Your body is a creature of stimulation. If you aren't doing anything to promote positive stimulation (provided you are in a mental slump) then you won't feel good about yourself. You get over this by doing things like keeping your house clean or keeping yourself in shape so you have a default thing to feel good about.
Great post. Its difficult to believe, but this isn't common sense at all. And from what I have observed, is met with negativity and dismissal from the older generations, namely the baby boomers.
I have met a lot of people recovering from a tough situation (i.e. depression,unemployment,addiction) where their support network (usually parents in most circumstances, in those who couldn't afford paying someone for weekly moral support/advice) believes that you just sort of one day roll over get your shit together on a given issue instantaneously, just like the movies in Hollywood.
Like bipolar manic magic, or something of that nature. As if suddenly the individual will just go from 0 mph to 100 mph when stereotype X action happens, or if they just get that rehab stay at the right location, or if they just get the right depression camp placement-- then everything is instantly solved without any building process or any type of micro reward structure, everything is fixed by talking to some doctor or popping some pills. I know cases of depressed people who pop 2-3 antidepressant drugs and just sit around all day moping for years now. They talk about "get up and go" and how to get it (usually asking about adding another drug), but haven't taken any real world steps towards that end. All pills, all doctor talks, no results. The fact is their support network sucks and they didn't have the right values instilled in them. Possibly growing up in chaos with bad habits and now drugs and some shrink dude who doesn't give a shit will be trying to fix this persons busted reward system and potential lack of pride.
The fact is, ideology like that, the promotion of any fast fixes whether it be for depressive episodes, laziness, addiction-- what it amounts to is just an unsupportive narcissists excuse to not acknowledge someone else's particular struggle and therefore emotionally avoid having to say "hey good job man", its easier to just side-eye and and scoff. For every step you take forward, these narcissists might have you taking 2-3 steps backwards. Beware in seeking reward from these individuals if you are trapped in a situation without good friends and aren't quite back on your feet yet after a bad breakup, etc.
Mundane task are a part of daily life. Most good parents try to implement a childhood reward system such as do X Y Z chores, and you are rewarded for doing them. As a kid you think its mindlessness, a reward for doing shit you didn't want to do, great. You still don't like doing them, but you can see the material reward and you like that. I'd argue that the kids who didn't grow up being taught a lesson about mundane tasks and taking pride in oneself are the ones dragging ass today.
As an aside, lets just say most sober houses happen to put extreme emphasis on housekeeping and cleaning duty, and if you violate your chores you get punished. And at a good house, you get kicked out in 2 strikes. Because if you can't maintain a tip top space, or take care of your body, you are not fit for sober life. Why is this relevant? Because the reason they kick you out is they are trying to help you rebuild your reward system, create a foundation.
I wish I had the link, but a 4 star General gave an address to a major school last year in 2016 I believe it was. If anyone knows what I am talking about, I'd love to get his name. If I could have found it, I'd not have tried and failed to articulate it here, because I am completely jumbled and doing a poor job of it.
The botched paraphrase I can give you is: "times will get hard, make your bed every single day no matter what, so when that happens, and you dont have much going on, you come home to a made bed" -- thereby taking pride in oneself.
That was his final statement to the graduating class. "Common sense" to some, and invaluable knowledge to others.
