Wasting my day; vegging out

I have similar issues with PT. I need to be doing PT for overactive bladder and for lumbar pain, and each day I don't.

I probably will apply BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits method to tackle this problem. I will do one pelvic PT exercise only and one lumbar PT exercise. Start tiny.

Have you read his book? He also has a free week-long program administered by his certified students, which you can take as many times as you need. The program focuses on starting and solidifying three habits. I think three can be too many. Maybe choose one habit and dedicate this practice to it.

Also in his book he covers Foggs Behavior Model which explains behaviors (good and bad) as results of MAP - motivation, ability, and prompts - acting in concert. In your case and mine, the PT exercises are long and hard. This means you need a lot of ability. Making them shorter and easier means that less motivation will be required to move the needle. You can google Foggs Behavior Model and MAP and see compelling charts that tell them story. He advocates being smart about behavior design rather than relying on willpower. I think you will enjoy reading his book and will come away less prone to beating yourself and beating yourself up.

My wondeful Tart Cherry Jam!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I bought the Kindle version of BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits!! I can't wait to get started!!!!! I did a few of the more fun PTs today, but still am not motivated. I kept putting it off.

Best wishes on your/our bipolar path.

Love,

WantToShare

Hi WantToShare! I am so glad! Please also see my notes from the book Solving the Procrastination Puzzle here: https://mysupportforums.org/7567459-post409.html. The notes are rather copious and I think can replace reading the book, at least for starters. It is a small nifty little book. The author, who had researched procrastination at a Canadian university for two decades prior to starting to write his general audience book, offers some ideas on how to get going without motivation. For me, they do not work yet with respect to PT, but do work with respect to some other tasks (more of computerized variety). Take a look! And thank you for best wishes! Enjoy Tiny Habits!

Dear Tart Cherry Jam, Thank you for the link to your notes about tiny habits. I created the table that you said.

In the book/your notes, it says "tough love with yourself." I wrote "Can't do that." One thing I will do it play my guitar and sing. But as for PT, I can't do tough love with myself." Are you able to do that?

Hello @WantToShare Perhaps you could link an exercise with something you do regularly like "going to the bathroom" for instance. Every time you go to the bathroom which will be several times a day you can attach an exercise. I mean you're already on your feet so it's the perfect time to do something that requires you to be up and standing. While you're in there drink a glass of water. Most of us are dehydrated which can cause us to have low energy and basically feel like crap. If you're on the couch do some leg lifts or any exercises you can do sitting down.

Great advice from Tart Berry Jam as well. I need to make a copy of those notes.

I love that you can play the guitar WTS. I'm jealous!!!!!!! I could never master it.

I don’t consider vegging out a wasted day. I’m not as old as you but I feel I’ve earn the right to relax and do nothing. In America there is this hostility towards just being, just enjoying the moment.

Dear Nammu and Ruftin, thank y ou for your kind replies! Nammu, yes, you are right on -- that there is prejudice about "just being." There is also prejudice about sleeping.

Ruftin, I'll consider your idea about tacking on a PT exercise when I am already on my feet. Thank you.

I cannot do tough love with myself with respect to PT, no, not yet. Great idea sequencing bathroom visits, quick PT exercises, and hydration. I use water with electrolytes from Trader Joe's. I find it very palatable and the body absorbs it faster than it does regular water.

Italians have a saying - "Beato far niente" - it is blessed to do nothing. I think even Bertrand Russell wrote about this virtue.

In praise of idleness and other essays.

This thread has taken a life of its own!

"Doing nothing and ‘being’
In a hypermodern society propelled by the twin engines of acceleration and excess, doing nothing is equated with waste, laziness, lack of ambition, boredom or “down” time.

An ad for Microsoft Office stresses the importance of being able to always work. Microsoft
But this betrays a rather instrumental grasp of human existence.

Much research – and many spiritual and philosophical systems – suggest that detaching from daily concerns and spending time in simple reflection and contemplation are essential to health, sanity and personal growth.

Similarly, to equate “doing nothing” with nonproductivity betrays a shortsighted understanding of productivity. In fact, psychological research suggests that doing nothing is essential for creativity and innovation, and a person’s seeming inactivity might actually cultivate new insights, inventions or melodies.

As legends go, Isaac Newton grasped the law of gravity sitting under an apple tree. Archimedes discovered the law of buoyancy relaxing in his bathtub, while Albert Einstein was well-known for staring for hours into space in his office.

The academic sabbatical is centered on the understanding that the mind needs to rest and be allowed to explore in order to germinate new ideas.

Doing nothing – or just being – is as important to human well-being as doing something.

The key is to balance the two."

From In praise of doing nothing - a 2018 article.

Dear Nammu, Ruftin and Tart Cherry Jam, thank you for your kind replies! Yes, you are right on -- that there is prejudice about "just being." There is also prejudice about sleeping.

Tart Cherry Jam just wrote, and I quote: " doing nothing is essential for creativity and innovation, and a person’s seeming inactivity might actually cultivate new insights, inventions or melodies."

Absolute true for me!! There are two strong pulls in my own life: one is creativitiy, which is playing music and signing. The other one is activism of various kinds. Regarding the activism, I have to take on short term projects. If I work long and hard for an issue, my music simply stops happening. I figured this out a long time ago, when I thought was losing my talent. In fact, I just need down time to function as a creative person.

And about techology, I had an issue with Xfinity today. I was on their text chat line, and we took care of the issue I had (since the Hold time for a phone representative was over 18 mintues). But after the Chat, even though I said Goodbye and deleted the text conversation, the AI chat "person" posted back and wanted to know if I wanted to a free Samsung smart phone I said No. The AI wrote back and wanted to know the reason why, since it was absolutely free. I told the robo not to contact me anymore.

The reason why is, I don't have a smart phone, I don't need a smart phone, and I don't want to try to LEARN some new electronic device.

I invented The Doubles Game on my 44th birthday when a gf called and asked if shed woken me up. I said i was just lolling (not LOL'ing - this was 30 years ago, before LOL was invented!). My nephew was ten, and by his 11th birthday, my brother was ready to kill me, as he'd been subjected to the doubles game for a week. You can only do things with double letters, and you can annoyingly name all the things you cant! It was even a category on Jeopardy once!

I use a biofeedback pelvic PT device which gamifies these exercises, makes them fun, accompanies them with engaging music, and only takes less than 15 minutes a day to practice. Much easier than a 30-minute self-directed routine. But the device is for women only.

Thanks for the info about your PT routine, Tart Cherry Jam. For now, though, my therapist and I worked out a way for me to get all my PT each day.

I can do up to 5 minutes per PT exercise session. So I do six exercise sessions a day: First thing in the morning, after breakfast, mid morning, around lunchtime, mid afternoon, before supper. It's working for me since yesterday...LOL

When I am out of the apt. building, I have some arm swings and lunges to do around town.

I'll save you info in case I need it in the future. I love the idea of gamifying my routine. I used to play table tennis once a week, but since I've got a walker, I couldn't do that anymore. There is one man at the table tennis club who plays from his wheelchair! But a walker is not steady enough.

I only recently learned of tennis competition between wheelchair-bound players.

Great job figuring out how to do the PT routine spread out throughout the day!

I love the idea of many benefits of doing nothing. I have a very hard time with doing nothing. I feel extremely bad and guilty if I do nothing, or nothing of substance. But when you think of it when you do nothing, your mind is still working so you might be thinking of something interesting! Or meditating! Or just enjoying comfy seat or nice weather. I really need to stop feeling guilty!

Thank you, Divine! I know what you mean, for sure, about how our minds keep on going going going when we try to do nothing.

Divine, i can give you lessons!

I just finished listening to this book:

https://a.co/d/05l21MFj

Mind Wandering by the scientist Moshe Bar.

Default mode network, mind wanders and is always occupied. It can boost creativity.

Hahahah don’t get me wrong, I waste plenty of time. 😂but I feel bad about it. I want to waste it without feeling bad 😂