How to Motivate Yourself When You Have No Energy: 5 Simple Ways
You may not realize it, but motivation is one of the biggest factors in your life. Being able to create and harness this energy is pertinent in maintaining daily and sustained success. It’s hard enough to be able to tap into that motivation at times, harder still when you have no energy to do so. No matter what the reason is for your lack of energy, sometimes there are still things that need to be done in life. Here are 5 ways you can get it done even if you’re exhausted.
1. Just Start.
Sometimes the motivation just isn’t there, but if you start your work anyways, it usually will just catch up. People who work out know that half of the battle is just getting to the gym, the other half is actually working out. If you’re able to just put one foot out and start walking, your other foot will follow suit and before you know it, you’re running full speed. It takes about 10-15 minutes of doing something to enter what we call the “flow state”, or the state of mind where you’re fully immersed and focused on the activity at hand.
Today a lot of people call it being “in the zone”, but it doesn’t happen right away. A lot of people start a task and work on it for less than 10-15 minutes, and assume it’s just not the right time to work on it. We like to think that everything has to be perfect for us to get something done, when there never is a truly perfect time to start anything. It’s not as important if we fail or succeed, what is important is that we start.
2. Remind Yourself Why.
Why did you enroll in that class? Start that project? Create that website? If you’re having trouble with your motivation to complete something, ask yourself why you started it in the first place. Chances are it’s something you really wanted to do or, by doing it, you’d be able to get to the place that you want to be. There’s lots of things, both internal and external, that can stand in the way of you and what you hope to get out of this life. You had a good reason to start, and you felt strongly enough about it at the time, remind yourself of that.
3. Exercise
Let’s get physical. Working out, or at least doing some sort of physical activity is a great way to stimulate not only your body, but your mind as well. Studies show that regular exercise is found to have profound effects on anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorders as well as improving memory and sleep, relieving stress, and boosting overall mood. If you’re struggling finding and maintaining motivation, get active. Get your body moving to get your mind moving.
However, going to the gym and working up a sweat isn’t the only way to exercise, you can also exercise your mind. Like your physical muscles, your mental muscles need resistance to get stronger, they need challenges, and extended periods of focus to build on your current level of mental strength. It’s important to start slow, though, you wouldn’t walk over to the bench press, throw 400lbs. on the rack and go at it. A recommended method of building focus and motivation is the ‘Pomodoro Method’, which consists of a sustained 25 minute period of work, followed by a 5 minute break.
If you need more exercise in your life, please read our award-winning exercise post here.
4. Listen to the Right Music
Music is one of the most meaningful and impactful things in this life. Music is also a tool, you can use it to channel certain emotions, trigger memories from past events or get you pumped up. Choosing the right music can do wonders for your motivation and focus when it comes to completing a task or project and, depending on what task you need to get completed, your music choice may differ. Slow and chord-heavy music will slow down your mind and let your thoughts flourish, and songs with a more upbeat tempo will keep your energy high and keep your mind going. As the rhythm of the music moves you, it not only helps your mental focus but also boosts your self-confidence. So next time you’re working, either at the gym or at work, listen to some good music you like. It can boost your self-confidence, and improved self-confidence is also directly related to self-esteem.
From the hard-hitting and contemplative style of artists like Kendrick Lamar, to the vivacious hooks and energizing melodies of an artist like Tame Impala, the options are endless. Many people have access to the entire world’s music library with services like Apple Music and Spotify, and if not then Youtube is always an option. In my opinion, music is essential for getting to work.
5. Compromise With Yourself
It can be hard to stay motivated if your to-do list is a mile long. You can’t expect to get all of it done at once, but that doesn’t mean you can’t at least get started. Set small goals for yourself, and as you begin to knock them out one at a time, your confidence and motivation will slowly build. If you can’t start small, start smaller. Akin to the first step, starting is the very first and best thing you can do.
I’m not a fan of compromises. I think we are alive for a purpose and we only achieve our full potential when we no longer accept others opinions as facts. That being said, sometimes you have to make a short-term compromise in order to reach the place you know you will be long-term.
Staying motivated isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. These days it’s so easy to get complacent, or distracted, with the rise of ultra-immersive video games, social media, and a culture where 1000s of hours of videos are uploaded every minute online. Vision without execution is hallucination, and you’ve done enough visualizing. The best time to start was yesterday, the second best is right now.
