In psychology, there is a term "anhedonia." It is one of the forms of mental disorder in which a person is unable to experience pleasure. Not from something specific, but from anything at all.
Simply put — when a person realizes that life is losing its colors, sparkles, flashes, and overall meaning. But it's not that terrible. You can live with it. And if you set a goal for yourself — you can even regain joy. To do this, you need to figure out what suddenly caused the "essence to hit" and take a few steps towards yourself.
Breakdown of Life Systems
In the modern world, chronic stress is the main cause of psychophysiological burnout and the "fading" of emotional palette.
The body is exhausted. All its resources go into maintaining the mode of "I live — as long as I run." Functions such as hobbies, creativity, and curiosity are turned off. Irritation, anxiety, and apathy progress. Loss of interest in everything happening, the inability to enjoy simple things and global events — this is no longer just a bad mood. This is a primary symptom of clinical depression.
The brain refuses to produce dopamine and serotonin in the necessary amounts — neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure and motivation.
If you add to this the accompanying lack of sleep, severe fatigue, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and hormonal disruptions, professional intervention becomes necessary.
In Search of Meaning
More and more often you wake up in the morning with one question: "What is it all for? Why immerse myself in the monotonous routine of home-work-home every day if there is no Goal?"
With each passing day, all the movements you make seem increasingly meaningless and useless. Constant thoughts: "Whatever I do, nothing will change," "What if it doesn't work out," "It's better not to try," narrow life down to a zone of minimal comfort. Boring. Dreary. Colorless.
Don't Look Around
Constant communication with toxic people, streams of criticism, irony, sarcasm, and the absence of trusting relationships lead to a situation where a person stops "living in the moment," stops noticing the positive sides of life, hoping that happiness will come someday.
Such as he imagined it for himself.
But it doesn't come. Not tomorrow, not in a year. Not because it is unattainable. Just because you have forgotten how to live a full life.
Transferring your emotions to the virtual world of social networks and internet resources only dulls your ability to concentrate on yourself and your own life.
The Jungle Calls
Life in a metropolis is quite the "pleasure"! The grayness of offices is replaced by the grayness of "human boxes." Greenery, fresh air, warm sea, bright sun — all of this either remains in memories or lives in fantasies as something completely unattainable.
Not everyone can withstand such a personal ecological catastrophe. The psyche reacts clearly and, as a rule, negatively to these reasons.
No Excuses
For the world to dull, any of these reasons is enough. And they never come alone. Chronic stress at work leads to burnout. Burnout is the "best friend" of the acquired feeling of helplessness. Helplessness makes you avoid friends, withdraw into yourself, and "sit on your phone." This leads to digital saturation. The state of hopelessness only worsens from there. The world around dims. Have you found where the "grayness of life" came from? Great! That is exactly where your efforts should be directed. Let's act!
Step 1. Acknowledge Without Judging Yourself
Yes, nothing brings you joy right now. Don't fight the state of apathy, don't blame yourself. Thoughts like: "Everyone is like everyone, but I just whine and complain" — are destructive. They only drive the problem into a dead end.
Tell yourself honestly: "My life seems boring, bland, colorless." Acknowledgment is already part of the victory. It will help relieve internal tension. Yes, and the key word in this acknowledgment is "seems." The grayness of life is just an illusion. The mirage will dissipate. It is not forever.
Step 2. Activate Your Sensory Perceptions
Don't let anxious thoughts "go to your head" and stop the immersion in rumination. That is, stop the process of constantly replaying negative thoughts.
Do a few simple but intense physical exercises: squats, push-ups, stretching, side bends — any means are good. The main thing is to feel your breathing quicken, warmth in your muscles, and feel your heart joyfully beating in your chest.
Touch and taste sensations effectively bring the life palette to harmony. Walk barefoot on the grass. No grass — on the carpet or floor. Inhale the aroma of fresh coffee or herbal tea. You can eat something with a bright taste — an orange, tangerine, pomegranate, or dark chocolate.
Just don't eat it mindlessly, but focus on the taste — consciously. The main thing is to concentrate on your sensations and "shake up" your nervous system.
Step 3. On the Crest of a New Wave
You don't need to try to change your life all at once. But you need to overcome the routine and predictability — the two main "killers" of life's colors.
Change your route from home to work. Don't go to the nearest store you are used to anymore. Try cooking a new dish.
Watch a movie of a genre you previously denied. Or start listening to "different" music instead of the familiar, even if desperately loved.
Get up at dawn and take a walk through the empty city. You won't get instant pleasure. But that’s not necessary. You need to create new neural connections in your brain — an unfamiliar shade in the palette of life’s colors.
Step 4. The Anchor Won't Let You Down
Somewhere deep in your subconscious, images, sounds, memories, and actions that once brought joy have definitely dropped anchors. Return to them.
Reread your favorite book. Rewatch a childhood movie. Remember your hobby, even if it has been ages since you engaged in it, and take it up again.
This is not nostalgia for the past. This is a chance to awaken the person in you who knew how to enjoy. Hold on tighter to the anchor.
Step 5. Without Expecting Results
Sunny days have disappeared. Everything has dulled. You have withdrawn into yourself. The process is familiar. Shift your attention to something else. Or, better yet, to someone else. This way you will break free from the captivity of apathy before it completely consumes you.
You can feed squirrels in the park or pigeons in the city square. Take unnecessary things to a charity fund. Help volunteers. Write a message or call an old friend. Just without complaints about life, but by showing genuine interest in their life, successes, and problems. You don't need to save the world. It’s important to break out of the endless and monotonous dialogue with yourself.
You were looking for the answer to the question "what to do if life has lost its colors." This means you have already taken the first step towards finding the right answer. Keep going. Everything will return. It will definitely return again. Both the colors of life. And the shades of mood. And warmth and hope. Give yourself time and be kind to yourself.
