did do the necessary things, take care of animals and cook and did bake some bread because we were out)
I noticed doing nothing makes me tired. I went to sleep earlier than I usually do. But that makes sense, when I was younger I always got more energy from exercising a lot. It sounds backwards but it works for me
You are so right!! I think that's how lazy people get lazier!!
 
Oddly I don't look for motivation. It's almost the opposite. Many days I'll plan to not do anything & I'll just set around for a while & relax. Then something kicks in & I get up & do something minor. That kick starts me & before I know it I'm doing something else & then another & another. Yesterday I planned to do nothing because I felt bad (allergies) & my back was so sore from putting those planters that I bought together. Then I felt a little better & wandered out to the back yard to just look at how I'm going to place them. I had one more to put together & the next thing I know I was "just putting the side pieces together". Two hours later I had it put together (with my wife's help) & a major back spasm. And I still haven't figure out where I'm going to put them.

Today I'm going to raise a shelf in one of our display cabinets & set up a display of jewelry. Understand we collect the crystal pieces, not the jewelry. But I'll buy most any piece of Swarovski that is cheap & over the years we have amassed a heck of a lot of necklaces, earrings & whatever. It's time for it to be "displayed" rather than just thrown on a shelf. Where I'm going to put it is a bottom shelf so later today I'll once again be having back spasms so I'll relax, drink some beer & try to do nothing for the rest of the day.
 
Oddly I don't look for motivation. It's almost the opposite. Many days I'll plan to not do anything & I'll just set around for a while & relax. Then something kicks in & I get up & do something minor. That kick starts me & before I know it I'm doing something else & then another & another.
Yes! I'm the same way. If I plan a big day, I'll sometimes drag me feet. But if I plan nothing, I do more stuff.
Some days I'll go ahead and tackle the list, but sometimes it's those days I really don't have a list that I excel. What's up with that? It just depends upon the day, I guess.
 
I keep a running list of things I want to get done, and some days I can get some of it done, and some days I get nothing extra done. Because my job first is husband's caretaker at this point, so his health directs my day. So I don't think I'm not motivated, just time constrained. I like keeping a running list because they are all different types of things, and if I have time to tackle something, then I'll see what looks like fun according to my mood.
 
I like my list making..I don't always follow it and usually find other to do's along the way..
But I does feel rewarding to scratch off all the to do's .
I find that when I'm more organized..it is eaiser to make my list..prioritizing it all..and that in itself motivates me to do more.

I guess the reward is the moments I can give to myself to relax, fully enjoy a day of sloth occasionally and being grateful for what I have.
 
1. Make a list
1. Make a list
Lori used to complain her "todo" list for work never got shorter, When I retired all my "todo" post it notes were left on my desk :)

1731694573638.png


Today, my motivation was cancelled by rain. Improvise, adapt, take a nap.
 
Last edited:
1. Make a list
1. Make a list
Lori used to complain her "todo" list for work never got shorter, When I retired all my "todo" post it notes were left on my desk :)

View attachment 167463

Today, my motivation was cancelled by rain. Improvise, adapt, take a nap.
Where are all the radios? There are supposed to be radios!
 
1. Make a list
1. Make a list
Lori used to complain her "todo" list for work never got shorter, When I retired all my "todo" post it notes were left on my desk :)

View attachment 167463

Today, my motivation was cancelled by rain. Improvise, adapt, take a nap.
Yep! :thumbs:
After I retired, my 'motivation' got much simpler too...
1. Hungry? Eat food or snacks.
2. Thirsty? Drink beer.
3. Tired? Take a nap.
4. Bored? Play online or piddle with investments.
5. Garbage can full? Take out the trash.

That's all I got.:rolleyes:
 
I guess my motivation comes from the fact that if I don't do, it won't get done on its own. Plus any day now everything will be buried in snow until spring.
That's me except for the snow part. Being a good caregiver takes serious planning and motivation!
 
I wake up and just start, hopefully just after I get dressed :)
This morning I took out the recycling at 04:30, dumping all those can's in the metal container got the neighbors dog yapping, made me smile as I heard them cursing out the dog...
Then started in with the dishes. I like to eat and the wife says we need plates and such.
 
Your wife is correct, plates make you civilized.
I don't see how you can do the things without much sleep, Urban. I hang in for a few days on little sleep, then crash.
Last night was a crash, especially after the amish Thanksgiving dinner that little granddaughter and I went to. Slept in till 7 because I could. The middle of the night med stuff wears me out.
So I can do lots of stuff today
 
Back
Top