lack of motivation and tips to conquer it

Laundry has been stacking up for weeks. Dishes have been sitting in the dishwasher for days. The work that should have been done last week is begging me to start. 

Lack of motivation feels like a disease, it feels like a sickness. It engulfs my body and won’t let me get up or do anything. It feels like chains are around my body restricting me from standing up or walking too long. 

When I feel the aching pain of knowing I need to get up, knowing I need to be productive, knowing I have somewhere to be, but I just can’t make myself do it. I can’t make myself even start something. 

Those feelings where I lack all motivation are scary. It’s scary to feel like I can’t control my body. It’s scary to feel like I can’t function and do everyday activities that everyone else can do. 

And don’t let me forget the guilt: the sad, complicated feeling that encompasses me along with the lack of motivation. If everyone else can go about their day and stay up to par with their daily tasks and responsibilities, why can’t I? Why am I not as capable or normal as others? If they can do it, I can do it, right? (Or are we all just doing the bare minimum that we can to survive?)

so what are we going to do about it?

rewards: call me a child, but I love a reward, an incentive, a prize. sometimes I need to give myself “a little treat” to incentivize getting a task done. It encourages me to work toward a goal, whether that’s completing a hard task at work, cleaning up my apartment or even doing my daily hygiene on the rough days. 

taking a break: it’s okay to not be completely on top of it all when faced with a task. take a break (or several) if you need them. having small, tangible steps that are coupled with breaks can make things feel more tangible. 

crossing it off a to-do list: lists can make things overwhelming, but it can also make things feel more concrete. it can make life feel more structured. oftentimes when I feel a lack of motivation, I feel overwhelmed and defeated without even starting because I overthink about how much I haven’t done. being able to cross tasks off visually shows you how much you actually have done and is a reminder of how far you’ve come and what you can accomplish in those low moments. 

giving grace: one of the worst things you can do when it comes to a lack of motivation is to beat yourself up about it. you’re already feeling down, try not to make it worse by getting mentally stuck in the thick of it. to me, lack of motivation is a battle within my mind but it feels so physically impairing. let it be what it is without calling yourself all kinds of names.