Apathy

What is Apathy!
Apathy is actually defined as the absence of emotion & is often the precursor to a
full-blown depression.
Here are some signs you might be sinking into a state of apathy:
 Your regular interests and hobbies don’t feel interesting or fun
anymore;
 You feel very unmotivated at work and your work performance starts
to slip;
 Every time you think of acting on a goal or possible interest, you
quickly lose steam;
 You allow yourself to spend a lot of time in front of the TV, surfing
the net, shopping, or playing video games;
 You feel frustrated or embarrassed being around friends who have
something interesting going on in their lives or you avoid them
altogether;
 You fill your life with mindless tasks and busy work to keep from
having to figure out what you really want in life;
 You’re hearing comments from family and friends trying to “help
you” get motivated;
 You are reading lots of self-help books without applying any of the
help;
 You’re eating too much and exercising too little.
If you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions, I implore you not to
allow apathy to infect your life to the point that you are completely frozen
and unable to cope. Apathy is insidious, and if you don’t fight against it, it
will surely infect you completely.
10 Ways To Snap Out Of Apathy!

1. Start with perspective
Apathy is a temporary state of being. It doesn’t define you. You aren’t lazy,
passionless, stupid, boring, unmotivated, or any other label you give
yourself while you feel apathetic. Apathy doesn’t define who you are, just
how you feel right now. You won’t feel this way forever.
2. Define the cause

If you can, figure out the trigger or cause of your apathy. Was there an
event that finally took the wind out of your sail? Do you feel hopeless about
something big in your life? Is there a pattern of negative thinking that is
keeping you down? Think deeply about why you are feeling apathetic and if
there is any discernible cause. There may not be, but if there is, it’s
important to know.
3. Change the things you can

If you do recognize a cause or trigger for your apathy, is there anything that
can be done about it? What adjustments can you make or actions you might
take to remove or mitigate the cause? Write these down and begin
brainstorming real ways to take action on them. Just taking control of small
pieces of the cause or trigger will afford you a sense of control over your
life, which can help break up apathy.
4. Create small disturbances

Whether or not you know the cause for your apathy, start creating small
disturbances in your life and schedule. Shake things up a bit. Do things in a
different order in the morning. Go in earlier to work. Talk to a new person.
Just break out of your regular routine. Your daily routine, though sometimes
comforting, can also trap you in apathy and boredom.
5. Create a mood
Put yourself in situations and with people where you feel the most
energized as often as possible. Is there a room in your house that has the
most “positive energy” for you? Spend time in that room. Does music make
you feel happier? Then play more music. Are there people who lift your
spirits, make you laugh, and draw out the best in you? Then purposefully
spend time with those people. Mindfully put yourself in environments that
don’t feed your apathy.
6. List past joys

Sit down and think about everything in your past that made you come alive
with excitement and enthusiasm. List situations and events both in your
personal and professional life. Then next to each situation, list the specific
elements of those situations that fostered the good feelings. For example, if
it was a work project, you might list that it made you feel valued; it involved
creativity; it created collaboration. Tease out the feelings and values these
events fostered that made you feel so good.
7. Find the low-hanging fruit

Look at your life right now to see where you might be overlooking situations
that could foster those same feelings and values. They might be in your
current work, lifestyle, or relationships. See if there are places you might
focus a bit more attention and time to reignite feelings of engagement
and motivation, or at least lessen the apathy.
8. Pick one thing

If you’ve been toying with ideas and interests, but you aren’t sure which one
you should pursue or invest time in (hence your apathy), then match them
to the values and feelings you outlined in point #6. Which of these interests
have the most potential to create the same engagement and enthusiasm you
felt in the past? If you still aren’t completely sure, that’s OK. We’re rarely
“completely” sure about anything. Just pick one to focus on for a while.
9. Break it down
Since you’re feeling apathetic, you won’t have much energy to devote to
tackling a big, multi-layered project, especially if you aren’t sure it’s what
you want to pursue for the long term anyway. So break down the interest
into the smallest possible action steps that are manageable but slightly
challenging. If the goal is to write a book for example, then give yourself the
goal of writing for five minutes every day or write one paragraph a day,
making it the best paragraph you can write. Take small, manageable,
forward-moving, slightly challenging actions every day. Then commit to
doing these actions every day for 6 weeks.
10. Learn about habits

Snapping out of apathy involves forcing change. You force it in well-
considered, but small and manageable increments. As you begin to practice
this change and get more proficient and disciplined, you will feel better
about yourself and will have more energy and enthusiasm for what you are
doing — especially if it’s something that supports your values, aptitudes,
and interests.
Making change is basically creating a series of new habits. Forming habits

involves a special skill set that is easy but important to understand. Many
people fail at creating habits because they don’t understand the simple
method for making habits stick. Learn the method and you will have the
tools to snap out of apathy.

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What is Apathy!

10 Ways To Snap Out Of Apathy!

2. Define the cause

3. Change the things you can

4. Create small disturbances

6. List past joys

7. Find the low-hanging fruit

8. Pick one thing

10. Learn about habits

Making change is basically creating a series of new habits. Forming habits

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