Motivation is what drives us to get up in the morning; go for a workout; get the kids ready for school; go to work or whatever it is that we need to do to get through our daily lives.
But what happens when our motivation is lacking? Does it (life) all stop? Do we cease to exist? Do we give up? Is there no point to life at all without motivation?
Of course not!!! We get up and try to move forward in the best way possible.
Before I go on any further (hence the italics) this blog is not from a recognised health professional such as a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist etc. This blog is based on my own experiences, my struggles with motivation, depression and anxiety and my life’s journey. I started Wolf Fitness SA to help others improve their lifestyle through fitness, recreation and a place where they can be themselves.
Lack of motivation can be very debilitating. It can make things seem harder than what they really are. You may feel the need to stay in bed, be anti-social and hide away from the outside world. Prolonged forms can lead to depression and anxiety. The great news is that motivation (lack of) can be turned around very quickly (if you allow it).
The best way (that I have learnt) of combating “lack of motivation” are the following….
Acceptance! – Accept that the way you feel now is only temporary and can be changed if you want and allow yourself to do so.
Complete a task and consider it as an achievement! – This could be as ‘simple’ as washing the dishes, making your bed after you wake up, heading to the gym and attend your personal training session instead of cancelling at late notice and going back to bed.
Organise to have some “me time” during the day! – I will be talking about the importance of “me time” in future blogs but allow yourself some “me time” during the day to reengage and refocus.
Don’t put any unnecessary pressure on yourself and be kind! – You don’t need the added stress. From a fitness perspective, do your best effort today and don’t worry about the results. Recognise the achievement of completing your workout and know that there will be better days with better results.
Find “your jam!” – I don’t mean strawberry, apricot or marmalade on your piece of toast. I know this is “old age” terminology, but find what music generally gets you motivated and if that doesn’t work change it to something more radical. I have 4 different playlists on my Spotify account to help me stay motivated!
Finally, reward yourself! – Recognise the achievements of the day that clearly could have been missed if you didn’t bother at all and reward yourself. Rewards can be as simple as sitting at a nice park, reading a book and enjoying the sunshine; a nice glass of wine in your favourite room of the house; having that nice piece of chocolate that you’ve been saving for.
Yesterday, I struggled badly with my motivation. My cardio session performance in the gym lacked intensity and vigour. However, looking back at it now, the results were actually quite reasonable and I’m far better off doing it than achieving nothing at all.
Lack of motivation affects everyone at some stage of their lives. As long as we recognise, analyse, allow some “me time”, be kind to ourselves and reward our achievements, we should be able to overcome and motivate ourselves more often. If lack of motivation becomes a major issue, please seek help with a recognised health professional.
See you in the next blog
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