I think I am falling into Spiritual Sloth

[Angel7]

I’m a teenager. Have some issues with Scrupulousity. I think I have depression.
Very Lazy when it comes to doing things like exercising.
Lazy in praying.
I try to pray atleast once a day (which is the requirement) I know I should pray more, and I want to but I don’t.
I was interested in wearing Scapulars a few months back, but then when I discovered that Certain Scapulars require people to pray certain prayers. I lost interest.
I used to pray The Rosary every day last summer. Scrupulousity made it difficult to pray. It took almost 2 hours to pray a Rosary.

Now I don’t pray The Rosary. I should and I want to but I don’t.
and I use last years experience as an excuse. (maybe I’ll pray The Rosary when my scrupulousity is better).

But it is better. I can pray without my scrupulousity now. my excuse now is, I don’t want to.

I’m very lazy in doing work. Sometimes I ask if I can do something without actually intending to do it, but I do it because I said I would.

This summer I haven’t done anything other than play video games, sit, lay down, sleep, and I do think I have depression.

I should exercise, but I don’t. Don’t want to. Whenever I show up for soccer practice It reminds me of how out of shape I am, and that I’m really bad at soccer.

I feel really gray. and if I could say something to describe how I feel most of the time it is “bleh…”

I don’t know if this should be on this thread.

 

[baltobetsy]

Can you ask your parents to let you consult the doctor about your depression?

 

[Scoobyshme]

If you can get hold of some vitamin B, that could be very helpful. Give you more energy, fight your depression, etc. Also, be careful to make sure you get enough sunlight. Staying in the dark or dimly lit room can bring on depression.

 

[St_Francis]

I’m a teenager. Have some issues with Scrupulousity. I think I have depression.
Very Lazy when it comes to doing things like exercising.
Lazy in praying.
I try to pray atleast once a day (which is the requirement) I know I should pray more, and I want to but I don’t.
I was interested in wearing Scapulars a few months back, but then when I discovered that Certain Scapulars require people to pray certain prayers. I lost interest.
I used to pray The Rosary every day last summer. Scrupulousity made it difficult to pray. It took almost 2 hours to pray a Rosary.

Now I don’t pray The Rosary. I should and I want to but I don’t.
and I use last years experience as an excuse. (maybe I’ll pray The Rosary when my scrupulousity is better).

But it is better. I can pray without my scrupulousity now. my excuse now is, I don’t want to.

I’m very lazy in doing work. Sometimes I ask if I can do something without actually intending to do it, but I do it because I said I would.

This summer I haven’t done anything other than play video games, sit, lay down, sleep, and I do think I have depression.

I should exercise, but I don’t. Don’t want to. Whenever I show up for soccer practice It reminds me of how out of shape I am, and that I’m really bad at soccer.

I feel really gray. and if I could say something to describe how I feel most of the time it is “bleh…”

I don’t know if this should be on this thread.

If you could see a doctor, that would be good. I used to have anemia when I was a teen, and that made me pretty tired out a lot of the time.

However, one of the major things to do when one is feelings blah is to get moving. Even tho you don’t feel like doing anything physical, just force yourself to go outside and walk for a bit, or ride a bike, because exercise will send good chemicals into your brain and that will help your blah feelings. Sunlight also helps

Do you want to play soccer? Maybe you could substitute something you like for it? Or at least tell yourself that you will remember that you don’t like soccer and this is the last time you will sign up for it–all that if you really don’t like soccer instead of just feeling blah about that right now, too.

And of course the other thing to do is to pray. Pray your morning prayers, and pray short prayers during the rest of the day. Put some triggers around to remind you.

And at the end of the day, say your evening prayers.

If there is something you feel good about doing, tell yourself that you can’t do it until you have prayed a decade of the Rosary, and then add another decade each week.

A book that has helped me out a lot, and has strategies for doing some of this stuff if you are still having trouble, is *Feeling Good *by David Burns. it is not Catholic, but a lot of what he suggests can be easily adapted for spiritual activities. I was able to find it in the library, but if yours doesn’t have it, you can request it on inter-library loan.

 

[Kay_Lynn]

Truth be told…I was very lazy growing up…but I finally realized I was the only one that could change that. A priest once told me just “start” and once you get going it is easier to keep going.

I would also advise that if you are feeling poorly and think it may be depression to speak with a physician. He/she would be able to do a proper diagnosis and help treat whatever it might be, whether depression or vitamin deficiency. You don’t want to keep feeling like this .

 

[Kay_Lynn]

Perhaps you will want to start by just reading some good saint books!!!

 

[Edward_H]

Start with small things. Pick something achievable: Getting up at a fixed time…like 30 minutes earlier than you’re used to. Immediately get on your knees and make a 1 minute morning offering. Head to the bathroom to take care of hygiene. Get a quick start on small things. Do this for 20 days…it becomes a habit after about 3 weeks. Stay small…add slowly. Keep "general’ track of things…don’t become an fine point accountant about your progress.

Stay small…and give to God your small "challenges’ overcome…so that he can convert those wins into useful things for others.

Stay small, focus on giving God some thing small and difficult each day.

Get to sleep earlier.

I’ve been there years before and the small sacrifices with a sense of humor about it all is a huge help.

At the end of the day…have a short talk with God about your “sloth”. Let Him be the judge. You be the son/daughter. He’s your Father and he wants you to be serene and not to be overwhelmed by “big things”. Be His little helper. You’ll see the difference.

 

[OraLabora]

The experts on spiritual sloth (“acedia”) are monks. This phenomenon has been known since the Desert Fathers.

Any chance there’s a Benedictine or Cistercian monastery in your area? You might benefit from spiritual direction from a monk.

It’s a problem that affects many, if not most, monks at some point or another in their vocation.

I brought this same issue up once with my confessor, an elderly Benedictine. I clearly hit a topic near and dear to his heart, we ended up having a long discussion about it and what to do about it, and he forgot to give me absolution…