Not everything that we have to do is enjoyable. Most of us can have no problems at all motivating ourselves to do things that we may often enjoy, like cooking meals or working out. However, it can be downright daunting when we have to pick ourselves up to do things that we don’t enjoy? Different things work for different people, so chances are not everything in this article will work for you, but here is what the experts have to say:
1. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
A 2018 article published by Lifehacker reminds us that even though some tasks are difficult or unenjoyable, the completion of the task is probably important to us. By keeping your mind on the end goal as you work towards it, it can help you work through the unpleasant or tedious aspects of the task itself.
This can be difficult if you are not personally interested in the completion of the task, as can be the case if a you are working on a project for a friend or loved one. In these cases, it can help to think about how you feel about the person who asked you to do the task, or nice things that they have done for you in the past.
2. If There Is No Prize, Give One To Yourself
But suppose that someone that you like has asked you to do something for someone that you don’t, or that you have somehow been roped into doing something in some other way. If you have no immediate reward and no one you care about seems all that involved either, but you see no real way out of the task, you can always set a reward for yourself.
Setting rewards for ourselves is a common tactic in psychology. One theory places motivation on a spectrum with things that we want to do for ourselves on one end and things that we are only doing because someone else told us to on the other end.
I am a humanist, which means, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without expectations of rewards or punishments after I am dead. —– Kurt Vonnegut
3. Manage Your Stress
If motivation is a chronic issue for you, it could be a psychological or even a physical problem. Sometimes it can be difficult to feel motivated because of how much we have to do.
If you have trouble finding motivation because of how much stress you have in your life, you may need to find some new stress-management tactics to find your motivation.
Many people find that meditation for even a few minutes each day is enough to help them manage stress and keep up with their daily tasks.
Online tools, free apps, and YouTube channels are all good ways to get in a few minutes of guided meditation each day.
4. Find Help
If you regularly have problems finding motivation and inspired to accomplish a rather non-interesting task, meditation might not be enough. Motivation is psychological, but it’s also hormonal. Too much stress can change how we think and feel and can even change the biology of our bodies.
Sometimes these problems can be addressed on our own if we address them early enough, but sometimes we need professional help.
People with depression may have trouble finding motivation because of a chemical imbalance that doesn’t allow them to feel motivated. Depression can come on after a tragic life event, but it can also be genetic. If you think that you have depression, bring it up with your primary care provider.
Even if you don’t want to manage your depression with medication, your primary care provider can help you to explore other options that are equally effective in dealing with the issue at stake.
