going through the motions 

To go through your everyday life in a mechanical manner, as in:
waking up,
going to work,
getting back home,
watching TV,
going to sleep,
repeat.

After an amount of time, it becomes really annoying and boring.
Makes you wanna kill yourself or start using drugs.

Also, an awesome song from "Once more, with feeling".

God, ever since the holidays began I've been going through the motions and doing the same damn thing every day with a total lack of interest.
Maybe I should get some pot.

going through the motions by AdamZA October 15, 2008

going through the motions 

to go through the motions - to make a feeble effort to do something; to do something insincerely or in cursory fashion; to do something because you are expected to do it and not because you want to; to do something without believing it is important

Jane isn't doing her best. She's just going through the motions.
Bill was supposed to be raking the yard, but he was just going through the motions.
These days when we go out, cook a meal together, or even make love, I get the feeling that he's just going through the motions.
After his wife died, he went through the motions of living, without feeling much of anything.

going through the motions by Poltergeist111 October 8, 2013

Going through the motion

"Going through the motion" is a phrase when a technician is on autopilot and performing their task by the exact list of things to do and ignore other details or abnormal differences about the car.

"He is going through the motion right now, he didn't notice the torn control arm bushing"

Going through the motion by Betobum September 14, 2026