Lack of motivation can be caused by so many different factors and is very real! Especially being in a pandemic and having things like jobs and routines such as activeness or even socializing put on pause can be so demotivating to establish something that gives you the same feeling at home.
Motivation doesn't only need to interlink with doing things such as work or staying active, it can apply to simply being bothered to take care of yourself. It affects so many elements when it comes to personal well being. It can affect the effort we put into what we eat, how we spend our time, how we stay in contact with others, how we look after ourselves and so much more.
For me, I tend to use staying busy as an outlet and I know so many others do too. Since being in quarantine and not having this option, it's been so easy to get into a routine of feeling a bit lost or not knowing what to do. You can end up drowning in unnecessary thoughts you now have the time to think about and it can manifest in so many different forms of lack of motivation. I will be tapping into things that to do to initiate increased motivation in hopes that we can all rebuild together. First things first:
Recognize what's going on and identify!
The first thing that will initiate the desire to help your lack of motivation comes from identifying what's going on. The moment you realize that you're not behaving like yourself or you're abnormally low on energy/motivation, is the moment you'll be able to identify your current pattern and establish your desired one.
Write it down if that helps too. Note how you're feeling, how you're sleeping, how you're eating. Are these all things that you're prioritizing or have they been pushed to the side? What do you think triggered your lack of motivation? By asking yourself these questions, not only does it put you in a reflective state but it allows you to identify the unhealthy patterns that you may have subconsciously adapted due to your lack of motivation. By identifying these, you can work slowly to create a change in your routine and for yourself, no matter how big or small it may be.
Give yourself credit for the little things that you do.
Feeling like you're doing nothing with your time or that you're not doing things of value can invite so many self-criticizing thoughts. Give yourself credit for the little things, whether that's taking a shower, making yourself a meal, talking/reaching out to someone, whatever it may be. Find credit in the little things and understand that increased motivation takes time. The more you thank yourself for doing the little things, the more you'll feel confident in yourself to progress onto your the achievements that hold more weight for you.
If you're going to constantly make yourself feel inadequate for not having the energy or motivation to do more than you are doing, you are far less likely to progress and stay in the vicious cycle that you currently are in. Be patient with yourself and take it in baby steps.
Prioritize some ''me time'' - however that looks like for you.
Whether it's putting on a face mask or doing something creative, refer to what makes you feel like you and implement a moment of each day to do it for yourself. Looking after yourself is an act of self-love, and by doing so you are more likely to feel of value and in turn this will increase your motivation.
A very small step like this can hold so much weight especially if you are suffering mentally, it's your way of telling yourself that you are worth some time throughout the day to be looked after. By doing so, you will want to not only prioritize that but you'll start to want to prioritize other aspects of your life too.
Rectify your mentality towards your lack of motivation.
Rectifying your mentality when feeling low of motivation genuinely is key. If you try to do little steps to increase your motivation but you do them with the mindset of ''this is pointless'' or ''this will never make a difference'' or whatever kind of negative self-talk you practice, it will never work. You can only implement your desired changes if you truly believe they will make a difference.
If you go into something with a mindset of ''this is going to make a difference'' then the effort is far more likely to come out in your behavior. Your thoughts are very easily manifested in your actions, and it is crucial because of this reason to try your hardest to not feed into the self-criticizing pattern that continuously emerges. If it does, identify it, recognize it and replace the thought with a positive affirmation or a happy memory.
Listen to motivational podcasts or read a thought inducing book.
This can truly make such a big difference. If you spend most days in bed or have little energy to do much active work, this is a good way to slowly work on establishing goals for yourself. Listening to other peoples stories and where they started from is a great way to reach the realization that you are not the only one going through lack of motivation. Hearing how others achieved their goals is a significant way to get inspired and find mechanisms and ideas that you may have not thought of before.
Some podcasts I love to listen to for this are:
On Puropse by Jay Shetty
Pretty Big Deal Podcast by Ashley Graham
Deliciously Ella Podcast
Books are equally as amazing too! Finding a book that you find gripping is a lovely way to spend some time to get away from negative thoughts and put you into an inspiring mindset.
Some books that are amazing for this are:
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
Quiet by Fearne Cotton
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Try to be present.
Staying in the present allows you to stay in tune with your current thoughts and environment. By being on your phone continuously or dissociating from those who may be around you, it can almost put you in a bubble and make you feel isolated. Even if you live alone and find yourself spending a lot of time scrolling through social media or whatever it may be, it's important to allocate yourself times in the day where you practice being in the moment, with your thoughts as calmly as you can.
An example of this could be when you have your meals. Put your phone to the side, and soak in whatever it is your eating. Maybe open the window and listen to the sounds of outside that surround you.
There is an amazing 5 senses grounding tool to help you do this as well where you identify:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
This also comes in amazing use for times of panic, anxiety and anger. This is a powerful tool to use to keep yourself in check with the current moment and grasp your surroundings to serve as an elimination of any chaos that the mind may be holding onto.
Write down some daily, weekly or monthly goals in a diary or notebook.
Writing down goals is a step in itself that makes you feel closer to feeling accomplished. Whether you can manage it daily, weekly, or monthly, jot down goals you may have for the chosen time frame and make it a point to keep that diary or list close to you to remind yourself of your commitment.
To increase motivation you can give yourself an incentive, so for each time you achieve your goal, maybe treat yourself or bake some goods, whatever makes you feel happy. These goals do not have to be drastic and they should be catered to whatever you desire in the current moment in time. Whether that be to drink a certain amount of water everyday, or get a certain amount of chores done, or go for daily walks, whatever it may be should hold value for you and should be celebrated once achieved!
Create a vision board
This is something I managed to do last year and it genuinely made such a difference. Creating a vision board is an amazing way to create an emotional connection that motivates you. It makes your goals and dreams constantly remembered which in turn makes you feel like it is possible and manifests in your efforts to achieve them. A vision board helps you clarify your goals as you're doing it creatively and visualizing it in front of you. Not only does this make you feel good for creating something but it makes you feel confident because you've dedicated time and energy to come up with something that you know is for yourself. If you haven't done this already i highly recommend! If you are unaware of how to make one or what the concept is, you can find out more below:
Lack of motivation is a very common place to reach at moments in our life. It's important to not beat yourself up about it and be patient with yourself whilst working to find mechanisms to help you through it. One step at a time!