Depression Symptoms Small Ways to Feel Better When You're Depressed Guide Small Ways to Feel Better When You're Depressed Guide Overview Understanding Your Emotions What Does Depression Feel Like? Identify Your Emotions Cope With Your Emotions How to Feel Better When You Feel Lonely When You Feel Emotional When You Feel Unappreciated When You Feel a Loss of Interest When You Feel Irritable When You Feel Tired When You Feel Worthless When You Feel Anxious When You Feel Unhappy When You Feel Helpless When You Feel Hopeless 5 Things to Do If You Feel a Loss of Interest By Kendra Cherry Kendra Cherry Facebook Twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is the author of the "Everything Psychology Book (2nd Edition)" and has written thousands of articles on diverse psychology topics. Kendra holds a Master of Science degree in education from Boise State University with a primary research interest in educational psychology and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Idaho State University with additional coursework in substance use and case management. Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 05, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by David Susman, PhD Medically reviewed by David Susman, PhD David Susman, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience providing treatment to individuals with mental illness and substance use concerns. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Verywell / Laura Porter Feeling a loss of interest can make it harder to do the things you need to do each day. It can leave you feeling listless, disinterested, and unmotivated to do much of anything at all. There might be things that used to interest you, but now you can’t seem to find the motivation or inspiration to do them. Known as anhedonia, this feeling can cause people to lose interest in activities they used to enjoy. It also causes people to not enjoy or experience pleasure when engaging in things that they used to love doing. 'What Is the Point of Life?': Why You Might Feel This Way Why You Feel a Loss of Interest Loss of interest is one of the key symptoms of depression. In addition to depression, loss of interest can also be caused by: Anxiety Bipolar disorder Schizophrenia Substance use Stress It is also important to note that loss of interest is not necessarily linked to a mental disorder. It can also be caused by things such as overwork, relationship problems, boring activities, or just plain feeling stuck in a rut. This can create a cycle from which it's hard to break free. Because of decreased interest, you might stop spending time with others and engaging in things that normally help you feel less stressed. This increased isolation, decreased activity, and lowered social support can then play a part in making you feel more anxious and depressed. What to Do When Feeling a Loss of Interest Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to feel better when you are experiencing a loss of interest. Here are some things that may help. Focus on Staying Active A loss of interest can make it difficult to stick to an exercise routine but focus on getting some physical activity in each day. Exercise has been shown to have a number of positive effects on mental health, including improving mood and decreasing symptoms of depression. Even going for a brisk walk each day can help. Get Enough Rest Lack of sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health. For example, one study found that having insomnia led to a two-fold increase in the risk for developing depression. So if you are struggling with a loss of interest, make sure that you are practicing good sleep habits and giving yourself plenty of time each night to get quality rest. Take Small Steps While it may not be possible to throw yourself into the activities you normally love with the same gusto as before, it can help to do little things each day. If there is a hobby that you normally love but have lost interest in, challenge yourself to learn something new about it. Or break up a larger project into much smaller steps and set aside a little time each day to tackle just one thing. Make Plans Even though it can be difficult to get inspired, you may find it helpful to make plans for things that you want to do in the future. Research has found that planning for the future, known as proactive coping, can help improve resilience. Giving yourself things to look forward to and looking for things to get excited about can help you cope with the lack of interest you might be feeling at the moment. Find Support When you’re feeling disinterested, it can be helpful to turn to friends and family for support. Let them know that you’re struggling with this lack of interest. Sometimes just spending time around other people can lift your mood. Other people’s enthusiasm can also be contagious, so you might find that their zest for different activities starts to rub off on you as well. Best Depression Support Groups How to Get Help If feeling a lack of interest is making it difficult to cope, it is important to reach out for help. Talk to your doctor about what you are feeling, especially if these feelings are accompanied by other symptoms such as low mood, irritability, or feelings of worthlessness. Diagnosis Your doctor will ask questions about the symptoms you are experiencing. They may also perform a physical exam and lab tests to help rule out any underlying medical conditions that might be contributing to how you’ve been feeling. Your doctor may then recommend different treatments depending on your diagnosis. For example, if you are diagnosed with depression, your doctor may suggest psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. You can also consider just seeking help directly from a mental health professional without first seeing your primary care physician or nurse practitioner. Get Help Now We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you. Treatment There are a number of different treatment approaches like psychotherapy that can be used to address loss of interest including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help change your thoughts and behaviors. Antidepressants or other medications may also be prescribed to help elevate your mood, although it may take some time for these drugs to begin working. You might also want to consider trying online therapy or a mental health app to help address feelings of lost interest. Mobile apps can be useful for setting goals, offering mental health tips, and tracking your progress. Online therapy can connect you with a trained therapist who can offer support and advice delivered by email, video chat, text message, or phone. Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares an exercise that can help you feel better when you feel depressed. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts A Word From Verywell Everyone experiences some degree of disinterest from time to time. Sometimes it might be because you are just feeling uninspired. In other cases, it might mean that you’ve lost interest in some of your old hobbies and need to explore some new passions. But sometimes this feeling can be a sign of a mental health condition such as depression. If a loss of interest is making it difficult to cope or interfering with your life, it is important to talk to a doctor or mental health professional about how you are feeling. Depression can worsen over time, so the sooner you get help, the sooner you will begin feeling better and able to regain your passion for the things that bring you joy. If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. 8 Things to Do if You Feel Irritable 3 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Biddle S. Physical activity and mental health: evidence is growing. World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):176-177. doi:10.1002/wps.20331 Baglioni C, Battagliese G, Feige B, et al. Insomnia as a predictor of depression: a meta-analytic evaluation of longitudinal epidemiological studies. J Affect Disord. 2011;135(1-3):10-9. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.01.011 Polk MG, Smith EL, Zhang L-R, Neupert SD. Thinking ahead and staying in the present: Implications for reactivity to daily stressors. Personality and Individual Differences. 2020;161:109971. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.109971 By Kendra Cherry Kendra Cherry, MS, is the author of the "Everything Psychology Book (2nd Edition)" and has written thousands of articles on diverse psychology topics. Kendra holds a Master of Science degree in education from Boise State University with a primary research interest in educational psychology and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Idaho State University with additional coursework in substance use and case management. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist for Depression Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.