Meh - An Attitude of Indifference

Do you struggle with feeling like you don’t want to do much, even though you have things you need to do? How do you know if it’s just a temporary lack of motivation or that you’ve crossed a line into being apathetic? Apathy is defined as a noticeable lack of motivation that is different from a person’s regular baseline of behavior and thinking.

Apathy feels like something important is missing from your life, but without the drive to pursue anything or to even care. It’s a perception of detachment, a lack of concern and loss of hope that being content is possible. While it can be a symptom of depression or anxiety, apathy can also stand alone.

SYMPTOMS

• Absence of meaningful emotion

• Low levels of productivity, even when problems pile up

• Inability to commit or devote yourself to much of anything

• Reduced ability to set or follow through with goals

• Indifference to self-care or improvement

• Little desire to join in social activities; difficulty enjoying yourself

• Skepticism of your ability to achieve; fear of failing or being rejected

CONTRIBUTORS

• Situational: recent events/circumstances that are disappointing, overwhelming, triggering, discouraging or that prompt a sense of hopelessness.

• Emotional: high stress, emotionally fatigued, loss of happiness, burnout, over-arousal, boredom.

• Cognitive: negative thoughts, distorted or distracted thinking, “mind chatter”.

• Mental health: anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorder.

• Medical: low iron. Inadequate sleep/exhaustion. Low thyroid functioning. Blood sugar regulations problems. Low dopamine, imbalanced norepinephrine or low serotonin. Brain disorders.

• Ongoing apathy makes it difficult to succeed at work/school, maintain healthy relationships, and to sustain good physical and emotional health. 

WHERE TO START

• Ask, “Do I want things to change? Am I willing to prioritize myself?”

• Allow yourself empathy and patience. This will take effort and possibly involve some discomfort.

• Shake things up. Talk to someone new, change your routines, try something different, get out and away from your regular setting. Sometimes we need to step back from our “everyday” and inject something different into our lives in order to gain new energy, inspiration, or interest

• Recognize what isn’t working and what could be better. Switch from inaction to problem-solving.

• Consider working with a therapist- someone who can challenge your negative thinking/beliefs, and provide tools. A therapist can be an objective additional support and resource.