How To Increase Your Motivation During Times of Stress

When people experience distress for various reasons, their motivation is typically one of the first things that start to deteriorate. If you’re struggling, things aren’t hopeless, and there are plenty of ways to pick yourself back up and continue moving forward, and this article will share some tips on how you can work through motivation issues and even prevent them from occurring in the future.

How to increase your motivation during times of stress

Why Stress Can Demotivate You

Everyone has off-days, and there will be times where you just don’t want to do anything. This is normal, but if this is a regular occurrence and you’re chronically stressed out, it can quickly become a significant problem.

Whether it’s at work or school, or just ordinary life, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and burnt out by having too much on your plate as well as fall into routines and tasks that can feel mundane and unfulfilling every day. This can take a toll on a person’s mental health.

Regardless of the reason, people only have so much in the tank, and over time, your energy and motivation can dwindle, and if it’s not addressed, the stress hormones can alter your brain chemistry, and it can lead to chronic problems, like depression and anxiety.

When we are demotivated, even carrying out the simplest tasks can become a chore, but with effort and the support of others, you can learn how to reinvigorate yourself again. As you continue to read, you will learn about some ways you can stay on track and be motivated.

Figure Out Why You Are Stressed

By taking a careful look at yourself and understanding your stressors, you can begin to attempt to fix the problems you’re facing.

For example, perhaps you feel that there aren’t enough hours in the day and everything is just piling up on you. From here, you might decide to work on your time management skills, and start planning and prioritizing what you need to get done each day.

Having a solid plan can help you stay focused, and people may find that they actually have more time to enjoy themselves by incorporating structure into their lives.

Sometimes getting to the root of your issues and finding effective solutions might require the assistance of a counselor or therapist who can guide you each step of the way. If you’re feeling stuck, you’re not alone, and help is available.

Kick Bad Habits & Develop Good Ones

People who become demotivated can easily fall into the trap of making unhealthy choices, even if it provides a temporary sense of relief.

Smoking, eating junk food, and living a very sedentary lifestyle are just a few examples of habits that people who struggle with mental health concerns might run into, and it can be tricky to snap out of it. Even coffee can become a crutch for people who need it to get through each day.

It goes without saying, but adopting healthier choices can make an enormous impact on your mood. A well-balanced diet and incorporating exercise into a daily routine are always prescribed to people who struggle with stress, anxiety, and depression, because they work. Others have benefited from additional methods such as light therapy for depression, because natural light can have a positive effect on your mood.

The physical changes that come with making these decisions, can simultaneously improve mental health and help people stay motivated and lead a better lifestyle overall.

Give Yourself Time & Patience

Just like becoming demotivated is something that appears with time, finding motivation again is something that can be a work-in-progress for a lot of people.

Change isn’t easy and won’t happen overnight, and it’s recommended that you take things one step at a time and find ways to track your progress. Smaller, realistic, and more manageable goals can have a huge impact on your self-esteem and keep you motivated to work towards the larger ones.

If you mess up somewhere along the way, it’s not the end of the world, and it’s important to not become discouraged. Consider it another challenge that you will eventually overcome, and once you reach your end-goal, feel free to reward yourself, but don’t stop there – create more goals to strive for and keep growing.

Conclusion

If your motivation is hurting right now, it’s important to realize that this doesn’t need to be permanent, and common issues that can cause it, like stress, anxiety, and depression can all be addressed and you can become a more motivated individual again. Hopefully, these few tips can help you stay up on top of your life and be a happier and healthier individual in the long-term.