How to Boost Your Motivation When Feeling Down

Inside: If you have depression or a feeling weighing you down, it can be hard to be productive. You can practice mental techniques that will give you the motivation to keep moving despite all the challenges you’re facing.

How to Get Motivation When You’re Feeling Down

People with depression experience difficulties being productive as they have first to overcome the debilitating mental illness. Depression leads to a lack of motivation to handle many things. Before you can do anything, you must fight hard to overcome the feeling that weighs you down. On some days, a person with depression will feel completely drained, which means their productivity takes a strong hit. Despite all the challenges you experience when feeling down, mental techniques could help you refocus and regain motivation to live a full life.

Sometimes, when you feel no motivation to do anything, you need to find a source of inspiration. If your problems stem from financial challenges, you could get emergency same day loans to address the issues you have. This will take focus away from your financial problems and allow you to increase motivation for other activities. These are some of the strategies you can use to overcome a lack of motivation.

Accept Your Situation, Don’t Push it Away

Motivation is a process that guides, initiates, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It’s a driving force behind many human actions. When you realize you lack this driving force, you should accept you have the problem and avoid fighting back. The longer you escape the negative feelings, the worse it could make your problem as you’ll feel guilty and ashamed for harboring those feelings. Pushing the feeling away could take a toll on your mental health.

Instead, be aware of your emotions and accept them. Trust they’ll pass and allow you to resume normal functioning with time. If you feel like taking time for yourself, do it because this is the best way to handle those feelings. Embracing your feelings is a powerful tool when you lack motivation. 

Lower the Bar

When you’re feeling no energy or motivation, someone advising you to lower the bar could sound counterproductive, but this helps if you’re functioning beyond your capacity. For someone battling depression, they’re operating at well below their usual efficiency. Sometimes, their efficiency is as low as 20%, so they cannot handle everyday tasks as they would if they had the motivation. Setting the same expectations that you had when full of energy will make you even more depressed because this will overwhelm you and cause anxiety.

To get started, set small, realistic goals. Making small calculated steps and accomplishing each will motivate you to move closer to the next milestone. When you do this consistently, you will gradually beat the lack of energy and motivation. Self-motivation is an easy way to handle anxiety and depression. But note that if you’re overwhelmed while working on your goal, it’s possible the goals you’re chasing are too high and should be lower to make it easier to progress. 

Ask for Help – You Need Support

Understanding motivation psychology is a key building block in solving your lack of motivation. Many people struggle to hold themselves accountable most of the time. When your energy levels are low, it can be harder to find a solution to the problems you’re facing. If you feel drained of energy, confide in someone and ask for help. This could be your friend or a professional. Maybe you need a company for your fitness classes to kickstart the action.

Sometimes you need a counseling appointment or a support group to get motivated and recover from your lack of energy. These solutions are ideal if the lack of motivation persists as it could be because of an underlying issue. A professional will review your case and advise on the best way to handle depression or anxiety, often associated with a lack of energy and motivation. 

Avoid Negative Emotions

One thing you must stay away from when you lack daily motivation is negative thoughts. These only feed the beast, which makes your situation worse. Depression thrives in negative emotions like self-doubt, self-pity, and fear. While it’s difficult to eradicate such thoughts, you can learn how to spot them and minimize their impact on your daily life. 

It’s advisable to do the opposite as this will lift you up. Find motivational speeches and videos that share valuable insight. Morning motivation does not require much time, as you can read a few quotes that enhance your mood. A single positive statement could outweigh hundreds of negative statements, so only focus on positive things, and you will transform your whole day. 

Go for a Walk

Exercising releases endorphins, which are feel-good hormones. You need to exercise for about 35 minutes a day, five times a week, and this will improve symptoms of depression. Also, walking or other physical activity could be effective in treating severe forms of depression. Studies have shown engaging in aerobic training helps to improve symptoms of depression, so if you lack motivation, you could recharge your batteries by taking a walk in nature.

Socialize

Another way to clear your head and take on your goals is choosing positive relationships. If you feel up for it, encourage people around you to socialize with you. Helping a person in need will boost your mood and give you the motivation to step out of your comfort zone. Play a game or visit a friend for some chat. Stay away from the things that make you anxious and you will clear your mind of most doubts and worries. When you get back, you will have an energy boost that you can use to perform tasks you wanted to complete.

Reward Yourself

Sometimes, when searching for how to find motivation, all you need is to focus on yourself. If you want to get an energy boost, focus on small goals, and for each milestone, reward yourself. You could cook your favorite snack or enjoy an episode of a new TV show. This process involves small accomplishments and rewards and is effective in restoring your motivation. As you feel better, you can gradually move to the more challenging goals. When you feel overwhelmed midway, stop and re-evaluate the process to ensure you’re not overstretching yourself. 

Stick to a Routine

Doing random things is one reason you could lose the motivation to work. Write down a routine you feel fits within your timeline and stick to it. You can have it on a wall or a place you will see it. When you complete something on the sheet, check it. This gives you a sense of accomplishment, promoting a feeling of well-being that inspires you to aim higher. Also, incorporate a journal into your routine. The journal is a good way to dispose of any negative thoughts to create room for positive ones. 

Conclusion

Often, lack of motivation signifies an underlying problem like depression, but it could come from many other things. Some people lack motivation because they don’t have the strength to cope with an issue. There are many ways you can address the lack of motivation, including using motivation apps to find inspiration.

How do you address a lack of energy and motivation? Share tips in the comments below!

Author Bio
Jade is a finance analyst and has been involved in many successful business projects with a range of companies throughout the country. She started writing 3 years ago and enjoys researching, discussing, and writing on the topics of finances, budgeting, money advice, lifestyle,

and wellness. Jade loves to spend time with her family and has a lot of hobbies including hiking, riding a bike, cooking, and traveling.