Problems to Possibilities

It’s Monday . . . the beginning of another week.  You may be bleary-eyed from your weekend, thinking about needing another day just to recover from the past two days.  It’s easier just to stay in bed rather than get up and go. We’ve all probably felt this way at one time or another. However, the motivation to get up and do something is low especially if you are feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious. You know you have to move, but you’re stuck and feel you can’t find the energy to do anything.

Here are some strategies to help you get going. Notice that it’s all about taking the first step to get started.

Create momentum.

Take one small step. Do something, anything. Remember Newton’s Law: Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.
When starting an activity you don’t feel motivated to do, use the 10-minute rule. If after 10 minutes, you really don’t feel like you want to continue, stop. However, more often than not, I found that I’ve created enough momentum in 10 minutes to keep on going.

Take a shower and get dressed.

This sounds simple and basic, but for some, just taking a shower and getting dressed can be a chore. By taking this simple step, not only will feel better (think “fresh and clean”), but it “tells” your mind that you’re ready to do something (or go out—see below).

Go outside.

I lived in Vermont for a few years, so I know how depressing it can get when you are stuck inside due to bad weather. It’s easy to feel “unmotivated” when you are indoors and looking at the four walls of your room. Being outdoors, getting some fresh air, and Vitamin D sunshine tends to lift your spirits to get things done.

Follow a routine.

Create a schedule and follow it even if there are only a few tasks that you do or no matter how “mundane” or minimal they seem. Put them on your calendar. Think of the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel at the end of the day when you “check off” those tasks on your list (see below). You may be inspired to do more!

Think about how you’ll feel later.

How will you feel once you get going? or How will you feel if you don’t?  Will you feel gratified that you were able to get up and get things done or will you feel disappointed that you weren’t able to do this?  For some, the positive feeling of accomplishment may be a good motivator, for others, it may be the “pain” of disappointment that they want to avoid.

Waiting for “when I feel like it” may never come (or it may be a long time before it does).  Try any of these strategies and find your “get up and go!”

This entry was posted on September 15, 2014 at 9:45 AM and is filed under Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health, Motivation, Procrastination. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: anxiety, depression, mental health, motivation, productivity, Psychologist, psychology, stress