Most people feel unmotivated from time to time. That can be true for any number of reasons. An upcoming project can seem daunting. A sense that everything is boring can sap enthusiasm. A headache or a stuffy nose can undermine the day’s activities. A restless night can make it hard to get going the next day. Sore muscles can make it harder to get hyped for exercise. You can probably think of even more examples of situations during which motivation can be in short supply.
Here is another such situation: A person struggling with any of the various kinds of depression can find that any sense of motivation is elusive. Let’s take a look at why that is—and what you can do about it if this mental health disorder is making it difficult to stay motivated.
A Refresher on Depression
Before we take a deeper dive into why depression can strip away your motivation and how you can overcome the problem, we want to connect you to a previous blog entry that details various kinds of depression, their symptoms, and their causes. Take a few moments to read “Depression Types and Symptoms.”
Among the symptoms of depression listed in that post is one that is particularly relevant here: Lethargy, overall lack of energy, or an inability to complete even minor tasks. Let’s expand on that a bit.
When you are experiencing depression, you might face a host of challenges related to motivation. These include:
- A lack of energy or sense of physical exhaustion
- A feeling of being overwhelmed and an inability to maintain concentration
- A tendency to fall into negative thinking patterns
- A difficulty experiencing pleasure—even from activities you tend to enjoy
- A sense that negative emotions are weighing you down
If you find yourself struggling to complete minor tasks, bigger ones can seem absolutely out of the question. But the world—your boss, your partner, your kids, and so on—depends on you to be able to function. So what can you do in the face of such challenges when just about everything seems impossible? How do you keep depression from holding you back completely?
We have some ideas to share.
Strategies for Getting Up When Depression Tries to Keep You Down
Our first suggestion for dealing with depression that is sapping your motivation is: be kind to yourself. You will not overcome the challenges you face by beating yourself up. In fact, leaning into negative thoughts will make things worse rather than better. What you need instead is compassion for yourself—and a way to get things started.
Sometimes, the best way to make a big move toward reclaiming your motivation is to start with small steps. So our second suggestion is: start small.
What does that look like? It looks like folding a single piece of clean laundry, recycling one piece of junk mail, or just opening the curtains on one window to let a little light in.
You might call these “micro-tasks,” and they can have a sizeable impact. Each micro-task gives you a win—and each win can help your brain get out of a motivation rut. In fact, the third suggestion is: celebrate each and every win, no matter how small. These celebrations can be proportional to the size of an accomplishment. For example, you might repeat one of your affirmations to yourself to reinforce the positive moment.
Those small wins and celebrations can lead to the fourth suggestion: try a five-minute approach.
Commit to working on something for just five minutes. Often, that brief period of time can get you started so that you feel able to move ahead on a project. But if it does not, you can stop—and celebrate the progress—after those five minutes. Each five-minute spurt has the potential to unlock your motivation.
Our fifth suggestion: lean into your routines. Habits and routines allow you to keep going even when your motivation is at a low ebb. That is because we do not really need to think about routines. Your body and brain can get into a repeatable groove that can carry you through various tasks without letting you get bogged down.
There may be times when you just can’t spark your motivation on your own. That is why our sixth suggestion is: know who you can call when you are struggling. Sometimes, other people can motivate you and get you going when nothing else seems to work. Knowing who you can count on for gentle and kind inspiration (and maybe the occasional kick in the pants) can help move the motivation needle.
Our seventh suggestion is key to your overall wellbeing: get professional help when you need it.
Too often, folks struggling with depression or another mental health disorder are reluctant to seek out the help they need. There are various reasons for this—but none of them hold up to scrutiny. When depression is holding you down, your best move is to get help from those trained to provide personalized, evidence-based treatment plans.
We happen to know a place you can get that kind of help.
Peak View Is Here for You
Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Peak View Behavioral Health is ready to help if you are struggling with a mental health disorder.
