That's a good question. How do you motivate yourself to do something you don't want to do? I was just talking with a friend of mine this morning about this and she manages by reminding herself that it'll make her feel better afterwards. Which is true, but that still doesn't get you off your butt.

I think it's a process. It starts by you thinking about why you would exercise, making it something good and desirable rather than something you want to avoid - you have to have the right mindset in order to persuade yourself to do it. If your house work stresses you out this much, there is clearly something going on - quelling it seems to be just contributing to the stress, so maybe take a look at your feelings, what's behind them that causes you this much stress. Is it because the fact that you can't keep up with your house reminds you that you are not well at the moment? Is it because you're having a totally justifiable depression about where you are physically? Or is it because you have certain expectations of yourself that are perhaps beyond your current capacity? It's becoming obvious that I have a background as a social worker, but I'm a big believer in facing the feelings, because if you don't, they will gnaw at you anyway and make it impossible for you to move on.

The key to get going is to set attainable goals that you given easily do. Obviously exercising 30 min. a day is not an attainable goal for you right now, so bring it way down to something like vacuuming one room. Not only does it get you moving, but it also achieves your goal of dealing with the house. Maybe your first goal is vacuuming one room in your house three times a week. If that feels ridiculously little, then stick to it because it means it's attainable. If you end up vacuuming one room more than three times a week, you're ahead of the game, but if you have a bad week, then you can still feel that you met your goal. You need to build success instead of constantly reminding yourself of what you can't do. I started incorporating this more because I have a bad habit of beating myself up for not meeting my own standards, but every time I set myself a tiny goal, it ends up working for me. For instance, a couple of months ago I decided I had to clean up the horizontal filing area (i.e., my dining room table) and that I would do it by doing three things a day. It felt ridiculous at first, but it meant that I stuck with the plan and did not feel guilty or beat myself up when I stopped after dealing with three pieces of paper. I felt I was achieving something, it gave me permission to not push myself beyond my boundaries and I was surprised at how fast the piles shrunk. It took me two weeks, but I did it and without making myself hurt more.

You're going through a really rough time right now, so remember that any movement is good. Whether that means doing some knee bends while you're brushing your teeth, vacuuming, taking the garbage to the curb, etc., it's all movement. Actual exercise may be too much for you right now, but moving around your house, carrying groceries or taking a short walk after dinner is exercise, too. I've probably mention a heated pool to you before - do you have one in your area? It might be something that you can work towards.

and, just before I go, we need to see a rheumatologist, asked for a referral to physical darkness who can help you with ideas for exercise that will protect your joints.