Social and emotional inertia

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Does anyone else suffer from inertia? I didn't even know there was a word for how I'm feeling until I saw it described as an autistic trait. A lot of the time I struggle to get motivated. It isn't to do with depression, which is under control at the moment. It's more that I just can't get started with anything. I can sit around all day not really getting anything done. The irony is that once I do get into a task I can't stop, especially if it's related to my obsessions. But a lot of the time - especially socially and emotionally - I don't have any get-up-and-go. I can sit with someone and not say a single word as I just don't feel motivated to. It drains me to think about doing it. Just wondered how common this is, especially when it isn't actually associated with a low mood.

I'm like that, too. I've been like this my whole life. I waste a lot of time everyday kinda like pretending (to myself) that I'm doing something relevant. But the truth is that I'm not. I only feel motivated when I'm doing something related to my obsessions (which takes quite a lot of my time everyday but I still end up with several hours left). I feel a bit bad about it because I know that I could be doing something more meaningful and useful, but I don't care too much either because I know that's just the way I am.

Same here. I have a small theory that this is some kind of natural mechanism that balances out the pure hyperfocus bliss that you experience when doing something you like to do.

I don't know if this is the case for you too, but for me this is the worst when I am made to do something I dislike doing. What's worse is that I spend enormous amounts of energy focusing on how much I dislike doing this(!) And with every passing minute, the task seems more daunting.

Sometimes, when I finally get started, it's not too bad (though in my head there's still a small storm raging), but on other times it even takes me hours to get the smallest tasks done

This is a very real problem at work; I'm extremely good at what I do, so it becomes more glaring (at least to myself) how incredibly long it takes me to do these boring tasks which should take mere minutes...

Sometimes I'm afraid my boss will notice my slacking off so extremely and get angry. Fortunately this hasn't happened yet!

Thanks for your replies. Sjamaan you've described me pretty well too - I really struggle with inertia when I don't want to do something, but like you say it's not usually so bad when I actually get started. It's an interesting thought that the brain tries to cancel out the hyperfocus we experience. I never thought of it like that, but you could well be right. I seem to be either in one state or the other. I can't just do a task, I have to be completely absorbed in it. If I can't reach that state, I don't do it at all.

Yup, I've struggled with indecisiveness and apathy, and I find it hard to get into things but get obsessionally into them to the point I forget to eat for long periods.

I would like to be more productive. I think the issues you mention fit into emotional management and broader self management. And perspective on life.

Thanks for that info zeichner, it does seem to describe me really well! It's nice to know that how I feel has a name. I think I experience most of the diffictulties on that list.

Yes. When it hits, I watch my hand as I make it do what I want it to do.

If I have to put away cothes, for instance, I will force my hand to move. I tis like it is separate.

Other times I just sit and stare or call someone on the phone. With a voice on the other end, sometimes I can do what I ened to do.

It's really bizarre. It is like Brain Lock

I'm just like this. I can't get anything done i don't want to and I end up forgetting homework and things because I'm just not motivated but I can do things I really like that are relevant to my interests and really get into it. It's just other things that I have a hard time with and I feel like I'm forcing myself to do things.
I guess it is executive dysfunction like what zeichner said, and it's quite bad too sometimes.

Same here

This is my biggest problem. It creates more problems than any of my other issues, and it's been the most difficult to overcome even slightly.

Yep. I'm pretty much exactly like this and the things everyone has said here are relevant to the point where I don't even have anything unique to contribute to the thread.