I Don’t Care About Anything Anymore [17 Simple Tips for Change]

Do you feel like life sucks? And no longer want to go out to meet friends or thinking about quitting your job?

Do you think; I don’t care about anything anymore?

Good news.

You may feel out of control, but you have the power to change.

How?

With the practical tips you’ll learn about in this article. In fact, I’ve used these tips to transform my life when I felt exactly like you some time ago.

Here are the sections we will cover:

• Signs that you just don’t care anymore
• What does it mean to not care about anything?
• Why do you no longer care about anything?
• 17 Simple tips to start caring again

Let’s dive in!

Signs that you just don’t care anymore

There are stages to not caring. At first, you may not care about a few things, like your work or relationship. But if you don’t tackle the issues, it may spiral to a loss of interest in everything.

You can gauge how much you care by several signs. How many of these apply to you?

• No pleasure in the things you used to enjoy
• No joy in simple everyday things
• Neglecting yourself
• Neglecting your relationships
• Cancelling social gatherings and events
• Not listening to others when they speak
• Not paying attention to others in general
• Experiencing constant internal conflict
• Lacking emotional response
• Pessimistic about the future
• Lack of motivation
• Low sex drive
• Lack of appetite
• Experiencing weight loss
• Increase in unhealthy distractions

Many factors applied to my life. Sounds familiar? If so, don’t worry because I got you.

In fact, recognizing these signs is an essential first step in making change. In other words, you’re doing quite well.

What does it mean to not care about anything?

No longer caring is life’s call to embark on an adventure. To explore the reasons why you feel this way. And to make tiny positive changes to turn this cycle around.

You may wonder if something is wrong with you when you don’t care about anything. Is it normal to feel this way?

The answer is yes. 

Many people experience a loss of interest in both things and relationships.

Why?

Because no matter how many good things you see on social media, life has ups and downs. And everyone struggles when they’re riding the downward cycle.

So what now?

Let’s explore some of the common reasons people lose interest in things and relationships.

Why don’t you care about anything anymore?

Various events can trigger a downward cycle in life.

Sometimes, a single event can trigger a 180-degree turn that changes everything. Other times, it’s an unresolved issue, a series of events, or a cocktail of everything together.

That said, here are some of the most common reasons:

• The grief of a loss one
• Neglecting yourself 
• Neglecting your relationships
• Addictions
• Social isolation
• External pressure
• Depression
• Anhedonia
• Apathy

We will get back to all these after examining the latter three of this list a bit further.

Depression

Depression affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is the most common disease after anxiety. But not all are equal. 

Mild forms of depression lead to a loss of interest in things and people. And the tips from this article can help you to overcome it.

Severe forms are also very treatable. But if you suffer from severe anxiety or suicidal thoughts, please do reach out to a professional that can support you in realizing change.

Anhedonia

Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure and is closely related to depression. Scientists think Anhedonia is an overreaction in the brain to dopamine. There are essentially two forms here:

• Social Anhedonia causes you to lose interest in others.
• Physical Anhedonia causes you to lose interest in physical sensations, like food and sex.

Both forms result in a disconnect with others, which can lead to suffering relationships and social anxiety. So if you feel like the tips in this article don’t help you, please seek professional help.

Apathy 

Apathy means that you lack motivation, excitement, passion, or emotion. And that may explain why you don’t care about anything going on around you. 

Apathy is often linked to diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer and other forms of dementia.

The tips later in this article can help you overcome Apathy, though it may require some effort. That said, seeking professional support is always a good idea.

The Slippery Slope of not caring

Sometimes one event may turn your life upside down. But it’s more common that a series of events causes the bucket to fill up, where you gradually begin to care less.

Setbacks are often challenging to deal with – especially when you already aren’t in a good place. 

You may feel like giving up when you’re trying your best without making any progress. Or worse, when life knocks you down.

You begin to pull back.

You no longer attend a fun social event or party that you usually would love to. And the things you do seem to become more of something you simply do rather than something you enjoy.

That’s how the slippery slide works: one event can trigger a new cause, which impacts your feelings and behavior. In other words, it becomes a cascading effect.

Fortunately, you can stop the Slippery Slope. Let’s find out how.

How to start caring again

Do you feel like turning your life around requires you to make a massive change? 

The good news is that you do not.

Instead, you need to make tiny changes to turn the Slippery Slope into a Slippery Ramp that gets you to start caring again.

You slowly regain control and power over your life by making tiny changes. And if you keep stacking these, you will begin to notice that you start caring again.

Tip 1: Put yourself first

This tip may contradict how you feel, but you have to prioritize yourself, especially when you stopped caring about anything.

Why?

When you love yourself first, it becomes much easier to spread love and kindness towards others.

But making you happy is your job.

Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish. Because when you’re in a good place, you will naturally care more about living beings.

Now that does require self-awareness.

And here are the most powerful starting points for self-discovery:

• Take a free personality test
• Discover your superpowers
• Uncover your personal values

Tip 2: Take tiny actions

Everyone is looking for the BIG stuff to happen – not realizing that massive change stems from consecutive small actions.

The small things you do everyday matter.

You may not feel that way. But you’ll understand that the small things matter when you zoom out at a later stage.

So what are some tiny actions you can take immediately?

• Crack a smile
• Make up your bed
• Think about 3 things you feel grateful for
• Take a brisk 5-minute walk and marvel at the awe of nature
• Perform 10 pushups followed by 10 jump squats

Did you do one of these bullets?

If not, make sure you do! Nothing will change if you don’t take action – even if it’s just as much as cracking a smile.

You may feel a little silly when doing this.

But it’s all about getting yourself to do the small things which will lead to the significant changes you seek.

Tip 3: Consume positive stuff

What do social media and the news have in common?

They are great tools if you use them right – but terrible if they consume you. 

Why?

Your brain is hardwired for survival. That’s why negativity attracts more attention than positivity. And guess what kind of content dominates those platforms?

Consistently being exposed to negativity has consequences. And it impacts how you feel about yourself and the world.

So what to do instead?

• Buy or borrow books that make you feel good, like books about finding your passion, about happiness, or any other topics that inspire you.
• Create a blog feed and only follow blogs that inspire you. 
• Sign up for newsletters that inspire you, like the weekly Insideout Mastery newsletter.
• Listen to uplifting podcasts like the GaryVee Audio Experience.
• And if you still want to use social media, make sure to follow inspiring people like the ones from the podcasts.

A healthy mental diet should consist primarily of positive input.

Tip 4: Mix up your routine

When you don’t care about anything anymore, the chances are that your routine has changed too.

Perhaps you go to bed late. Wake up late. Spend the first hour of your day on social media. And take less care of yourself.

Remember the tiny actions? 

That’s precisely how you should mix up your routine. Here are some examples:

• Go to bed 10 minutes earlier.
• Wake up 10 minutes earlier.
• Buy an alarm clock instead ofu sing your phone.
• Or, lay your phone across the room to force yourself to get up in the morning to turn off the alarm.
• Prepare your workout clothes the day before.
• Jump straight into the shower after waking up (and make sure the clothes for that day are already there).
• Brush your teeth after showering or straight after breakfast.

Seemingly uneffective tiny changes stack up over time and enable you to realize the future you desire.

Tip 5: Find a reason to live for

The great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said:

He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.

– Friedrich Nietzsche

And if you’ve read one of the best books about purpose called Man’s Search for Meaning, you know how much inspiration and motivation it can give you.

In short, Man’s Search for Meaning is Victor Frankl’s autobiography about surviving under horrible conditions in the Nazi death camps during World War II. It’s one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read.

Frankl not only survived, but he thrived in those camps.

It is a truly remarkable story and one of my favorite book recommendations for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.

The other essential point?

Having a why gives you something to care about. 

Discover how to find your purpose.

Tip 6: Start exercising

Starting an exercise routine has many benefits and is one of the tiny actions you can take straight away.

The best part?

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym.

In fact, you can start with a 5-minute exercise routine and already experience many of the benefits.

But it gets even better.

You can do a lot of exercises from home – without any equipment.

For example, you can do a short bodyweight routine and rotate the following exercises:

• Squats or jump squats
• Pushups (do these slow to make them harder or on your knees to make them easier)
• Door rows (for your back – YouTube tutorial)
• Ab crunches

Do the maximum number of repetitions until you notice that you’re compromising your form. Start with doing one set today and then increase this number over time.

Alternatively, you can find 5-minute yoga, pilates, or HIIT routines on YouTube.

(Or 10 minutes if you feel adventurous today). 

Unable to do these exercises? Even simple activities like a brisk walk can do wonders too.

Tip 7: Nutritious foods

The foods you eat have a massive impact on how you feel.

Don’t believe me?

Try this out:

First, eat healthy for a whole week. Commit yourself to do this. And then, reward yourself by going on a binge week where you only eat your favorite junk meals and snacks.

Here’s my experience:

The first week requires some discipline at first. Though the food itself may not be super tasty, you will feel excellent overall and have tremendous energy.

What about the second week? 

The first meal is super tasty, and you will love eating it. The problem occurs shortly afterwards. You will feel guilty. And as the week progresses, you will feel pretty horrible.

This experiment reveals that nutritious foods matter.

The essential idea is not to make a massive change that you cannot stick to. Neither is the idea to eat clean 100% of the time.

Instead of taking a short-term dietary approach, you should seek to make tiny lifestyle changes that last forever.

Start by changing ONE small habit:

• Eat one piece of fruit every day
• Add one portion of green vegetables to every meal
• Prepare your lunch instead of buying it at work
• Drink only one can of coke per day instead of four
• Drink a glass of water after waking up

What small change can you make today?

Tip 8: Get sunlight

Getting outside for some sunlight is a great idea. Even when the sun isn’t shining very bright, like in the winter.

Why?

Going outside reduces stress, fights off depression, and maintains your wellness overall. 

So why not include a brisk morning or afternoon walk into your daily routine?

Tip 9: Prioritize sleep

Good sleep improves your mood, strengthens your immune system, increases your productivity, and boosts your memory, just to name a few benefits.

How to sleep better?

• Go to bed at a consistent time
• Darken your room as much as possible
• Put your phone away or turn it on flight mode
• Don’t eat or drink too much 2 hours before bed
• Don’t nap longer than 30 minutes during the day
• Do physical work or exercise during the day

Follow these tips, and you will sleep like a baby.

Tip 10: Set a goal for yourself

Setting goals inspires, motivates you into action, and empowers you to start caring again.

But what kind of goal should you set?

Any goal can help.

Here are some examples:

• Make one of the tips in this article a daily goal.
• Fitness goals like losing weight or running X distance.
• Relationship goals like meeting a new friend this week or connecting with one of your existing friends or family.
• Professional goals like learning a new skill or improving your current resume.
• Personal development goals like reading a book this week or learning a new language for 15 minutes each day.

You can set goals in any area that you would like to improve.

Tip 11: Learn a new skill

Another great goal to set is learning a new skill. Learning something new is fun and rewarding.

You can think about fun or career skills.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to code, understand how the blockchain works, learn photography, or improve your writing skills.

Udemy is my favorite place to learn a wild variety of skills. And the affordable top-rated courses have never disappointed me.

Tip 12: Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of the present moment. 

For example, rather than stuffing yourself with food when you’re eating, you focus on every bite and all the flavors you experience.

It’s a great method to ease the mind.

Mindfulness practice makes you more present at the moment, increasing joy and reducing stress and anxiety. Plus, it also increases your appreciation for the little things in life.

So the next time you go for a walk, eat your food, take a shower, or anything else, pay focused attention to what you do.

Tip 13: Meditation

Closely linked to mindfulness is meditation. The difference is that meditation is a deliberate practice whereas mindfulness is more of a state of mind.

The goal of meditation is to calm and ease the mind. And it will increase mindfulness overall.

So how can you start this practice?

1. Set a timer for 5 minutes
2. Sit or lay down comfortably and relaxed
3. Relax your body and focus on your breathing
4. Notice your breathing
5. At some point, your mind begins to wander, and thoughts appear. You start thinking about the past or future. When you notice it, gently bring your attention back to your breath.
6. Don’t judge thoughts when they occur but simply notice them. Alternatively, you can label your thoughts like “worries about tomorrow” or “work stress”.
7. Stop when the timer beeps.

Sound simple, right?

Well, your mind may wander off quite a lot. For example, you may experience that you can only focus on your breath for a couple of seconds.

But that will improve if you keep practicing.

Over time, increase the session duration if you feel comfortable. A typical length in the western world is 20 minutes. Though you can play around with various lengths.

Tip 14: Spend time with friends or family

People are social animals, and social connections are essential for a good life. And a good chat with someone may kick you up, incredibly if you have been isolating yourself.

You can plan something fun, like a dinner evening, going to a party, or a movie night.

But what if you have no family or friends?

Good news.

One of the good things about the internet is finding people in a similar situation or with similar interests like you. 

So what interests you?

And I hear you: I don’t care about anything.

But what is something that you found interesting before? Or what could you find interesting if you really wanted to?

Start there.

And then find people who share that same interest.

For example, if you like to play chess, participate in a tournament in your area.

Tip 15: Do small fun things by yourself

Some people need others to be happy. And they feel lonely when there is no one around them. But to enjoy every aspect of your life, you sometimes have to become your own best friend.

In fact, the quality of your life overall can improve if you learn how to entertain yourself.

So what could you do by yourself?

• Read a good book
• Take a massage
• Plan a movie night alone
• Go for a long walk or hike
• Go sunbathing at the beach
• Have dinner somewhere alone
• Go to a party by yourself
• Play a game of chess

My favorite way is to go for a full day hike, and I do so a few times per year. It gives me time to think about what I care about and whether I live in sync with them.

What else could you do alone?

Tip 16: Travel somewhere (alone)

Traveling is something most people love to do. And it’s also a great thing to do by yourself. 

Bonus points if you go backpacking for some time.

But even if you go on a weekend trip or if you’re going away for a week, you may find a lot of joy in doing that by yourself.

And it can really help you to find yourself.

I know it can be a bit scary to travel alone. But sometimes, you just need to take the plunge and go with the flow. 

In the worst case, you have a new experience.

Tip 17: Ask for help

We have already discussed this point a couple of times. But getting someone else’s perspective can be very refreshing.

You can ask for help from a friend or family member.

But if they don’t seem to understand you or if you don’t feel comfortable with that, you can also seek professional help.

Professionals ask questions to understand where you’re coming from and they do so without judgment. It’s a safe place. Plus, they can guide you to get back on track.

So do ask for help if you feel like nothing else works anymore. Asking for help may feel like a vulnerability, but acting despite feeling vulnerable is a strength.

How to help someone else who doesn’t care anymore?

Do you wonder how to help a struggling person?

It’s challenging.

The last thing you want to do is increase their resistance by telling them what to do. Giving your unasked opinion also rarely works and may even backfire.

After all, I remember that I saw the world in a specific way. And even though other people had a better perspective, I was unable to see it and their opinions weren’t helpful to me. 

Change needs to come from within.

So instead of applying external pressure, emphasize first. Then, keep asking questions to understand their perspective. 

When someone feels heard, they’re more likely to open up to your ideas. That’s when they may invite you to give your opinion. And that’s your unique opportunity to influence their perspective.

In general: try to emphasize and understand first.

What’s next?

Not caring about anything is a helpless feeling. And if unresolved, it can cause you to feel stuck in a downward spiral. Fortunately, there are some effective ways to regain control of your life.

Here are the key takeaways:

• The first step is recognizing the signs that you no longer care about anything. Keep gaining self-awareness to gain insights that enable you to tackle the issues more effectively.
• It’s okay to feel the way you do. Instead of beating yourself up, identify some positive next steps. For example, explore new ideas, interests, or learn new skills.

Do you want more inspiration? 

Explore the following resources:

• Best books to discover your passion
• Best books to find your life’s purpose
• Best personality tests to uncover who you are
• Best guided journals for self-discovery
• Course: Mindfulness Practices for Joy and Compassion

Take action: Implement one of the tiny actions mentioned in the article immediately to start building momentum.