Staving Off Lethargy

[dutchdisease]

Hello All,

I haven't been around for a while but, here I am. So to be brief, over the course of this year I have changed quite a bit and I have finally managed to (mostly) overcome laziness that has haunted me in my school work. So far this semester has been a string of A's and very few missing HW assignments. This all came about when I managed to pin down some clear goals for my future. There is however, one issue that still remains.

Main Point:
Beyond my laziness I have among other things a very low natural state of energy. I have at times speculated that this comes from some underlying condition ,however, this is not an absolute certainty. What I am looking for now is some advice as to how I can cope with this naturally low energy level. I know I can do a few things that will make me feel a little better like getting extra hours of sleep (beyond 7-9 hours) and knocking down a few coffees but these are rather limited. If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this that doesn't involve the use of illicit substances it would be greatly appreciated.

tl;dr
Need to enhance natural energy levels for a decent period of time. Advice?

 

[Toro]

Exercise!
I know this seems like an obvious answer but it truly works.

 

[QuickTwist]

Exercise!
I know this seems like an obvious answer but it truly works.

This ^

Also, I would not be so quick to say your low energy levels are necessarily a bad thing. I've had this theory for a while that people who naturally have a low energy level are better at thinking logically because they don't get caught up in the "hype" of things. It allows for a clear head and deduction falls in tow.

 

[dutchdisease]

Exercise!
I know this seems like an obvious answer but it truly works.

Yes, I used to have regimen of running for about an hour straight twice a week. It did do some good but, I can't say it had any of the large impacts I was hoping for. I should get back to it now though since I am not currently working.

 

[dutchdisease]

This ^

Also, I would not be so quick to say your low energy levels are necessarily a bad thing. I've had this theory for a while that people who naturally have a low energy level are better at thinking logically because they don't get caught up in the "hype" of things. It allows for a clear head and deduction falls in tow.

This may very well be true. I have never had massive swings in emotional levels. There is something that really bothers me though. I occasionally come across these elderly people who seem to have so much more life in them than myself. I do not mean this mildly. I mean compared to them I am just a zombie and it is even scarier when I consider that I am in some of the prime years of my life in terms of physical condition. Most of my day I am just constantly yawning with 10 ton eyelids.

 

[QuickTwist]

This may very well be true. I have never had massive swings in emotional levels. There is something that really bothers me though. I occasionally come across these elderly people who seem to have so much more life in them than myself. I do not mean this mildly. I mean compared to them I am just a zombie and it is even scarier when I consider that I am in some of the prime years of my life in terms of physical condition. Most of my day I am just constantly yawning with 10 ton eyelids.

I bet those old people are possibly more active than you. I saw you said you used to run for an hour twice a week. This might help, but I don't think its enough. What I mean by exercise is really pushing your body. You can do this either by weights or calisthenics. Both are fine, but you really need to come to some level of exertion before it has a more permanent effect. And I don't think just doing pushups is going to do it either. For one, while pushups are great, they are not great by themself. You should be engaging your whole body trying to actually get stronger. Getting stronger doesn't happen unless there is progressive overload. That means either the weight has to go up or you have to do more sets/reps.

If you can afford an hour 3 days a week, there are plenty of programs that can do the trick just fine. I might look into 'Starting Strength' if I was you.

 

[Toro]

Recent studies show that people with ADHD handle for high pressure situations such as emergencies much better than average people.
I am very very high energy but I'm also known for thinking clearly in high pressure situations. This is the one thing a out me that seems to really differ a lot from other INTPs....maybe I'm just not an INTP...ha

 

[Toro]

I forgot to add I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. Luckily my mother didn't care and didn't want me on medication. Whether I have ADHD or was misdiagnosed....who knows. But I certainly am high energy.

 

[dutchdisease]

I bet those old people are possibly more active than you. I saw you said you used to run for an hour twice a week. This might help, but I don't think its enough. What I mean by exercise is really pushing your body. You can do this either by weights or calisthenics. Both are fine, but you really need to come to some level of exertion before it has a more permanent effect. And I don't think just doing pushups is going to do it either. For one, while pushups are great, they are not great by themself. You should be engaging your whole body trying to actually get stronger. Getting stronger doesn't happen unless there is progressive overload. That means either the weight has to go up or you have to do more sets/reps.

If you can afford an hour 3 days a week, there are plenty of programs that can do the trick just fine. I might look into 'Starting Strength' if I was you.

I usually tend to leave information out of my posts because I am leary of putting out a too detailed description of myself. I will make an exception. It is worth noting that while I was doing this I was working in a rather intensive job as a farm laborer. The hours would usually go above your typical 40 hr work week. In these tasks I could be doing any number of things but much of the job was involved moving at a brisk pace while carrying heavy items (nothing extreme but let's say 40-60lbs). This at times went on for hours. It is also worth noting that compared to other people of my age group I could easily outmatch them physically. I was stronger then but I still did not feel much better except during the time I was actually active. The work significantly cut down my weight by about 10% (I am not overweight by any means). Also I have gotten my mile time as low as 6 minutes without a huge amount of effort on my part.

Physically I seem perfectly healthy in this sense but it doesn't seem to matter much

For the above reasons I do not really believe that this is a matter of not exercising enough though I will concede I should be doing more now.

 

[dutchdisease]

I forgot to add I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. Luckily my mother didn't care and didn't want me on medication. Whether I have ADHD or was misdiagnosed....who knows. But I certainly am high energy.

I have wondered the same thing of myself. I likely wouldn't have your sub-type but I could very well be a candidate for ADHD primarily inattentive or SCT (though there may be no difference). I worry about the medications though, especially the fact that arguably the best drug to treat this sub-type is Adderall. Adderall has been shown to be neurotoxic though I am uncertain how serious this is in the very long term.

 

[QuickTwist]

I usually tend to leave information out of my posts because I am leary of putting out a too detailed description of myself. I will make an exception. It is worth noting that while I was doing this I was working in a rather intensive job as a farm laborer. The hours would usually go above your typical 40 hr work week. In these tasks I could be doing any number of things but much of the job was involved moving at a brisk pace while carrying heavy items (nothing extreme but let's say 40-60lbs). This at times went on for hours. It is also worth noting that compared to other people of my age group I could easily outmatch them physically. I was stronger then but I still did not feel much better except during the time I was actually active. The work significantly cut down my weight by about 10% (I am not overweight by any means). Also I have gotten my mile time as low as 6 minutes without a huge amount of effort on my part.

Physically I seem perfectly healthy in this sense but it doesn't seem to matter much

For the above reasons I do not really believe that this is a matter of not exercising enough though I will concede I should be doing more now.

Well then I'm out of ideas. If you are getting 8 hours of sleep and exercising regularly and are not into coffee, I don't know of any other solutions, sorry. I think that is just your natural disposition and I don't think it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[cheese]

Most of my day I am just constantly yawning with 10 ton eyelids.

If you're really sleepy all day that sounds like a medical issue. Have you been checked out?

You might have a sleep disorder, or have issues with your sleep at night causing you to be not well-rested, or chronic fatigue/ME/viral infection, thyroid problem, malnutrition, etc. Vit B and D levels as well as iron should be checked (just get a full bloodtest). Maybe investigate food intolerances too. If the gut is malfunctioning it can greatly affect energy and mood.

In the meantime maybe try to really dial up your nutrition (green smoothies? soylent? lots of steak?) and get in a brisk walk in the sun every day. Those are basic starting points for everyone.

Also some others here have had good results with modafinil. Gives you steady, focused energy all day without jitteriness (apparently). Kuu and Hadoblado are two members I know of who've used this regularly. You'd use it to replace caffeine (which in my experience tends to make me more tired over time - this is borne out by research too).

I hope you see a doctor - this doesn't sound right. (I should probably see a doctor too. )

*edit
Could you describe your lethargy in a lot more detail? What does it feel like? Any other weird symptoms alongside it?

For instance, I've got normal sleepiness, tiredness, weariness from work. Aside from that, I've also experienced extreme fatigue (can barely move), a feeling of emptiness/hollowness, lightness, light-headeness, perceived weakness, prickling along the skin, twitches etc. These are all associated with a different type of fatigue for me. Then there's also normal tiredness vs brain fog (cognitive slowness) that persists no matter how my body feels.

Give us your full details. Someone else might have a similar experience and know what helps.

 

[E404]

I have severe lethargy and generally need a lot of sleep. It's annoying. I've found that it's linked to my excitement level. When I'm feeling bleh about life, I sleep more. When I'm truly excited to work on or do something, I need less and feel great all day.

Oh, and food. Bad food makes me feel sleepy.

 

[dutchdisease]

If you're really sleepy all day that sounds like a medical issue. Have you been checked out?

You might have a sleep disorder, or have issues with your sleep at night causing you to be not well-rested, or chronic fatigue/ME/viral infection, thyroid problem, malnutrition, etc. Vit B and D levels as well as iron should be checked (just get a full bloodtest). Maybe investigate food intolerances too. If the gut is malfunctioning it can greatly affect energy and mood.

In the meantime maybe try to really dial up your nutrition (green smoothies? soylent? lots of steak?) and get in a brisk walk in the sun every day. Those are basic starting points for everyone.

Also some others here have had good results with modafinil. Gives you steady, focused energy all day without jitteriness (apparently). Kuu and Hadoblado are two members I know of who've used this regularly. You'd use it to replace caffeine (which in my experience tends to make me more tired over time - this is borne out by research too).

I hope you see a doctor - this doesn't sound right. (I should probably see a doctor too. )

*edit
Could you describe your lethargy in a lot more detail? What does it feel like? Any other weird symptoms alongside it?

For instance, I've got normal sleepiness, tiredness, weariness from work. Aside from that, I've also experienced extreme fatigue (can barely move), a feeling of emptiness/hollowness, lightness, light-headeness, perceived weakness, prickling along the skin, twitches etc. These are all associated with a different type of fatigue for me. Then there's also normal tiredness vs brain fog (cognitive slowness) that persists no matter how my body feels.

Give us your full details. Someone else might have a similar experience and know what helps.

Basic Blood Tests are normal though I do not believe I have had any extensive ones. Anyway things like blood count, thyroid, and iron are all good.

I'll see if I can give you a more complete list though I probably will miss a few things.

General apathy/lack of drive

Occasional feeling of having heavy feeling limbs but no real inability to move. Actual ability to lift something heavy or sprint has not been altered.

Heavy eyelids throughout the day (relieved with caffeine though I don't drink it on a daily basis)

Basically all the symptoms of ADHD-PI/SCT (Since as far back as I can remember) with the exception that I can fall asleep with ease. Also I usually wake up without much energy. I don't know how exactly I am supposed to feel when I wake up though.

Brain Fog at differing levels

I have dealt with depression for long periods in the past but, do not believe it is still affecting me. At least not much. I have much more hope for my future than I have had in years. I do not believe this to be the same feeling I had then.

My sleep patterns are not perfect as do some work at night but usually I will get between 7-9 hours. Once I fall asleep I usually (as far as I know) stay asleep until morning. If there are any interruptions of sleep (apnea) then I am unaware of them. Sleep seems to give me the most energy around 10 or so hours though this might just be the max I am able of achieving given my schedule.

Malnutrition is unlikely. My diet is fairly balanced with meat, vegetables, fruits, carbs, etc., etc. of course it could be better and I could cut down on sugar intake.

I usually never fall asleep during the day with a few exceptions though I sometimes can if I choose to . I am just going around as a zombie would.

Also a bit on the stranger side, sometimes I look around me and it all just seems like a I am staring at a painting or a picture. Things around me do not seem as though they are really right there. This is hard for me to phrase and it does not happen all the time but it is as though there is a fundamental disconnection.

I would like to go see a doctor and talk to him about all this but I am on a parents medical plan and for my purposes it is better off that they know as little as possible about all this for the time being.

 

[cheese]

Also a bit on the stranger side, sometimes I look around me and it all just seems like a I am staring at a painting or a picture. Things around me do not seem as though they are really right there. This is hard for me to phrase and it does not happen all the time but it is as though there is a fundamental disconnection.

I think I might know what you mean there. I've struggled to describe it too, but what you've just said sounds similar.

Spoiler

For me it's like I'm looking at things but not processing them. I see them, recognise them, can talk about them, but they don't seem 'real', like I'm missing something essential about them. (None of that's quite right either.) "Fundamental disconnection" is right. Like I see them but they're only in front of my eyes, not in my head, or flat/2D except my vision isn't literally affected. Maybe it's like part of the brain is asleep, so the image isn't fully processed and perception takes on a superficial quality. It often feels like I can't see, even though I know I'm seeing things and can describe them and can in fact see them.

Is this the same for you, or are we talking about different things?

If it is the same, I wonder if there's a sleep issue here. Do you also experience skips in consciousness, or your body occasionally moving out of sync with your perception of it? Like walking along and suddenly 'coming to' a few steps away from your last instant of consciousness, or feeling your leg bend when you wanted it to move forward (or move at the wrong time).
Along with that: experiences of sudden dread, or feeling everything is surreal, or anything else that makes the world feel a bit dream-like?

I would also have that vision problem above (knowing I'm doing something but not feeling like I am) with other things - talking, working, walking, etc. I'd also 'come to' a few seconds into a sentence every now and then, while also knowing I'd been awake during those seconds anyway.

I puzzled over it for a while then realised it was as if parts of my brain were slipping in and out of sleep (which also accounted for the occasional dream-like intense and context-irrelevant emotions). I was pretty terrible with sleep for a few years and had a period where I'd keep slipping into microsleeps while talking or walking. This was similar except that I was still conscious and awake, but out of sync with myself.

Paying attention to getting lots of veggies in, getting enough sleep, exercising a bit, being in the sun and interacting with family/close friends seems to keep it away for me for the most part. The social component isn't useful on its own but helps general mood and keeps you grounded.

I don't know for sure if it was a sleep issue but it felt similar to other sleep issues I'd had.

Malnutrition:
Balanced diet is good, though there are sometimes other issues blocking the absorption of key vitamins/minerals.

While a lot of what you've posted sounds familiar (have seen it in others) I don't know what to do about it other than suggesting more research. And shoving in as much healthy food as you can.

Do check out modafinil though. Hadoblado had similar symptoms to you and his functioning improved greatly with moda. That could be a useful short-term measure.

Personally, having a heap of veggies every day (several cups of cooked veggies and a green smoothie - tons of fresh leaves in there) helped get rid of some of my weird fatigue problems.

 

[Minuend]

I guess I don't have the same thing, but I've had a lot of weird symptoms severely impacting my life as well. It started like 5 years ago when I ate a lot of meat, fish and veggies. I probably did eat stuff like chocolate and other sweets a few times a week as well. I had a very active job with walking and lifting and in addition I either bicycled to work (40min one way hilly road) or hiked for 1- 1 1/2 hour on workdays and 3 hours in the weekends. But I still got gradually sicker.

My symptoms have been brain fog, fatigue, lack of emotional nuances, not being rested when waking up, digestion problems, concentration difficulty, lack of motivation, being constantly tense, palpitations and various auto immune signs that has come and gone like vitiligo (the vitiligo is still there), feeling swollen around eyes, feeling heated, feeling my skin "react" to my hair, hairloss, generally feeling ill in my body at worst to the point where I felt like I was dying and other things I can't remember

So I went from being very active and working to not working and not having the energy to take a single step outdoor or even put clothes in the washing machine. I also started eating less and lost quite some weight. I pretty much didn't exercise the last 2 years and I probably got a bit protein deficient because heavy foods high in protein made me feel worse, so I've been gradually starting to eat more carbs because they've been easier to digest. I also became vegetarian about 2-3 years ago and mostly vegan for 2 years or so

But the last 1-2 months I've started to feel better and I have no idea why. I don't think I've done much differently. It's been happening very gradually. I've become less and less fatigued. Brainfog started to appear more rarely, been without brainfog for like one week straight now. Haven't had any of the things listed under autoimmune symptoms happening for quite some time.

Today is the second day I've woken up and actually felt rested, without having that feeling of your body being pulled down. So I'm kinda hoping this means I'm getting well again. I've started exercising a bit again as I actually have the energy back for it. I still have some digestion problems, so I'm having some problems with eating as much as I want/ need to.

I have started drinking ~2 cups of coffee from ground beans since I got a coffee machine 2 months ago. And I started taking ~5grams of moringa (to see if it would help on gut problems) every now and then. But I would be fairly perplexed if either of those have been "curing" me. Also, like mentioned, I've been eating less protein dense food. Other than that, everything is the same. Oh, I guess I moved, but I've moved thrice the last 5 years so I don't think it could be fungus or something like that.

I guess I'm not under stress these days, though. I haven't been depressed for a few years, but I have been somewhat stressed, though that too has diminished the last few years as I haven't been working and rarely had to interact with people.

(Bloodworks have been fine (iron, thyroid, dvit etc). Had some high levels on thyroid tests a few times, but they always was back to normal when retaking them)

 

[dutchdisease]

I think I might know what you mean there. I've struggled to describe it too, but what you've just said sounds similar.

Spoiler

For me it's like I'm looking at things but not processing them. I see them, recognise them, can talk about them, but they don't seem 'real', like I'm missing something essential about them. (None of that's quite right either.) "Fundamental disconnection" is right. Like I see them but they're only in front of my eyes, not in my head, or flat/2D except my vision isn't literally affected. Maybe it's like part of the brain is asleep, so the image isn't fully processed and perception takes on a superficial quality. It often feels like I can't see, even though I know I'm seeing things and can describe them and can in fact see them.

Is this the same for you, or are we talking about different things?

If it is the same, I wonder if there's a sleep issue here. Do you also experience skips in consciousness, or your body occasionally moving out of sync with your perception of it? Like walking along and suddenly 'coming to' a few steps away from your last instant of consciousness, or feeling your leg bend when you wanted it to move forward (or move at the wrong time).
Along with that: experiences of sudden dread, or feeling everything is surreal, or anything else that makes the world feel a bit dream-like?

I would also have that vision problem above (knowing I'm doing something but not feeling like I am) with other things - talking, working, walking, etc. I'd also 'come to' a few seconds into a sentence every now and then, while also knowing I'd been awake during those seconds anyway.

I puzzled over it for a while then realised it was as if parts of my brain were slipping in and out of sleep (which also accounted for the occasional dream-like intense and context-irrelevant emotions). I was pretty terrible with sleep for a few years and had a period where I'd keep slipping into microsleeps while talking or walking. This was similar except that I was still conscious and awake, but out of sync with myself.

Paying attention to getting lots of veggies in, getting enough sleep, exercising a bit, being in the sun and interacting with family/close friends seems to keep it away for me for the most part. The social component isn't useful on its own but helps general mood and keeps you grounded.

I don't know for sure if it was a sleep issue but it felt similar to other sleep issues I'd had.

Malnutrition:
Balanced diet is good, though there are sometimes other issues blocking the absorption of key vitamins/minerals.

While a lot of what you've posted sounds familiar (have seen it in others) I don't know what to do about it other than suggesting more research. And shoving in as much healthy food as you can.

Do check out modafinil though. Hadoblado had similar symptoms to you and his functioning improved greatly with moda. That could be a useful short-term measure.

Personally, having a heap of veggies every day (several cups of cooked veggies and a green smoothie - tons of fresh leaves in there) helped get rid of some of my weird fatigue problems.

My some of my issues are uncannily similar to the quoted text. I assumed I was the first person to have invented time travel by way of skips in consciousness I do not know much about Moda other than its basic purposes. I have only looked into older stimulants none of which I have tried.

 

[cheese]

My some of my issues are uncannily similar to the quoted text. I assumed I was the first person to have invented time travel by way of skips in consciousness I do not know much about Moda other than its basic purposes. I have only looked into older stimulants none of which I have tried.

Cool, a fellow loon (or SCIENTIST! ).

Min and dutch:
Sounds like it could be an autoimmune thing (Min already mentioned this).

If you're interested, check out PANDAS. It's not generally associated with people over 12, but basically it involves autoimmune reactions following an infection. Some symptoms are OCD, ADHD behaviour, anxiety and tic disorders. Chronic fatigue syndrome which also generally follows a viral infection and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) are probably more relevant. iirc, CFS and ME are both considered neurological disorders (affect the nervous system) and are edging their way towards being considered autoimmune disorders

The main thing with ME is that exertion (like exercise) makes everything worse - they become more fatigued, crash harder and take longer to recover.

Min's fatigue problems were obviously severe, at the CFS level. Spontaneous remission (and relapse) is seen in CFS iirc, but perhaps you also got healthier over the last few years (ate food which agreed more with your body). Dutch's issues don't sound at all normal either. Being tired all day and never being refreshed after sleep, as well as the weird stuff we both share, isn't right.

Min, my bloodwork was fine too, and I also slowly got better over a couple of years and just realised one day that I hadn't had a fatigue or jerk attack in a long time. I *had* done things differently with nutrition, so I attributed it to that (and I definitely have more energy with veggies). However, I got slack and started eating some pretty terrible food again and some of the stuff came back (this year I had the worst attack of jerks I've ever had - I was also fatigued and stressed).

Maybe part of you getting better was just needing that much time away from stress and exertion. If your body's defenses are down and its resources depleted, it'll need time to recover. Perhaps what you did differently was simply being away from exertion for that long, and that's made the difference. I hope it lasts! Stupid nature.

 

[scorpiomover]

Need to enhance natural energy levels for a decent period of time. Advice?

De-stress.

It is worth noting that while I was doing this I was working in a rather intensive job as a farm laborer. The hours would usually go above your typical 40 hr work week. In these tasks I could be doing any number of things but much of the job was involved moving at a brisk pace while carrying heavy items (nothing extreme but let's say 40-60lbs). This at times went on for hours. It is also worth noting that compared to other people of my age group I could easily outmatch them physically. I was stronger then but I still did not feel much better except during the time I was actually active. The work significantly cut down my weight by about 10% (I am not overweight by any means). Also I have gotten my mile time as low as 6 minutes without a huge amount of effort on my part.

Physically I seem perfectly healthy in this sense but it doesn't seem to matter much

Your physical stamina is extreme. That's a workout and then some.

Severely high levels of exercise have not generally increased your energy levels. By Bacon's principle of determining causation, if there was any correlation between physical exercise and your state of lethargy, then during this period of significant physical exertion, you should have seen a significant change in your mood. You saw some change, but only during the times you were actually active.

That means that only the physical activity was pepping you up, but not during your off-time.

Scientists have found that the majority of weight loss due to exercise comes from the time when you are NOT exercising. Exercise raises the metabolic rate not just during the exercise, but also during the following 24 hours. The amount of calories lost during the following 24 hours at the higher metabolic rate, vastly exceeds the burn of calories during the exercise itself. So obviously, exercise affects the body during the off time. So if you saw any effects during the activity, you should have seen significant improvements during your off time.

That you didn't, means that something is depressing your mood in general, but was suppressed during the activity.

Since the activity isn't doing it, it was probably that you were concentrating on your job, and so were focussing your mind on things other than worry. When you weren't active, you reverted to worrying.

You're stressed, and worrying about things. Learn to de-stress your life. Cut out the things that stress you out.

Take up relaxation and breathing exercises (like Sivananda Yoga, Tai-Chi, or anything else that does that), to TRAIN your body to not get stressed.

 

[Cherry Cola]

You need to wanna KILL IT, not "stave it off".

Don't you agree? It sounds a lot more powerful and determined doesn't it? "Staving off lethargy" sounds like you're so confused and unsure about your own right to survival that you start occupying your mind with linguistic perfectionism because you're not even sure there's an organism worth maintaining in the midst of all this chaos and doubt. This is not the time for linguistic musings! Not when they detract from your struggle!!! You need to KILL your spiritual inhibition, and your verbosity is a part of your spiritual inhibition.

 

[Seteleechete]

Can't and I don't really want to either.

 

[Minuend]

Thanks for the informative reply, cheese. Will still be mulling things over a bit.

 

[pjoa09]

I have wondered the same thing of myself. I likely wouldn't have your sub-type but I could very well be a candidate for ADHD primarily inattentive or SCT (though there may be no difference). I worry about the medications though, especially the fact that arguably the best drug to treat this sub-type is Adderall. Adderall has been shown to be neurotoxic though I am uncertain how serious this is in the very long term.

They'll tell you otherwise.

Don't believe them.

You won't ever be the same.

I took Ritalin for a few months it was fun while it lasted.
It feels like you are in deep shit without the problem that's causing you to be in deep shit.

 

[Hadoblado]

People that experience depression have correlates outside of their depressive episodes. They're more likely to possess negative core beliefs and biases, recurrent intrusive thoughts, low energy levels, or be unmotivated. A depressive episode occurs when these things start a self-reinforcing loop, but that doesn't mean they're entirely absent when in remission.

Honestly the way you describe your level of activity it sounds like you're killing it. The best way to overcome these kinds of limitations is to maintain a high level of activity.

What's your sleep hygiene like? I experience nasty lethargy when I'm going to/getting out of bed at different times. Outside of that, I find that a brisk walk every couple of hours for 10-15 minutes keeps the body running.
I also calibrate the music I listen to to the mood I'm in; heavy metal usually gets me active, there's something about the absolute relentlessness of double kick drumming that puts my body in lock step determination. Sometimes I'm too lethargic to keep up (when I'm truly struggling), in those cases I go for something more calm.

 

[dutchdisease]

People that experience depression have correlates outside of their depressive episodes. They're more likely to possess negative core beliefs and biases, recurrent intrusive thoughts, low energy levels, or be unmotivated. A depressive episode occurs when these things start a self-reinforcing loop, but that doesn't mean they're entirely absent when in remission.

Honestly the way you describe your level of activity it sounds like you're killing it. The best way to overcome these kinds of limitations is to maintain a high level of activity.

What's your sleep hygiene like? I experience nasty lethargy when I'm going to/getting out of bed at different times. Outside of that, I find that a brisk walk every couple of hours for 10-15 minutes keeps the body running.
I also calibrate the music I listen to to the mood I'm in; heavy metal usually gets me active, there's something about the absolute relentlessness of double kick drumming that puts my body in lock step determination. Sometimes I'm too lethargic to keep up (when I'm truly struggling), in those cases I go for something more calm.

My sleep hygiene is a bit inconsistent. I have gone through periods where I strictly went to bed around 9 or 9:30 and did not wake up until 7 or 8. Right now though I have been pulling some later night for college. So figure something along the lines of 10:30 or 11 to 7 though this can vary. I too have a variety of music to keep me entertained.