Hi love,

Thank you for reaching out to Asking Jude. We are living in unprecedented times right now. There is so much happening all across the world, and it has taken a major toll on many people’s mental health. You and your feelings are very much valid, and I can understand how scary this must feel for you. Apathy can be dangerous. Everyone loses interest or motivation in things once in a while, but when it is chronic and happens repeatedly, it can be serious and could affect your relationship, your career, and ultimately your life. Here are some things you can do to help you manage your apathy and hopefully pull you out of it gradually:

-Build a routine. I know you feel detached, like you do not want to do anything. But encourage yourself to get out of bed, exercise, do work, and take time for self-care. This will be difficult, so remember that all steps in this direction are especially valuable (no matter how small). For example, if you can’t find the motivation to exercise, try stretching for just a few minutes. As for working, try studying or doing something of the like for 15 minutes. Some other examples of small steps toward routine-building are making your bed in the morning, making yourself breakfast, and splashing your face with cool water. There will be days that you don’t want to do anything, but try your best to stick to your routine as much as possible.

-Talk to someone- friends, family, a loved one, maybe even a journal. You feel detached, and it feels like you have no feelings. But you are going through something, and you feel scared. Let them know about that. Express exactly what is happening. Push yourself to talk to them, to spend time with them, and to let them check on you and support you.

-Take care of yourself. Eat a balanced diet, sleep 6-8 hours a day, and get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. If you find this difficult, you can set reminders on your phone to eat a healthy snack and to go to get ready for bed. Taking care of your physical health is important to improve your mental health, and vice versa. Exercise has proven to improve moods and overall mental health over time, so it is incredibly important to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

If after all of this you see no improvement and/or you feel yourself getting worse, I would highly recommend you talk to a doctor or a mental health professional. Apathy is often linked to several mental health disorders, so it can be valuable to check whether there is anything else at play. If not, you may still be able to analyze your feelings with a professional and they can give you a treatment that will help you get over this stage. You deserve to feel happy. You deserve to complete all your goals, and I truly hope this is temporary so that you can get heal.

Here are some resources that might help:

-https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/depression/how-to-feel-motivated-when-you-have-apathy-depression/

-https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-apathy

-https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/03/03/how-to-transform-apathy-into-motivation/?sh=394e888d1c4d

-https://www.crisistextline.org/

-https://www.yourlifeyourvoice.org/pages/tip-99-coping-skills.aspx

Hope this helped,

Manisha

Can you talk about your goals that you referred to in your 'ask'? I am not a Peer Counselor, I'm a member, here, at Asking Jude and I relate to your 'ask.' Apathy can be a problem foor me, as one, lone human being, here, in NYC. You might like to hear that I'm feeling pretty damn good, today, because I have a number of writing ideas I can work on. A Peer Counselor will get back to you...

Hi, Noor! I'm so sorry to hear you are going through such struggles. We will answer your submission very soon. Stay strong!