Absolutely No Motivation To Do Anything But Not Depressed?

No Motivation To Do Anything But Not Depressed

No Motivation To Do Anything But Not Depressed?

Feeling “motivated” is subjective.

The way we view our worth in relation to motivation is also subjective.

Here are some tips

For No Motivation To Do Anything But Not Depressed

Tip #1

No Negative Self Talk

A lot of us judge ourselves pretty harshly. It can push us in a good way but it also can be dysfunctional.

We learn a lot of this from caregivers that

Create unrealistic standards
Pretend emotions don’t exist
Force certain futures onto kids
Shame people for expressing emotions
Never displayed appropriate emotional responses
Refuse to take accountability
Compare kids to other kids, adults, parents, or siblings
Equate their definition of “success” to someone’s worth

Are the tapes replaying in your head yours, or do they belong to the people that raised you?

The truth is, we’re all human.

Give yourself some grace.

Make it a point to REFRAME negative thoughts you have about yourself.

Tip #2

Take Care of Yourself

If you’re not functioning well, good luck being motivated to excel, learn & grow.

Get Quality Sleep (Read More About Sleep Here)
Stay Hydrated
Exercise
Eat Right

Nobody feels motivated when they’re in a state of sleep deprivation, with a poor diet & constant dehydration.

Even try little things that represent self care to you.

Try not to overlook the basics of being a life form.

Tip #3

Make Things More Manageable

At any given moment most of us have things we could/should/would be doing. This can kill our motivation.

Try not to imagine the end goal, but just the very next smallest easiest step.

Lets say you feel as if you need to clean your car out. You’re envisioning the garbage, moving the seats back and forth to vacuum, getting a car wash that costs 10 dollars afterwards, buying an air freshener, etc.

The task of “cleaning your car” doesn’t have to be perfection.

Next time you go somewhere & get out of your car, take what you can carry and throw it away. Instead of vacuuming, take the floor mats out and shake them.

The problem with having such high standards is that it puts extra stress on you and the people around you. It creates a daunting state of mind.

It can be hard to give up that rigid view of what we see as success.

The car is just one example but try to break down some things into smaller steps.

Instead of

I need to mail that bill → just get an envelope to start

I need to show my kids I love them by taking them to Disney → Take 5 minutes and fully focus on them

You don’t need to do the most incredible version of everything you want to get done.

You can also write it down for another day.

Put a reminder in your phone or a sticky note somewhere & quickly dismiss any anxiety related to the task until the reminder comes up.

When you are putting tasks off, still ensure you’re giving yourself a manageable time frame for time sensitive tasks.

Tip #4

Organize It

Break down a goal into smaller pieces
Make a timeframe for each piece
Write the details of each piece
- Where you’ll do it
- How long you’ll do it
- When you’ll do it
- Barriers to doing it
Set a date to check your progress

Here are some free templates I made that might help.

Daily Habit Tracker PDF

Weekly Habit Tracker PDF

Monthly Habit Tracker PDF

Paycheck Budget Template

Tip #5

Check Your All or Nothing Thinking

Try to refrain from all or nothing thinking.

Even if you didn’t do one thing on that list of goals, you’re not a failure
A mistake doesn’t mean you’re worthless
Losing doesn’t mean you’re a loser

Shift your thinking.

Try quitting the blanket statement “joking” beliefs you have about yourself

“I suck, I’m dumb, I always do XYZ.”

You don’t need to label yourself.

You likely learned something about yourself or the process; & that’s progress.

Instead of: I failed my test because I’m a failure & I always fail

These statements are probably more accurate

I failed because I didn’t care about the subject

I failed because I didn’t prepare

I was anxious during the test and didn’t score as well as I expected to

Instead of jumping to a label, look into the details

Look at what happened
Why it happened
Find the barriers
See what could be adjusted

Tip #6

Be Honest With Yourself

You may need to take a step back & stop forcing.

Ask yourself.

Is this what I want?

Why is or isn’t this what I want?

What do I want?

Is what I want feasible?

If not, is there a compromise?

We all go in circles with this, so don’t feel bad about it.

People change, things change; If your path changes, that’s only natural.

Tip #7

Allow For Inspiration

Sometimes things like creating a vision board or trajectory map keep us engaged.

Tracking things helps too.

Here are other things that might inspire you

Revisit something that once inspired you
Or come up with a new way to spark that feeling
Listen to a TED talk
Go on walks. Get some exercise. Go outside.
Make a pros/cons list
Travel
Meet new people
Meditate
Find someone who shares your vision
Read motivational quotes
- Self love quotes
- Inspirational quotes
Do something out of your comfort zone (& don’t hold yourself to a certain standard)