Maintaining motivation or willpower is not an easy task for many of us. After a day of hard work and constant pressure, we are left with a lack of interest and enthusiasm to carry out any work. Sometimes, it can occur due to the lack of resources or opportunities, or it could be if the person does not find any meaning or purpose in their task. Many times, exhaustion might be another factor that bars a person’s ability to respond to their circumstances and show enthusiasm. Whatever the case may be, it is important to come out of this feeling in a while, to restore a balanced functioning. Following are a few ways which can help one to feel motivated. 

1. The 5-Second Rule: On getting an instinct or a moment of energy to do something, which one believes would be helpful and valid for them, one should trust one’s abilities, count 5-4-3-2-1 and work towards taking steps in favour of the instinct (Robbins, 2018). This activity will gradually help one to gain control of thoughts and decisions. In other words, if someone is capable of deciding what is best to do for them in a certain circumstance, they might also be capable of motivating themselves enough to perform said tasks. 

2. Goal Setting Using Visualization: Sometimes, while setting long-term and far-fetching goals, people tend to give up too quickly considering they can’t be achieved. However, if a person can visualize the outcomes, using imagination or writing/drawing a desired outcome on a piece of paper, it helps to make the goals more realistic and tangible. Every time you feel discouraged, you can refer back to this list to seek motivation. This process provides a clearer picture and the encouragement to work towards achieving what is already planned. 

3. Scheduling: Breaking a long day or task into smaller portions helps us accomplish the task faster. It reduces stress levels and helps us not be too overwhelmed by the task at hand.

4. Reward System: Attaching a reward to accomplishing a target improves the entire experience and makes a person more enthusiastic and willing to perform well further. So, you can set small goals for yourself and reward yourself for the successful completion of those tasks. Keep in mind that this reward has to be exclusive and not something you can easily get otherwise too. 

5. Improve Your Mood: Researchers have found that being in an elated mood can have a beneficial impact on your motivation and self-discipline. In some studies, the participants who were exhausted but had their moods boosted by watching comedy films actually performed just as well on self-control tasks as the participants who did not feel exhausted. 

6. Think About What Matters to You: Research shows that acts and talks of self-affirmation can counteract the effects of demotivation. Self-affirmation denotes any behaviour or thought that boosts the confidence of the self. One of the ways in which one could practice self-affirmation is to remind ourselves of past instances where we managed to get a task done and think of values and characteristics that helped there. During times when you are feeling exhausted and stressed, take a moment to remind yourself of the things that matter to you the most. 

7. Accountability: It helps to have another person or app help you keep a track of your routine or task that you want to be able to do. Having someone who can remind you to take your medication or accompany you to complete your workout helps to keep the discipline and feel more accomplished. 

Having mentioned all the above points, it is understandable that all these things are easier said than done. Practising any of the techniques mentioned only once or twice will not have positive results which may lead a person to give up. Imagine all of these techniques as a bag of tools and use them mindfully and judiciously. With constant efforts and perseverance, these well-proven strategies will definitely bring a change in a person and their life. 

If you would like to discuss this further or need some help or support in this or any other area, our counsellors would be happy to help. 
 
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