I don't feel like it any more - From a lack of desire and motivation to a whirlpool of self-doubt.

Everyone knows it when you just don't feel like doing anything. You'd like to give up everything and are extremely unmotivated to do anything useful with your time. The Corona situation doesn't make it any easier. For many of us, the day is unstructured, as we have been in alternating classes until now and usually had no strict plan for the day.

Many people around me, and perhaps you as well, found it difficult, or still find it difficult, to motivate themselves to study. At least over a long period of time.

This is compounded by the tense atmosphere at home that results from this. When the weather throws a spanner in the works, the day is often completely ruined. You sit at home, unable to do much, especially at such times. It is precisely in such moments that thoughts start to circle. You start to reflect on your life and especially on yourself. For many young people, this ends in a whirlpool of self-doubt and negative thoughts. At least that has been my experience lately. Maybe you felt the same way as I did.

In such moments it is important to first of all become aware (I know, easier said than done) of everything you have already achieved and how proud you can actually be of yourself. Reflecting on these things and consciously noticing them. What helps me a lot when I'm caught in a vortex of self-doubt, listlessness and lack of motivation is to read through cards/letters/messages in which people who are very important to me in life have complimented me or told me how important I am to them.

If you have never received such texts, it might help you to consciously write down your strengths. And yes, each of you has strengths!!! If that still doesn't help you, don't be afraid to talk to friends or your parents or whoever else is close to you about your problems and self-doubt. Everyone has probably had to carry such thoughts with them more than once in their lives and can then, in the best case scenario, even give you tips on how he or she was able to escape these thoughts. Because once you have managed to do that, everything else in everyday life, such as studying, will be much easier.

However, if the situations described above become a regular occurrence and you develop acute self-hatred because you cannot manage on your own to escape the initially harmless and increasingly strong streams of thoughts, do not be afraid to seek professional help.

You can also get help from the children's and young people's hotline (also called Nummer-gegen-Kummer https://www.nummergegenkummer.de/): 116 111.

June, 2021