“As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, and I may receive a commission for purchases made through them.”

The Most Practical Way to Pull Yourself Out of a Slump

On those days when your body and mind feel completely stuck, the best remedy is a ‘tiny little movement.’ Let me share the secret of how the small act of putting a mountain of clothes in the washing machine can trick your brain into regaining its vitality. Experience the magic of a small accomplishment.

When You Have a Mountain of Tasks but Can’t Lift a Finger

A to-do list floats in your head, but your body feels as heavy as water-logged cotton. You become one with the sofa, endlessly scrolling through your phone. A sense of self-blame creeps in, but you lack the energy to shake it off and get up. This deep feeling of lethargy is hard to overcome with willpower alone. In fact, the pressure to ‘get it done’ can push us into an even deeper hole.

According to neuroscience, this phenomenon is perfectly natural. Lethargy is often like a ‘shutdown’ command issued by our brain to protect itself during burnout or stressful situations. So, where is the switch to undo this shutdown and reboot the system? Surprisingly, it’s very close by: in ‘action’ itself.

The ‘Behavioral Activation’ Theory: Move First, and Emotions Will Follow

In psychology, there’s a concept called ‘Behavioral Activation.’ It’s a technique used to treat depression and lethargy, and its core is simple: “Don’t wait until you feel better to act; act first to change how you feel.” It’s about reversing the order, letting action lead emotion, not the other way around.

The key here is not a ‘grand goal’ but a ‘tiny success.’ Cleaning your room, washing the dishes, and doing laundry are activities that perfectly fit this description. Laundry, in particular, has a clear process, a definite result, and even provides sensory satisfaction. The entire process—gathering stained clothes, putting them in the machine, pressing a button, and seeing the clean result—stimulates our brain’s reward circuit, releasing dopamine. This small sense of achievement helps us rediscover the positive self-perception that ‘I am someone who can get things done.’

The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca said, “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare that they are difficult.” Instead of hesitating before the wall of lethargy, the small act of picking up the laundry basket can be the first step to climbing over it.

Practical Tip: Complete Your Mental Laundry with Fragrance

If you’re going to do laundry anyway, it’s a great idea to use a product that adds olfactory pleasure. Scent directly stimulates the brain’s limbic system, which governs emotions and memory, making it highly effective for calming the mind.

Lately, whenever the shadow of lethargy looms, I’ve been using a lavender-scented liquid detergent. It’s not just because of its cleaning power. The gentle lavender fragrance that fills the house while the machine runs softly relaxes my tense nerves. Lavender has been scientifically proven to lower heart rate and reduce anxiety.

The feeling of soft, clean clothes on your fingertips and the scent of lavender that brushes your nose as you hang them to dry is a wonderful form of ‘sensory therapy’ in itself. It even creates the pleasant illusion that the heavy emotions that were weighing you down are floating away with the fragrance. A small household chore becomes a complete healing ritual for yourself.

The Alchemy of Small Movements

A huge wall of lethargy won’t crumble with a single tap of a hammer. But the small crack that fragrant laundry creates can certainly be the starting point that lets the sunlight in from the other side. Today, if you feel you don’t have the strength to move, why not try filling the empty washing machine with a fragrant detergent? You might find that your mind gets a fresh, clean start, too.