Are you feeling a bit down and lost lately? You may be asking yourself, “How do I get my motivation back?”
This is a good question to ask if you are feeling stuck.
We all have times in our lives when things pop up and changes occur. Often times we are left feeling anxious and down. In fact, current times and situations also cause us to feel hopeless and unmotivated. Hence, feeling like our point or purpose is a waste of time.
Yet, it is possible to get your motivation back by taking some simple steps in your life. If you feel like you can’t get your “mojo” back, try these tips below and you will eventually start picking yourself up out of the gutter and see small baby step accomplishments that will help you get your motivation back.
Why do I lose my motivation? What causes a lack of motivation?
People lose motivation for many reasons. Here are a few of the popular reasons you may have lost your motivation:
- depression
- anxiety
- change
- negative thoughts
- lack of progress
- lack of interest or passion
Of course, if you are battling any mental health issue, it is best to seek the help of a professional and this blog is for educational purposes only. Yet seeking help may be the best course of action for you.
7 Steps to Get Your Motivation Back When you are Down in the Dumps
Learn how to get your motivation back and stop feeling stuck by using the seven tips listed below.
#1 Turn off the News
Pay attention to what are you feeding your mind. Often the news is a collection of the worst, most negative events that happen in the world. This can leave even the happiest of people feeling lost and confused about life.
If you watch the news for one to two hours per day, learn to shut it off. Why? Did you know the media is a business and they thrive on grabbing your attention and keeping you on your device, television, or articles? They often use negative emotional headlines to suck you into watching more than you intended. Unfortunately, many stories are making the general public feel doom and gloom on a daily basis.
It is fine to turn the news on a few times per week for ten minutes to catch up on the latest stories, but then turn it off. Watching the news for hours on end is bad for your mental health and can cause anxiety, stress, and worry.
#2 Baby Steps
I love the quote by Lao Tzu, “The journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.”
If you are feeling unmotivated, try taking small steps and that will progress to growth over time. This is especially helpful if you have some form of ADHD.
Breaking things up into smaller tasks will help you feel less overwhelmed and able to accomplish more.
Therefore, set a timer and complete one task at a time. Then start another task. Reward yourself for every three small tasks you complete to help you form a feedback loop in your brain.
Rewarding yourself will help you form a habit of getting things done.
Examples of breaking things up to get more done:
- Declutter – Choose one small area and set a timer for ten minutes. Once complete, move to another area.
- Exercise – Set a timer and walk around your house for ten minutes. Add a few minutes each day/week as you are able. Do this three times per day. You now have completed a 30-minute workout throughout the day
- Work – Find a small task you can complete. Set a timer and finish it. You will feel a sense of accomplishment. Also, try taking a bigger task and breaking it up into steps. Use your time method three or four times per day until you complete your task.
#3 Give Yourself Grace
Perhaps you are being too hard on yourself. Give yourself grace.
There has been a lot going on in the past few years and it is easy for even the most upbeat person to feel unmotivated.
Allow yourself to feel your feelings for a certain amount of time and then move forward.
Don’t be critical of yourself and learn to use positive self-talk.
Use positive affirmations to help you see the good in yourself each day. Replace your repetitive negative thoughts with positive affirmations.
Tape some affirmations to your mirror and say them in the morning and some by your bed and repeat before you drift off to sleep each night.
#4 Heal from within
If you are feeling really unmotivated to the point where you can’t get out of bed, it may be time to seek help. If you don’t want to leave your house yet, it is okay… You can try online therapy.
Sometimes you must heal yourself before you can move forward and there is no shame in asking for help.
If you are depressed, find a trained therapist or doctor to help you.
If you are on the unmotivated side, you can try a life coach or a dear friend that you trust to confide in.
Use self-help books to keep you grounded and help you learn from others’ perspectives.
If you put in the work, you will see the results.
#5 Try Journaling
If you are working on healing, as mentioned above, journaling is a great way to get started.
Using a journal will help you process feelings and help you find focus.
Try a brain dump of all your thoughts. If you are writing down negative things about yourself, jot them down and then throw those thoughts away.
Find positive things you love about yourself and learn why you have been able to push through in the past.
Review your notes and learn more about yourself
Jot down your goals and aspirations and create a plan.
Try journaling every morning and evening for ten minutes and you will start seeing results.
Journaling your thoughts at night will also help you sleep better.
#6 Meditation for Motivation
Research shows meditation can reduce stress and anxiety.
By quieting the mind, you are able to clear your mind and start fresh.
Meditation has many health benefits.
Again, if you are not used to meditating, start small and try to quiet your mind in five-minute increments. If a thought creeps in, slowly guide yourself back to the meditation. Find some guided meditations on Youtube to start with.
#7 Plan and Execute
Once you have reached the point where you feel like you are gaining traction in the motivation department, create a plan for what it is you want to do and execute. The only way to see progress is to take action and now is the time.
Use the tips above to help you execute your plan and once you have reached one goal, set another goal. If you continue to make progress you will feel more content and motivated to continue.
Best of luck to you in all you do and I am here cheering you on, my friend!
How to get your motivation back in 7 Easy steps Final Thoughts…
I wrote this post because I was feeling this exact way. Unfortunately, I had a few things happen that put my mind and brain into a “survival mode” type of feeling. Also, I had a lot of changes happening that made me feel like I was in a slump (I have a hard time with change, as most of us do.) – so I wanted to share what worked for me and I genuinely hope it helps you too.
How about you? Do you have any tips that can help the rest of us get our motivation back? Share in the comments below!