How to Stay Motivated When You Don't want to Work
You know that feeling when you just don’t want to work? It’s almost like your soul is disconnected from your body and you feel like someone else is controlling your life instead of you. It’s a weird phenomenon that we all go through. Even the most successful people in the world have had their moments where they just can’t seem to bring themselves to do anything productive.
If you are reading this article then chances are, you’re going through one of those moments right now.
In this article, we explore ways to stay motivated when you don't want to work. Read on to find out more.
Take a break
When you are feeling unmotivated to work, you might think that you have to push through it. You might feel as though if you stop, you’ll never get started again. But, taking a break from work can actually help you get back into the swing of things.
It can allow you time to rest and de-stress from whatever you have been working on and it can allow you time to reflect on the things you have been doing and help you to see what is working for you and what isn’t.
When you are feeling unmotivated, you may not be able to recognize that you need to take a break. You may be too caught up in that negative cycle of not feeling like you are making any progress. Taking a break can help you to re-evaluate your situation.
Recognize that your feelings of being unmotivated are nothing more than a fleeting condition that can be overcome with a bit of rest and relaxation.
Exercise
Exercising is one of the fastest and most effective ways to
get out of a rut. It will get your blood flowing, get your mind working, and
help you to break out of whatever negative cycle of thinking you might be
trapped in. It has been proven to be a great way to re-charge your creativity and often allows your mind to wander to new ideas.
Depending on what type of exercise you do, it may also give you a chance to reflect on what is going on in your life and help you to come up with solutions to the problems that you are facing.
Now, to be clear, we are NOT saying to go out and run a marathon or lift weights for hours on end.
What we are saying is that even something as simple as taking a walk can be enough to help you get out of that negative cycle and clear your mind.
Set small goals
When you are feeling unmotivated, it can be easy to spiral out of control. You may find yourself thinking about all of the things you have left to do and how you’re never going to finish them. You might also find yourself thinking about all of the times you have let yourself down, and how you are never going to be successful if you keep going at the rate you are going.
When you feel like this, you need to stop and focus on just one small thing. Set one small goal, and focus on accomplishing it. What matters is that you focus all of your energy on it and don’t put it off until later.
Once you have accomplished that small goal, set another and then another. Keep setting goals and keeping yourself busy and you’ll find that you are able to break out of that negative cycle a lot faster than you might expect.
Don’t judge yourself for not feeling motivated
If you have ever gone through this before, then you might have started to judge yourself for feeling unmotivated. You might feel as though there is something wrong with you for not being able to just get over it and move on with your life.
It's important to remember that everyone goes through this at one point or another in their lives. Everyone has periods of time where they don’t feel like working.
What makes someone successful is not that they don’t go through these periods, but that they are able to move past them and continue on with their lives no matter how they feel in a singular period of time.
Do something you enjoy
When you are feeling unmotivated, you need something to get
your mind off of the things that are bothering you or keeping you from tasks at hand. You need something to distract
your mind in a different direction, perhaps something that you can enjoy in that moment. It may be that your mind just needs a break.
Do something that will make you happy. Or find a task that is less taxing on you.
Reading can be a great way to relax and get
your mind off of things. Playing video games can help you to relax and not
worry about anything else. Going out with friends and doing something you enjoy
can help you to break out of the negative cycle of being unmotivated and help
you to get back on track with your life and work.
Conclusion
Everybody goes through times when they don’t want to work. These periods are difficult for everyone, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for them.
When you are feeling unmotivated, the most important thing you can do is take the time to re-evaluate your situation. Look at what you have been doing and decide what you need to do in order to get yourself out of this negative cycle.
Find something that you enjoy and do that. Find something that can help you relax and get your mind in a better place and you’ll find that you are able to get out of this a lot faster than you might expect.
Now, keep in mind that this may not be a quick fix. It may take some time to get yourself out of the rut, but once you do, you’ll be able to come back stronger than ever before.