“I’m not excited about anything”: tips for facing this difficult situation
Not having enthusiasm for anything is a situation that afflicts many people. Some of them suffer from depression, have a history of negative experiences, or lack direction and meaning in life.
Although it is a demotivating situation, it is possible to reverse it to live better. And to that end, in this article, we will present the main causes of disappointment, how it manifests itself, and what can be done to deal with it.
What does it mean to have no enthusiasm for anything?
Not being excited is an affective, cognitive and behavioral state in which the person experiences lack of enthusiasm, lack of motivation, discouraging ideas about the future and disinterest in daily activities. In this context, pessimism takes the place of hope for the future.
What once sparked passion now only generates apathy. Optimism fades little by little and the energy to carry out projects is lost in the absence of a clear meaning. The lack of illusions prevents the individual from feeling encouraged to meet their short, medium and long-term goals. It can even make the person give up on having goals or projects.
In such a scenario, It’s hard to find meaning in what you do and find a genuine connection with yourself and the world. As a consequence, the development of feelings of emptiness, lack of belonging and loneliness is possible.
Read also: Get excited, the ability that gives impetus to your life
How does disappointment manifest itself in different contexts?
Generalized disillusionment can appear in multiple areas of life and impair the person’s functioning in each of them. A job level, is expressed as low performance and low productivity, disconnection with the company’s values and absence of commitment to the tasks and goals of the position.
On a personal level, the absence of goals, pessimism, reluctance, hopelessness and indifference are observed. The subject lives on “autopilot” and without motivation, because there is nothing in the future to encourage him.
This emotional and cognitive state also appears in the way the person relates to others. That is to say, At the social level, there is a lack of motivation to interact, disinterest in participating in cultural activities and withdrawal. Since social relationships are not exciting either, the individual does not try to get closer to others.
Lastly, in the academic is evidenced by the low performance, school or university irresponsibilities, the absence of a professional life project and the reluctance to learn.
Why am I not excited about anything?
There are many reasons for widespread disillusionment. Sometimes, to find out what is causing it, it is necessary to seek professional help. However, other times the person knows why he feels that way. Let’s look at some possible explanations.
Monotony and routine
It is easy to feel disillusioned when everyday life offers no escape from monotony. This discouragement is more generalized when the routine is unpleasant and there is no hope that the situation will change. in the future.
Failure experiences
Continuous failures weaken a person’s self-confidence. which would plunge her into disappointment and a state of learned helplessness. A future where only defeat is seen does not excite anyone.
Chronic diseases
This covers persistent and discouraging conditions that impair quality of life and well-being and, in addition, they limit daily functioning. It is understandable that, under these conditions, the patient is never hopeful, especially since, in general, chronic diseases are incurable.
chronic stress
Prolonged fatigue from chronic stress weakens a person’s emotional and physical reserves. As a result of a lack of energy, you can lose the ability to get excited about things. Motivation, vigor and effort are necessary to work for what excites you. But under high levels of stress, these resources are quickly depleted.
Depression
This mood disorder causes hopelessness, sadness, helplessness, uselessness, anhedonia, apathy… In this emotional plot, an encouraging future that excites us is not perceived. There are no projects, goals or future that inspire.
Traumatic experiences
Trauma can significantly deteriorate an individual’s life. So, The persistent manifestation of its symptoms makes the person feel trapped and without a way out. Under the influence of anxiety, irritability, sleep problems and hypervigilance, it is difficult for anyone to get excited about something.
Absence of goals
To be excited it is essential to visualize a future and strive to achieve it, In other words, it is essential to have goals to achieve. If there is no tomorrow that motivates one to work, study or do things in the present, it is unlikely that a person will feel excited.
How to regain enthusiasm in life?
Getting excited again is essential to fight, commit to a purpose and have a life with full meaning. It is hard to live every day without a future that attracts you and fills you with enthusiasm to work in the present. Therefore, below, we leave you some tips to reconnect with your dreams.
“There is something that gives splendor to everything that exists, and it is the illusion of finding something around the corner.”
1. Discover your values
Values represent what you consider fundamental to your life. To rescue the illusion, You need to connect with those valuable things and act in alignment with them. Look for hobbies or activities that are in line with your personal values, so you will feel more excited and excited.
2. Formulate a life project
Projects give you direction and promote meaning and purpose in your life. Having them makes the future encourage you and makes you excited about the present. Always connect your plan with your interests.
3. Set goals SMART
In addition to your projects, define objectives SMART: specific (specific), measurable (measurable), reachable (achievable), realistic (realistic) and of limited duration (time-bound). In this way, it is possible to achieve them more easily, get excited about working for them and encourage yourself to set new goals.
4. Celebrate your small achievements
Reward yourself when you achieve small goals. This will push you forward and increase your self-esteem and self-efficacy. Highlighting your ability to achieve what you set out to do is an inexhaustible source of hope.
5. Change your inner speech
Replace your hopeless way of thinking with a more encouraging and optimistic one. Sometimes, it is not the situations that disappoint you, but your way of interpreting what you experience and what you tell yourself.
6. Enhance your talents
By using your talents you will be able to recover the power to be excited, because you will feel capable of doing certain things. Those resources you have fill you with confidence and perspective for the future. Invest time in perfecting and cultivating them.
7. Practice gratitude
When we are grateful, we recognize and value the good things that happen to us. By identifying pleasant moments, you have more biographical grounds to believe that the future will be encouraging, which can trigger illusions.
8. Do activities that you are passionate about
Getting excited again begins by returning to those forgotten passions. Through them, you relive the joy of doing what you like, what moves and excites you. Integrate those activities that you enjoy doing into your daily routine.
9. Take care of your mental and physical health
If you do not enjoy good mental and physical health, it is difficult to get excited. Being well with your body and mind is key to the energy to execute your projects, recover from adversity and build a satisfactory future. Exercise, eat healthy, meditate, spend time with your friends.
10. Seek professional help
Request the support of a clinical psychologist to help you discover the causes of your disappointment. By knowing what is feeding it, the professional will be able to design an intervention plan that allows you to get excited again.
To deepen: I feel disappointed, what can I do?
Live with desire again
Not having enthusiasm for anything is characterized by disinterest, demotivation, lack of enthusiasm and hopelessness. It is a state linked to depression, trauma, chronic illnesses, existential emptiness, among other factors.
Fortunately, it is possible to take action. The ideal is for the person to design a life project that excites them. Also, do activities that connect you with your values and talents. In parallel, it is pertinent that you receive psychological help. And you, have you ever been disappointed? What did you do to regain your enthusiasm?
The entry “I am not excited about anything”: tips for facing this difficult situation was first published in Psycom.Blog.
