Today I didn’t Feel Like Doing Anything…

For the Stressed and Unmotivated

Do you ever feel unmotivated? You wake up tired and low on energy. Against your better judgment, you want to miss your deadlines and stay in bed all day.

This morning, I woke up feeling tired and unenthusiastic about anything. Note that I have tons to do today: write, read for an exam, and research for a new project. I have so much to do that I stayed up last night to prepare a mock schedule for today. I scheduled every hour down to TV breaks and meal times just so I could meet up with my workload.

Fast forward to this morning; I woke up and didn’t want to get out of bed!

I sometimes get this feeling: Some days, I’m lazy; I want to stay in bed and binge-read a novel series. Some days, it’s stress and burnout; I’ve pushed myself to the max the days/weeks before.

Some days, it is more complicated, and most times, it’s simply because I’m a woman.

Today, I’m not sure why I’m like this. My best guess? Hormones, haaa!

Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me! Life as a female is hard. Half of the time, I wish I could create a persona for my hormones and give them a piece of my mind. I mean, make up your mind please.

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

Anyway, back to me and my moodiness. I'm not sure moodiness is the right word! Unenthusiastic? You get the idea.

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” (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 Causes Lack of Motivation

• Burnout and Stress

Sometimes, you’re just burned out and stressed. Maybe you’ve had a busy and tiring day or week. Your body is literally telling you, I need rest human.

• Doing too much

You might find yourself unmotivated if you have too much on your plate at the moment. You’re stretched 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 setting unrealistic goals for yourself might lead to burnout and, in turn, low motivation.

Your lack of motivation might be from all that stress from your 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 the deadlines are not pressing or precisely clear.

This is common to freelancers and online workers. You have to deliver a project, but there is no clear deadline. So, you wake up knowing that you have goals but are 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 Mojo Back and Start Working

Take a break

Yes! just take that break. Give in to your body ans stay in bed all day. Sometimes, that is what you need, especially if you’ve stressed your body.

So, the next time you feel you’re running low on your energy reserve, take a break.

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 create a step-by-step outline of your day. Sometimes, I use TimeTune to plan my routine for the week or day, and it helps.

Do something you like to do

If your first task for the day is something you don’t like to do, you may feel unmotivated. 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. That would condition your brain to get the job done so that it can receive its reward.

But make sure the reward befits the project or task. You could set up a grand prize for completing significant goals, say a vacation or buying your dream car.

Go outside

Take a walk; 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 your body would thank for it. And no you don’t need heavyweight lifting or intense cardio, just stretching will do.

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 levels.

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 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 massages. Get mani-pedis. Do something relaxing and refreshing.

Read a book or take a course

Sometimes, you feel unmotivated because you’re stuck on a project or task. Reading a book or taking a course is an excellent way to regain motivation.

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!