When You Just Don’t Feel Like It

Today, Ladies and Gentlemen, I just didn’t feel like it.  I didn’t feel like getting out of bed.  I didn’t feel like putting make-up on.  I really didn’t feel like doing much.What do you do when you just don’t feel like it?Do you become paralyzed?  Do you zombie through and do what you need to do anyway? Do you just go to sleep and start over tomorrow (or wish you could)?  Or do you have some magical trick that allows you to move forward?Here are a few tips for when you just don’t feel like it:Be CommittedA class I took once said that if we were committed to something then that commitment would be bigger and stronger than the “I don’t feel like it” feeling.  That by sticking to your commitment, you would pull yourself out of the “I don’t feel like it” into the “wow, I’m actually inspired” feeling.  Today, I’m committed to writing this blog post and I’m committed to giving the best possible care to my patients.  Does that inspire me? Totally.Do For OthersI realize that at the core of my not feeling like it is that it’s all about me.  If you focus on doing something for someone else, that might be enough to snap you right out of your funk.  Go help someone.  Get someone a surprise gift.  Write a thank you card.  Doing something for someone else will help you get out of your own head.When All Else FailsAllow yourself to be where you are at.  Sometimes it’s the resistance that makes it worse.  The “we shouldn’t be feeling this way” tends to cause a lot of friction.  Have you considered that maybe you should be feeling that way?  Maybe in this moment you need to feel exactly how you are feeling.  Go ahead, allow yourself to feel it fully and completely.Give yourself permission to not do anything for 10 whole minutes.  Heck, take the whole day if you can.  Once you decide it’s ok to feel like doing nothing and actually start doing nothing, you’ve probably shifted your mindset enough that, hey, what do you know? You start feeling like doing something.Maybe your 100% today is not as good as yesterday.  That's alright, do what you can.  The one thing we can count on is change.  This goes for our feelings as well.  So, when you are just not feeling it, know that that’s ok, because this, too, shall pass.