Acedia

Acedia. Sometimes referred to as the eighth deadly sin. It is apparently a state of torpor (I had to look this word up too, it's like a depressed state or something that animals experience that is slightly different from hibernation) that is characterized by not caring about your life, position, or condition in the world. It sounds a lot like depression, but it's slightly different. It was common among monks and other ascetics and can be identified by a number of symptoms.

People with acedia may report having chronic sleepiness and sickness, and they may also experience pain and weakness in the knees and limbs as well as a fever. Psychologically, people have a loss of interest in daily tasks and a dissatisfaction with life, as well as boredom and laziness. This illness, to me, sounds a lot like a combination of depression and sloth...

Another definition I found of acedia described it as a disease that is characterized by people either stuck in the future or the past. They obsess about things to come and then are faced with terror when they realize their reality is much different from what they hope it to be. Or they brood over the past and miss out on valuable life chances.

Here's how you can cure acedia, according to this website:

1. Mind your own business. Know what is in your control and accept the things that are not.
2. Make decisions, don't spend all your life debating what to do. Just take a risk!
3. Reprioritize things. Do the things that matter the most first.
4. Forgive. Recall the past and make peace with it.
5. Set small goals.
6. Practice being present.
7. When you relax, use the time to develop parts of your personality that aren't employed in your daily work.
8. Be still, silent, and appreciative.
9. Perservere.

Mainly, though, I think the way to cure acedia is to really live in every moment. Don't let the past consume you, or hopes for the future overcome you. Be fully appreciative of every moment and recognize that your struggles are teaching you something in some way. I think after that, all your worries will dissolve.