3 Steps to Increasing Motivation

“Even small stuff feels like a lot.”

“When I get off work, I don’t have the energy to do anything!”

“I feel like I’m failing at life.”

In addition to anxiety and depression, low motivation is one of the most common reasons I’ve noticed people seek out therapy. There are things that they want to do and things they must do, and they’re really struggling to accomplish their goals. What’s worse is they’re often really hard themselves about their struggles and may end up paralyzed by shame and overwhelm. This can lead to feelings of failure, being stunted, stuck, or not succeeding at life. 

“Getting motivated can feel like an uphill battle, where do I even start?”

1. Slow down – “What? How is slowing down going to make me more motivated?” It might sound counterintuitive, but breaking down your goals into smaller steps and tackling them one at a time actually increases your sense of accomplishment and momentum. Think of it this way, do you get more done if your goal is so big that you can’t even start or small enough that you can’t think of a reason not to do it?

2. Pay yourself – Whether you’re rewarding yourself by saying “Yes! I did it!” or  treating yourself to an enjoyable activity, giving yourself positive reinforcement helps increase motivation by pairing less desirable activities (whatever your task is) with something enjoyable or fulfilling (fun activity or verbal praise). 

3. Tune into your values – Even if your taks is an undesirable one, identifying which one of your values it serves can help increase motivation to finish it. For example, doing paperwork at my job isn’t my favorite thing but having nothing on my plate is extremely valuable to me. Thus, every time I feel tempted to put off paperwork, I remind myself “You get to take it off your plate!” 

As a reminder, motivation is something that fluctuates over time, just like physical energy. It’s natural to experience dips in motivation and beating up on yourself about it doesn’t help in the slightest. If you try the above tips for a few weeks and find you’re still struggling, it’s acceptable and healthy to reach out for support. A therapist can help you to identify your goals, values, and what’s been getting in the way and they can help hold you accountable to yourself. 

All my best,

Ileana Arganda-Stevens. LMFT# 129032

Therapist and Program Manager

https://thrivetherapyandcounseling.com/ileana-arganda

916-287-3430