What to Do When You Have No Motivation

Top 10 Things to Do if You Lose Motivation

Ok, so you started well, with all the best intentions and things have been pretty plain sailing. But you’ve now started to fall off the wagon, you feel like you are stuck in a slump and any hint of motivation is slowly wasting away.

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Loss of motivation is part of a cluster of symptoms that happen when we are sad, feeling low, suffer a setback, lose a game and many other such scenarios. These emotions trigger a reaction that involves the urge to retreat, withdraw, and reflect, which is a normal part of a response that’s designed to keep us safe and protected.

1. Reignite your Interests

Increase motivation levels by reminding yourself of how you felt at the beginning.

• Look for Inspiration : A great way to motivate yourself is to look up success stories of other individuals in magazines, blogs, books, newspapers etc.
• Seek Positivity : Practice Positive Self-talk, Listen to a playlist that cheers you up.
• Eliminate and overcome Distractions : No phones, TV Shows or Social media until you finish the task. Once you accomplish what you set out to, reward yourself with half an hour episode of your favorite TV series or any other enjoyable activity.

2. Don’t be Hard on Yourself

Nobody’s perfect and it’s time to start believing in this. It’s near impossible to be motivated all the time. Understand that even if motivation goes, it will come back again. Plus, failure is a positive thing, as success often requires many failed attempts.

3. Act as If You Feel Motivated

Action drives Motivation more than Motivation drives Action.

You may be able to trick yourself into feeling motivated by changing your behavior. Act as if you felt motivated, and your actions may change your emotions. Ask yourself-“What would I be doing right now if I felt motivated?” Consider what you’d be wearing, how you’d be thinking, and what actions you’d be taking. Then, do these things, and see if your motivation level increases.

4. Argue the Opposite

When you’re struggling with motivation, you’ll likely come up with a long list of reasons why you shouldn’t take any action. You might think, “It’ll be too hard,” or, “I’ll never get it done anyway.” These types of thoughts will keep you stuck.

Try arguing the opposite. When you think you’re going to fail, argue all the reasons why you might succeed. Or when you think you can’t finish a job, list all the evidence that shows you’ll be able to complete the task. Arguing the opposite can help you see both ends of the spectrum. It can also remind you that an overly pessimistic outcome isn’t completely accurate.

5. Start Small

Pick up a very small productive task which will lift your spirits once you get it done. Motivation is fueled by the feeling of accomplishment. 

6. Visualization Is Key

If you start feeling demotivated, just close your eyes and imagine how it would feel once you achieve your goals. Visualize the benefits you will get after completing your goal.

7. Operate on Discipline

It is easy to get demotivated as feelings come and go. The safer bet to achieving your goals is functioning in a disciplined manner. No matter how you feel, be disciplined and follow your routine and soon enough, you’ll see the results. 

8. Plan for low concentration.

When people feel low, their concentration suffers too. Therefore, pick actions to improve your motivation that aren’t heavily dependent on concentration. For example, it might not be the best time for a goal like “read a book a week.” Likewise, it’s not the best time for ultra-intense goals that require all-day focus. When I feel low, I usually set my expectations at around half my usual output, but I try to make that twice as meaningful.

9. Rule out physical factors.

Check some basics that could be causing your feelings and mental state. For example, low Vitamin D, low iron, thyroid issues, or low B12.

10. Reassess your goals and dreams

Sometimes, we end up losing track of what matters to us. If you feel like you have lost your motivation to do things then simply revisit the reason why you started doing that particular thing in the first place. See if those reasons align with your current state of mind and if not, feel free to make adjustments and changes.

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FAQs

How Do You Reverse Lack of Motivation?

When you make efforts and push yourself too much yet don’t see any visible results, it’s natural to lose motivation to continue trying. But you can reverse the situation by following a few effective measures. Things like rewiring the brain with positive affirmations, spending time in nature, meeting people who inspire you, and tricking yourself into improving the morning routine are some of the ways you can use to get back your motivation.

Why Do I Lose Motivation?

The reasons behind losing motivation can be many, and it is often different for different people. But in most cases, it is the desire to avoid any discomfort you may feel while performing a challenge. You can also lose interest and motivation if you keep doing the same mundane tasks every day without seeing any visible results. Hence, a great way to keep the motivation is by tweaking how you perform your tasks.

Bottomline

In conclusion. the next time you feel like your motivation is low or waning; consider the possible reasons why you’re struggling. Then, develop a plan to help motivate yourself to get going. Keep in mind that not every strategy works for everyone—or in every situation. Following the 10 ways mentioned can help with understanding, developing healthy coping strategies and reducing the time periods of those occurrences.