Self-Care When Motivation is Low

There are many things that can impact our feelings of energy and motivation. Feelings of stress, depression, anxiety, grief, or burnout can make it difficult to feel motivated. Depression, for example, can lead to feelings of hopelessness, low energy, and a lack of interest in things that usually bring pleasure, accomplishment, or satisfaction.

In some cases, low motivation can be temporary, influenced by external circumstances or a short-term emotional dip. In other cases, it can persist and significantly impact a person's daily life, making it harder to accomplish everyday tasks and achieve long-term goals.

Unfortunately, when motivation is low, our capacity to care for ourselves also seems to wane, which can leave us feeling even worse. How do we reconnect with our self-care practices when it feels like there's an invisible wall of fatigue standing in our way?

Often, when we notice that we have start to let our self-care practices slip, we feel a mix of shame ("what's wrong with me?") and pressure ("I should be doing more!") that tells us we need to do all the things. However, this all-or-nothing mindset can leave us feeling overwhelmed and lead to a sense of paralysis, making it even more difficult to find motivation to act.

One of the things that can be helpful is to work on adjusting our "all-or-nothing" thinking to "all-or-something" thinking.

For example, instead of feeling like we have to do ALL the dishes, an we set a timer and do dishes for 5 or 10 minutes, or make an agreement with ourselves to wash 5 dishes and put them away. When a task feels overwhelming, when we are able to give ourselves permission to make it into smaller goals, we might find a little sense of accomplishment that helps us break through that invisible wall just a little bit.

Another approach might be to make things as easy as possible to achieve. For example, if you are struggling to remember to take medications or supplements consistently, you might try setting an alarm or making sure they are visible somewhere you are sure to notice them (next to your phone or alarm clock, next to the coffee maker, right beside your toothbrush, etc.).

This approach can also be helpful if you are struggling with your appetite or energy to make meals. Having things like pre-cut veggies, microwavable rice cups, or pre-mixed protein shakes or bars handy can take some of the overwhelm out of preparing meals and make sure you are getting some energy-helping nutrients.

Caring for ourselves is an act of love. When we are lacking in energy or motivation, sometimes the most loving thing we can do is to take the pressure off and allow ourselves to rest for a little while.