5 Tips For Overcoming “I Don'T Feel Like Doing Anything Today”

Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph.D., CRNP — Written by Crystal Raypole on February 25, 2020

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When you don’t feel lượt thích doing anything, often you really don’t want to bởi anything.

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Nothing sounds good to you, and even well-intentioned suggestions from loved ones might make you a little cranky.

Often, these feelings are normal and temporary, triggered by găng tay or a busier-than-usual lifestyle.

A more long lasting loss of interest (apathy) or experiencing less pleasure in the things you usually enjoy (anhedonia), however, may suggest there’s something a little more serious going on.


Sometimes, not wanting to vị anything is your mind & body’s way of asking for a break.

If you’ve been pushing yourself to your limit recently, heed this điện thoại tư vấn before you reach the point of burnout.

Self-compassion is key in this situation. Acknowledge your hard work, and then give yourself permission to lớn take some downtime. Take a nap, scroll through your favorite social truyền thông app, or curl up with your favorite blanket & a pet — whatever feels easy và relaxing.


Getting some light physical activity outside — even if it’s just a 10-minute walk around the block — can help lớn reset your mood.

Even if you just sit on a bench, simply spending time in nature can have benefits.

Changing your environment might also help motivate you to vày something else, like head over to your favorite coffee shop. Even if it doesn’t, spending some time outside might help you feel better about spending the rest of the day on the couch.


Exploring your emotional state may shed some light on why you don’t want to vì chưng anything. This can be particularly helpful if you haven’t felt lượt thích doing much for more than a few days.

Ask yourself if you’re feeling:

hopelessdetached or disconnected from yourself

Any of the above emotions can occupy your thoughts and make it hard khổng lồ think about doing anything else.

Try some light journaling about how you’re feeling, even if what comes out doesn’t make a ton of sense.

If you feel up for it, try following up by connecting some of these emotions to specific causes. Are changes at work making you feel anxious? Is scrolling through your favorite news ứng dụng making you feel hopeless about the future?

Figuring out what’s behind these emotions can help you lớn either come up with potential solutions or accept that certain things are beyond your control.


4. Meditate

Of course, meditation is doing something. But try to think of it in terms of doing nothing in a mindful, purposeful way.

It’s not always easy, especially at first. It can put you more in touch with all of your emotions, even the distressing ones. But it helps you become better able to notice them và accept them without judging yourself or letting them pull you down.

Ready khổng lồ give it a try? Here’s how lớn get started.


5. Reach out lớn a friend

When you don’t want to vì anything, talking lớn a friend can sometimes help. Just keep in mind that different friends might try khổng lồ help in different ways, so reach out to lớn the right friend for your situation.

Here are a couple of pointers:

If you want suggestions on what to do, a friend who always has lots of advice might help most.

Or, simply be upfront with a friend about what you need — whether it’s actionable advice or an xuất hiện ear.


6. Listen to lớn music

Music can help fill the silence và give you something to think about when you don’t feel like doing much.

While putting on your favorite music can soothe you (or energize you, or excite you, or anything else, depending on what type of music you prefer), it may even have some benefits for your brain, including improved attention and memory.

Some research also suggests music may have the potential to lớn help reduce pain & symptoms of depression.


7. Try some easy chores

You may not want to vày anything if you have a lot of unpleasant or boring things (like chores, bills, or errands) lớn get done. If they’ve been piling up, the thought of tackling them might feel particularly daunting.

Try creating a danh sách of everything you need khổng lồ take care of. Then, rank them by priority — what needs khổng lồ be done ASAP? What can wait until next month? You can also organize them based on how easy they are.

Pick something that’s easy or high priority và make that your task for the day, even if it only takes you 20 minutes. Doing something, even something small, can help break you out of this rut of powerlessness & set you back on track.

Once you’re done, cross it off your list và give yourself permission to lớn take it easy for the rest of the day.


8. Check in with your needs

Not meeting your physical or emotional needs can make you feel a little off and lethargic.

Ask yourself the following:

Do I need khổng lồ eat?Is anything upsetting me or stressing me out?Would I feel better around people?Do I need some time alone?

Depending on your answers, you may need khổng lồ set aside some time for self-care.


9. Create a schedule

If you notice you often don’t want to vày anything, và you consistently have a hard time taking care of chores và other responsibilities, making a schedule can help.

You might already use a planner to note down important tasks or meetings you can’t forget, but a schedule can help you have a firmer plan for what to bởi when you don’t feel lượt thích doing anything.

You don’t have to trương mục for every minute of your day (unless that helps), but try to lớn create some general time blocks for:

getting uppreparing for the daymaking mealsschool, work, or household responsibilitiesseeing friends or other social activitiesgoing to lớn bed

Also phối aside time for activities you enjoy and spending time with loved ones.

Try not khổng lồ be too hard on yourself if you can’t stick khổng lồ this schedule. It may just be a sign that you need to rework some things or set aside more time for certain tasks.


10. Read (or listen) to lớn a book

Remember, it’s really okay to vày nothing sometimes. But if you feel like you should be doing something or have some feelings of guilt around “wasting time,” reading a book can be a low-key way to lớn feel productive, especially if it’s a nonfiction book on a topic you want to lớn learn more about.

If you feel too low on energy to even hold a book (it happens), consider an audiobook instead. Many libraries let you borrow audiobooks or e-books for free, as long as you have a library card.

Audiobooks are great for people who don’t have a lot of time khổng lồ read, since you can enjoy books while doing almost anything else. They can also offer a way khổng lồ “read” if you’d rather lie still & let sounds wash over you.


10. Watch for other mental health symptoms

Not wanting to vị anything doesn’t necessarily mean you have depression, but it can sometimes be a sign.

Depression often doesn’t improve without tư vấn from a mental health professional, so it’s best to lớn talk to a therapist if the above tips don’t seem khổng lồ help.

It’s also best to lớn reach out if you experience:

persistent low moodloss of interest in things you usually enjoygeneral disinterest in most thingslow energy or fatigueirritability or other unusual mood changesfeelings of emptiness, hopelessness, or worthlessness

People living with anxiety may also have a hard time doing anything when feeling particularly worried or anxious. You might feel restless và unable to settle on anything or move from task lớn task.

Therapists can help you work through anxiety symptoms, so it’s a good idea to lớn reach out if you experience:

persistent worries or fears that seem uncontrollableracing thoughtssleeplessness

Not sure where lớn start? Our guide to lớn finding affordable therapy can help.

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You’re the best judge of your own needs. Sometimes, doing nothing is exactly what you need — và that’s okay. Just take care lớn pay attention lớn other signs that may alert you lớn something else going on.