Overcoming Lethargy: A Practical Guide
Thursday, 05 November 2009 13:42 | 
Written by Trevor Johnson |
Overcoming lethargy is important if you have personal goals. When lethargy strikes, your life slows down and nothing gets accomplished. The only way to counteract this troublesome emotional state is to attack it head on. Admit that you have reached a low point. Then attack the problem with the only weapon which can defeat lethargy--action.
Overcoming lethargy is important if you have personal goals. When lethargy strikes, your life slows down and nothing gets accomplished. The only way to counteract this troublesome emotional state is to attack it head on. Admit that you have reached a low point. Then attack the problem with the only weapon which can defeat lethargy--action.
Now, a person who is struggling with lethargy will view the call to action as an almost impossible hurdle. The sluggishness he experiences affects his thinking as well as his activities. He will need to summon all his mental strength to make the decision to change his listless state of mind. However, this is not an impossible task.
The first action required is a mental one. The sufferer must ask himself some tough questions. But many questions only cause further discouragement. An example of a self-defeating question might be as follows: "If I continue with my present course, what will be the end result?"
Matters only seem bleaker when the lethargic person lets his mind run away to the possible consequences of his continued inaction. His attitude is likely to be one of total loss as to where to begin his changes. No good can come of this approach.
A more useful query could be, "What one small change can I make today that will improve things for tomorrow?" The answer to this question will not be overwhelming to a person suffering from a lethargic viewpoint. Even if facing an enormous long term task, the lethargy sufferer only needs to commit to one minor change in order to break the dam of inaction. This tiny wedge will yield a perceptible improvement. And the trickle of hope will begin to undermine the blockage constructed by lack of recent goal-oriented actions.
As you can see, overcoming lethargy is no easy task. But with the correct mental attitude and by framing questions which will lead to achievable, minor goals, those who suffer from this debilitating condition can get their lives and achievements back on track.
Overcoming lethargy is important if you have personal goals. When lethargy strikes, your life slows down and nothing gets accomplished. The only way to counteract this troublesome emotional state is to attack it head on. Admit that you have reached a low point. Then attack the problem with the only weapon which can defeat lethargy--action.
Now, a person who is struggling with lethargy will view the call to action as an almost impossible hurdle. The sluggishness he experiences affects his thinking as well as his activities. He will need to summon all his mental strength to make the decision to change his listless state of mind. However, this is not an impossible task.
The first action required is a mental one. The sufferer must ask himself some tough questions. But many questions only cause further discouragement. An example of a self-defeating question might be as follows: "If I continue with my present course, what will be the end result?"
Matters only seem bleaker when the lethargic person lets his mind run away to the possible consequences of his continued inaction. His attitude is likely to be one of total loss as to where to begin his changes. No good can come of this approach.
A more useful query could be, "What one small change can I make today that will improve things for tomorrow?" The answer to this question will not be overwhelming to a person suffering from a lethargic viewpoint. Even if facing an enormous long term task, the lethargy sufferer only needs to commit to one minor change in order to break the dam of inaction. This tiny wedge will yield a perceptible improvement. And the trickle of hope will begin to undermine the blockage constructed by lack of recent goal-oriented actions.
As you can see, overcoming lethargy is no easy task. But with the correct mental attitude and by framing questions which will lead to achievable, minor goals, those who suffer from this debilitating condition can get their lives and achievements back on track.