Thursday, January 18, 2018

Counselor’s Corner: Motivating yourself on the Days You just Don’t Feel Motivated



Some days we are just not as motivated as other days. There are days we get up and are ready to tackle the world, and there are other days we would rather crawl back in the bed. Where I live we have had record breaking cold, snow and ice for days and I have been feeling a bit sluggish and just wanting to stay in the bed under my warm covers. I am a runner, but I have found it most difficult to find the motivation to go out in the blistering cold and run for miles while my fingertips and toes feel frozen. It has taken me about 20 minutes each time this week to get layered to go out and run. My joints were stiffer when I went out running in the cold. Needless to say I was not feeling motivated to run!

I am also a published author and writer, and I need to be motivated to promote my book and to find the creativity to write daily. It has just been one of those days. I woke up to freezing cold weather again this morning and did not run but walked very quickly halfway around my neighborhood. I came back after my short walk and sat at my computer hoping the words would come for my writing today. They did not! I got up from my computer a couple of hours later after making no real progress and asked myself a few questions why I was not feeling motivated and what could I do about it, if anything.

What can you do if you just are not feeling motivated:


1)      Scan your body. Are you feeling tired, sick, and/or is it that ‘time of the month” for women.
2)      Be aware of your thoughts. Take an inventory of what you are saying to yourself or allowing into your mind.
3)      Are you taking regular breaks during your day? Take small breaks at least every 2 hours, especially if you work at a desk. Get up during those times and take a walk or make a cup of tea. Nature can be all you need to get motivated.
4)      Connect with others who can motivate and encourage you. If you don’t have a strong support system that does this for you, allow God to be your encourager. Realize others won’t always be around to motivate you, so you must learn to motivate yourself. The most successful people know how to motivate themselves.
5)      If you have one “off day” where your motivation is low, realize that is normal and start again the next day. Don’t give up if you have one or two days of a lack of motivation.
6)      Don’t wait to feel motivated to get started, get started anyways and it is likely the motivation will catch up.
7)      If you’re lacking motivation because of a big project ahead, take small steps towards your project. Just make small steps forward everyday towards your goals.
8)      Distractions can cause you not to feel as motivated. Put your smart phone in another room or on silent, shut your office door and keep on schedule as much as possible.
9)      Declutter your workspace. A cluttered office or home can contribute to a lack of motivation.
10)  Remember your former successes and reflect on that you can achieve great things. Celebrate all your successes, small and large.
11)  Depression saps motivation and especially in the winter months where the majority of people are not getting enough sunlight to boost those feel-good neurotransmitters in our brains. Exercising will release feel-good neurotransmitters that will enhance your motivation.
12)  Read books, listen to podcasts or watch videos of people who motivate and inspire you.  

Any other suggestions how to motivate yourself? I would love to hear from you!  

For practical help in how disciplining your mind can help with improving your motivation, check out my latest book release, Disciplining your mind, 30 days to a better you!”





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