Depression Understood Forums

Any tips for increasing enthusiasm? I've been able to make my day to day life more tolerable with citalopram, but I still struggle. One of the main things that I struggle with (even on good days) is having enthusiasm. Any advice on feeling inspired to do something, and getting enjoyment from doing something?

Hi housecat,

It is different for everybody, and I don’t know if there is a formula that increases enthusiasm. Perhaps try to get involved in something that you find interesting.

Antidepressants can help, but they do not treat the depression. They just suppress the symptoms so life becomes a little more bearable, as you have recognized.

What about exercise? Moderate-intensity exercise has antidepressant effects, raises energy levels, motivation, and a host of other benefits. This, in turn, may increase your enthusiasm in general.

Diet is also critical for health. If you include nutrient-rich foods (fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, legumes, etc) in your diet, this will give you more energy and stablize brain chemistry. Again, in turn, this will affect your mood and enthusiasm, as mind, body and the nutrients we absorb are all interrelated.

Establishing a routine may also help.

Try writing down a list of things you want to accomplish. Or even a "to do" list can be useful, so you have focus and drive to accomplish something in a day.

What about spending time with friends and family? Do you know anyone who is energetic and enthusiastic? Spend time with them and their motivation, energy and enthusiasm may rub off onto you! Also, talking to other people who share similar interests will create and fuel enthusiasm.

Music may help, as it influences our mood and energy levels.

Certain movies may give you a boost in enthusiasm.

You can also watch motivational vids… these will give you a MASSIVE, short-term boost in motivation and energy, which in turn give you a boost of enthusiasm. I will leave a link to a few to get you started…

Dream--Motivational Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-jwWYX7Jlo
Contenders--Motivational Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSwwEeF_K8
Hero--Motivational Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZjtRQMEOmI

Hey housecat,

Like Spleefy mentioned, it is in fact different for everyone. I'll share a short personal story though. I find one of the things that gives me more of a general feeling of enthusiasm is reading books. When my depression came, my enthusiasm tanked, and I've been dealing with it for 8 very long years. My psychiatrist suggested a few books for me to read about 6 months back. I didn't find them particularly helpful, but reading them raised questions for me, and prompted me to purchase other titles in search of answers. I find that the more I read, the more I learn, and the more I learn, the better/more enthusiastic I feel. Just my two cents.