How do I motivate myself enough to get out of the house during the depressive period?

if only there was an easy answer to this! I struggled with lack of motivation for ages. It's always much easier to find ten good reasons to stay than one to go. With this said, you need to ask yourself, what can i reward myself with? What would i enjoy doing when i go out? If you have to leave the house for work/school or something you don't find rewarding, try to squeeze in something you enjoy. Maybe you can go get coffee before class at that place you like , or maybe on the way to work you can go pet puppies at the adoption fair. anything that makes you happy and gives you a reason to feel happy about your outing. focus on it!!

I would just remind myself that I'm going to be miserable in the house, and I'll probably be miserable out of the house, but at least I could do something good for the world, and there's the possibility of the outside making me feel not so miserable.

It is hard, as I struggle with getting out of the house because depression and anxiety eats away at me. You just have to tell yourself. Today I am not going to feel depressed. I will save it for tomorrow. It is easier said than done but you just have to force yourself even if you don't want to because it will help you feel better in the long run. Exersize and getting your muscles moving also helps you feel better because it stimulates endorphin production. Keep that in mind.

There is not a magic trick that will work for everyone or that everybody will be confortable with. So why not try different things and see which one works better for you. Take one day at a time , make small steps and break the process into smaller tasks . e.g. 'Today I am feeling like I don't want to leave the house at all so I will be happy enough if I go across the street to the corner shop or the super market or to my friend's/neighbour' s house for half an hour and come back home. Ask your friends to 'make you' go out or ask someone to come with you. If you make it out the door and you feel like panicking call someone. Give yourself credit for getting out of bed and getting ready to leave the house. Be kind to yourself.

Talk to your friends and plan something out. Remember that depression keeps you from enjoying the things you used to love, so try to do them as often as possible to remind yourself why you like them.

Look for activities that might interest you. It could be as simple as going out to get a cup of coffee when the weather is good outside.

Take a good cold shower, listen to your favorite song and look outside your window and see some parts of world is still worth living.

Just knowing that things can get better and thinking about how it oculd help might work geting resh air can actually really help you.

I think it helps to find someone to help hold you accountable, someone close to you that understands your situation, and your limitations, but that is also willing to give you small pushes when you need them. Of course, when you're dealing with depression, sometimes you can feel very vulnerable, and having someone there forcing you to do something that you're not ready to can do more harm than good. So, it's important to talk, and let them know what's too much for you. But I think having someone along side you is a great way to motivate you to do a little more each day.

Sometimes just pushing yourself out there is all it takes to help conquer depression. Your body is saying you don't have the motivation but all you need is to get over the hump!