How to Get Back Your Groove When You’re Feeling Unmotivated

Toluwalope Ajetunmobi
Motivate the Mind
Published in
5 min readNov 2, 2021

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A woman with her head face down on a white table while holding her phone and a her laptop in front of her

Do you ever get that feeling of low motivation? You wake up tired with a low energy level. And against better judgment, you want to stay all day in bed doing nothing — even getting up to eat. Sounds familiar?

This morning I woke up feeling tired and unenthusiastic to do anything. And I’ve tons of things to do today; write, read for an exam, research for a new project. So last night, I had a mock schedule for today in my head, like I usually do.

Fast forward to this morning; I just didn’t want to get out of bed. I get this feeling sometimes — days, I’m at my lowest energy. Some days, it’s just stress and burnout. Some days, it is more complicated. Today, I’m not sure why I’m like this.

My best guess? Hormones?

Don’t you roll your eyes at me! Life as a female is hard (deep sigh). Half of the time, you’re trying to figure out what is going on with your body.

Okay, feel free to laugh; sometimes, I laugh at the sheer silliness of it. In fact, I’m currently laughing at myself.

Anyways, back to me and my moodiness. Not sure moodiness is the right word! Unenthusiastic? You get the idea.

So, I still must write and publish as part of my daily writing challenge. But I couldn’t find that motivation — my energy level was low.

I made a half-ass attempt to revamp a write-up about De-Fi tokens as my article for today; it didn’t just cut it.

Then it occurred to me, why not just write about this feeling. I’m sure a lot of people are going through this. After all, lack of motivation is a significant cause of not reaching your goals.

And you know what?

It’s helping; I’m already getting back my “ginger” (that’s Nigerian slang for energy). Sometimes, writing about your problems helps.

In this piece, I’ll look at the major causes of low motivation and what you can do to get back your “ginger.”

What Cause Lack of Motivation

  • Burnout and Stress

Sometimes, lack of motivation is because of burnout and stress. Maybe you’ve had a busy and tiring day before.

The next day, you might feel somehow like me this morning. That is burnout and stress-causing low motivation or energy level.

  • Doing too much

You might find yourself battling with low motivation if you have too much on your plate at the moment. You’re stressed too thin between a lot of things.

So, some days, you’ll wake up with little to no motivation to do anything.

  • Unrealistic goals

Of course, it’s okay to aim high. But when you set unrealistic goals for yourself, you might get burnout and, in turn, get low motivation.

Your lack of motivation might result from you stressing yourself to meet unrealistic goals.

  • Hormones?

Some days, your body doesn’t want you to do anything. For example, I get a little cranky and unmotivated during my period — I just want to sleep all day. In fact, some days, I sleep all day.

That’s okay; it’s just the hormones at work.

  • No Specific Goals

You may get little to no motivation to get up if you don’t have your day figured out.

You know you have to do some stuff, but they’re not pressing, or they are not precisely clear. This may be common to freelancers and online workers.

For example, you’ve to deliver a project, but there is no clear deadline. So, you wake up knowing that you have goals, but you’re just too unmotivated to start.

  • Depression

Don’t rule out depression. If your lack of motivation is combined with:

· Suicidal thoughts,

· Lack of appetite,

· Insomnia (lack of sleep),

· Restlessness, and

· Poor self-image,

It just might be depression. If you think it is depression, please talk to a doctor or a professional immediately.

How to Get Your Motivation Back and Start Working

Take a break

Yes! You read that right; just take a break. Stay in bed all day and do nothing. Sometimes that is just what you need, especially if you’ve stressed your body.

So, the next time you feel you’re running low on motivation, taking a break might be just what you need.

Create a schedule

Create a schedule for your day. Write out all the things you must do and create a to-do list.

You can use day planner apps to make a step-by-step outline of your day. Sometimes I use Time tune to plan my routine for the week or day. And it helps.

Do something you like to do

You may feel unmotivated if your first task for the day is something you don’t like to do. If that is the case, you may have to move that task.

Instead, start with something you like to do before moving to that task you don’t like.

Starting that way gives you the necessary motivation to handle the next tasks.

Start a reward system

Set a reward for completing a task or project. It doesn’t have to be something significant.

For example, you might decide to eat a special meal when you finish your work. What that does is condition your brain to get the job done to get its reward.

But make sure the reward is befitting the project or task. For example, for more significant projects or goals, you might set up a grander prize like a vacation or buying a luxury item.

Go outside

Talk a walk or go somewhere. Just leave the comfort of your room or office. Sometimes, what you need to get started is a change of scenery.

Exercise

Take a couple of minutes to exercise and you will the difference immediately.

Talk to a friend

Visit or call your close friend. As humans, we’re social creatures. Once we feel disconnected, it starts to affect our productivity and energy level.

If you’re feeling disconnected, the best way is to reconnect. Call one of your friends and discuss at length if you can’t visit and discuss at length.

If you’re running low on both motivation and creativity, you can chat with a mentor to help you see the bigger picture.

Self-care

Indulge yourself!

Do facials and take a long bath or shower. If you have the money and time, go to a spa for facials and massage. Go for mani-pedis. Do something relaxing and refreshing.

Read a book or take a course

Sometimes the reason you’re unmotivated is that you’re stuck on a project or task. An excellent way to get motivation is to read a book or take a course.

Do something to refresh your brain mentally.

Find what works for you. Try out different and note the ones that work for you. However, sometimes, it is just because of laziness and procrastination. In such situations, you’ve to think of your goals and get to work!

P.S. if you notice you have low motivation every time with

· Suicidal thoughts

· Lack of appetite

· Insomnia

· Loss of weight, and

· Restlessness,

It might be a sign of depression. Please see a doctor immediately!

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Toluwalope Ajetunmobi
Motivate the Mind

Web3 Content Manager and Writer | Exploring Content Marketing in the Web3 Space