Sometimes, no matter how much you love your job or your side hustle, working just feels like a slog. And sometimes, no matter how much working feels like a slog, we have deadlines that we have to power through anyway. But mostly, somewhere in our sloggy day, we can find a little pocket of time to use to take a step back, breathe and do something to relight the fire that drives us to be here every day, which is where my 8 ways to get self-motivated come in pretty handy… Let’s get started!
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett
Remind yourself of your why-reason
One of the best ways to get self-motivated is to remind yourself of your why-reason. Why do you do what you do? Why do you care to invest in this? Why should you bother? Have strong answers for these you know by heart.
That last question, especially, is something your mind, when it’s set on not doing something, will throw at you. If you can turn around, stand tall and give your exact reason why it should bother – my dear, there’ll be nothing to stop you.
Shake up your routine: try something new
Habits are so helpful – brains love habits. If you get some momentum going, trying new things, meeting new people, pushing your comfort zone, you’ll fall into the habit of self-motivating yourself without really noticing it. Often a lack of motivation is also an unconscious stuckness.
If you’re not in the habit of doing things, it’s much easier to just continue sitting still. We shouldn’t kick ourselves for this, it’s just our bodies trying to conserve energy, but if you can get yourself onto a roll, making the jump to do things becomes a lot less effort.
Find the positive
Especially if the thing you’re trying to do isn’t something that appeals to you very much, it can be easy to slip into a negative headspace and miss any potential positives a situation could provide. Every challenge and every action is a potential opportunity to learn and practice something. Whenever you’re faced with something you don’t feel like doing, try and find the benefit in it.
Give yourself a break
Taking regular breaks is essential for sustaining your momentum. It may seem counterintuitive to put your work down, but giving your brain some time to relax and recharge is the best way to keep your productivity up. Take refreshing breaks: take a walk, talk to a friend, make yourself a warm drink and refill your water, go play with your pet, anything that takes you away from your work for a while.
Is something else on your mind?
The number of times I’ve been upset, grumpily collapsed onto my bed and accidentally napped only to wake up feeling bright and sunny again is pretty funny. I’m not saying that the upset feeling wasn’t real, I recognise it as very very real, but it wasn’t telling me the whole story – it was a real feeling, but not quite accurate.
When our body is being stressed by something, it can often try to get our attention through our mood and motivations. Everything from a lack of sleep to stress, hunger, temperature, down to the comfort of our outfit can distract your mind and completely change your mood.
So, if you’re feeling particularly unmotivated, check-in with your body, ask it how it’s feeling and see if any complaints come up.
Do something kind for yourself
Getting self-motivated can be quite a tiring task, so remember to remain compassionate with yourself, to give yourself a break when you need it and to be kind to yourself. Self-motivate yourself with the intention to enjoy and fully experience what you’re doing, not just to get things done.
Sometimes we all have to do things we don’t want to do, but when you can, be choosy about where you spend your time and effort. Find a job and hobbies you love, create a lifestyle you enjoy and are fulfilled by. When you genuinely love what you do, self-motivating becomes more authentic and in short, a lot easier.
Reflect
One of the most frequent reasons people give up on things is because they don’t see progress. But, that doesn’t always mean that progress isn’t happening. Frequently taking the time to reflect on your progress and how far you’ve come is a great way to get motivated.
Suggested for you: How To Write A Journal: I Tried Journaling Every Day For A Month
Find something motivational
If all else fails, having something go-to that gets you feeling motivated. This could be a film, a song, a podcast, somebody you know – anything. When you need that boost, turn to that thing. I have a few YouTubers who really inspire me and whose energy is a massive motivator for me.
I know that any time I’m feeling unmotivated, I’m only a video or two away from feeling it again. Yes, this is a blog about getting self-motivated, but there’s no shame in asking for help and using the energy of others to lift you up. A good support system is an integral part of any strong person.
There you have it – my eight ways to get self-motivated right this minute! Thank you so much to Jenny for hosting me on her blog, I hope you all take a look around her other posts before you go – you’ll find a lot of motivation in there, I can tell you.
Go after your dreams, full force. Love, Ella-Rose xx
