Finding Motivation
Does anyone else just feel plain tired? Lost your mojo? Maybe it’s a change of season thing, or the mere compilation of stress from the entire year, or the sudden realization that the holidays are mere weeks away – what?! Whatever it is, I just can’t seem to shake this bone tired feeling, which is weird since my days are mostly spent here at home with my nose in my school books. I blame my meds – these puppies are no joke either.
Anywho… we’ve all been there in the periods of exhaustion that seem all consuming. I’ll admit I’ve also been a bit tired of social media in general and reading the same things over and over again. Even this post of “finding motivation” has been washed up I don’t even know how many times. Where does originality come in when everything has been painted every which way and twice over? These are the things I struggle with – but I guess all that matters is how any certain subject relates to you, and the audience you’re writing for.
I go through waves of feeling unmotivated, stuck in a gloom of feeling like I’ve lost my creativity altogether. Someone once said “that creatives, especially, struggle with this because their work is so closely tied to their sense of self, their beliefs and their life experiences. They need to feel deeply connected to their work in order to thrive.” For me, this couldn’t be more true. I loathe creating instagram roundups and random sale finds that I personally have nothing to do with don’t shop merely for the hope of making a buck or two 0- it’s just not me. Now, mind you there’s nothing wrong with it or the bloggers who post any of that – it’s just not my MO.
So.. that being said, how do you get your groove back or rediscover motivation or purpose? Have you considered why you’re feeling in a rut to begin with?
Burnout
Ah, the infamously scary feeling of burnout. For me, burnout has always been a feeling associated with inescapable gloom or something you can’t find your way back from. While I don’t believe that to be true anymore, I do believe it’s critical to understand where your burnout is coming from and consider your options. Are you overworking? Do you enjoy your work? Is your routine monotonous or tedious? I’ve been in all of these situations – and either found ways to make them better or left them for more ideal alternatives. I think it’s important to remember that we’re never going to be happy 24/7, that just isn’t how life shakes out – but we can make small differences in our daily lives. Now if your boss is a jerk – there might not be any fixing that (speaking from experience). A situation like that will ultimately require weighing the pros and cons of staying vs leaving.
Exhaustion
The lack of sleep is something I think no matter who we are can transform us into the worst versions of ourselves. We become irritable, moody, snappy, and even careless. Any time I find myself sleep deprived EVERYTHING bothers me and I’m just 1000% pissy. The image comes to mind from a scene in a League of Their Own (love that movie!) when Dotty gets in a fight with Kit and an unknowing teammate comes up the stairs looking for her new hat. Dotty fires back “piss on your hat!” Hahaha THAT is my complete mood when I’m exhausted. Any situation is painted over with negativity and ire. NOT a good thing! Don’t be afraid to admit your exhaustion, take a break, or even a mental health day. More and more employers are finding that granting employees a mental health day contributes to greater efficiency and productivity. A healthy you pours over into all parts of your life, personal and professional.
Stress
This definitely stems from the first two but dang if stress just isn’t the worst? Stress is unavoidable no matter what’s going on in our lives and has a sneaky way of how it chooses to manifest in different individuals. The most important thing though, is how you choose to deal. Do you bottle it all up and wait for an impending breakdown or do you take steps to dump it all out? Depending on my mood and the situation at hand I’ve found many ways that help me process my stress and let it all go, or at least puts a tiny band-aid on it: Time outs are bliss. How is it we go from being toddlers who loathe time outs and/or nap time and grow into adults who yearn for them? Sometimes I’m so worked up or even overstimulated that I’ll quite literally go put myself in my closet with the lights off and just breathe for about 5-10 minutes. The darkness and the silence reset my current state of being and are somewhat meditatively therapeutic. Just being in a calmer state of mind helps soothe any kind of freak out, you know? My husband usually looks at me a little strange if he finds me in the closet, but he knows it’s something to just let be. I also go for walks (when it’s not scorching outside) and get some fresh air. Poppy is hilarious on a leash because she is SO EXCITED to greet the world, she instantly makes me laugh and cheers me up. I also have mentioned before I’ve picked up bullet journaling again. SO many of you have seen them on my Instagram and love them – I do too! I channel all of my energy into drawing out whatever I’m thinking of and get lost in the moment. It’s so incredibly therapeutic and gives me a chance to relive childhood coloring. I even found my old crayons the other day at my mom’s house! (these aren’t finished but aren’t they cute?!) Also.. ignore my nails, your girl needs a mani REAL bad.
So.. how do you find your motivation when you’re in a rut? Or what causes you to land there to begin with? The first step in getting back on the path of productivity and motivation is figuring out how you lost your mojo in the first place! Wouldn’t you agree?
September 4, 2019 @ 6:12 pm
i totally agree! I feel like i was able to reverse engineer plans to stay away from burnout once i pinpointed how i got there
September 4, 2019 @ 7:58 pm
Oh girl, I’ve been feeling SO stressed lately. Between crazy campaigns, monetary struggles, trips that I’m not inclined to go on, issues with my health, etc. I’m just ready for a hibernation haha. I’m obsessing over your Harry Potter-inspired bullet journaling. I wish I had any artistic talent. Well, I do, but it’s on a face or body haha I can do makeup or put together an outfit real well (but hand me a paintbrush or pen and it’ll be a disaster)!
September 4, 2019 @ 8:56 pm
I totally feel burned out if I try to do too much in a short time. I’m a planner and a detail-oriented person, so it can be really frustrating when things I need to do take too long or aren’t getting done the way I want them to be done. For me, planning 2-3 day spans where I have no obligations is key to refilling my cup when it’s empty.
September 5, 2019 @ 12:14 am
Thanks for sharing babe! I feel this way as well and I think my sleep schedule has a lot to do with it. I try to workout as much as I can when I feel burned out, helps get me up and going again!
Kileen
cute & little
September 5, 2019 @ 7:02 am
I’ve been feeling burnt out too lately. We’ve been working hard to get our house ready to sell and that’s taking every waking minute… and I have still a kid and blog to take care of 😉 I’ve been telling myself that “the only way out is through.” Repeating this to myself has been helping! Hope you find your motivation again!
September 5, 2019 @ 7:49 am
I’ve been feeling this way too lately. So much to do and sometimes I have no energy to get anything done or procrastinate. Great post!
September 5, 2019 @ 9:30 pm
Totally been feeling this way till such a great post girly!!!
September 5, 2019 @ 10:00 pm
I most definitely agree here, I’ve been feeling these a LOT lately! Why is it so hard to stay away from?
September 6, 2019 @ 8:55 am
I’ve definitely been feeling exhausted and overwhelmed with my schedule lately. I’m currently working in childcare with 1-year-olds, so that in and of itself is exhausting, but I’m also going to school, blogging, and filming and editing videos for my YouTube channel. In order to hop back into things when I’m not feeling motivated, I have to give myself breaks. It’s so hard for me to feel like I’m not wasting my time by not doing anything productive, but it’s so important to give your brain a break. Also, if I don’t feel like doing something, I don’t force it. If I’m tired of schoolwork, I’ll work on editing videos. When I get tired of that, I do some blogging. And when I’m tired of all of it, I put on a Netflix show and take a bath 🙂
September 6, 2019 @ 10:33 am
I’ve felt that way too many times…no energy, stressed and burnt out to the point I lost motivation. It usually happens when I am overworked, not getting enough sleep and skipping my workouts. I find that to get motivated again is taking vacation from work to catch up on your rest and hit the gym to get going.
September 6, 2019 @ 6:16 pm
Love this post! I try to take one day at a time and focus on the end goal if I feel unmotivated.
September 7, 2019 @ 10:25 pm
I love your Harry Potter inspired bullet journal spread! I’ve been lacking motivation due to exhaustion. Sometimes I feel as if my lack of motivation is also exhausting.
September 8, 2019 @ 11:25 am
Girl, I am dealing with all of these right now but mostly stress. It’s so hard to focus and stay on track with stress looming over you. I need a serious motivation kick in the butt. Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
-xo, Azanique | https://www.lotsofsass.com
September 8, 2019 @ 5:14 pm
I definitely get burnt out! It’s important to take breaks and unplug once in a while. I find that spending time in nature/not being on my phone helps a ton.
-Emily
https://norepeatsorhesitations.com
September 9, 2019 @ 10:47 am
It’s so easy to lose your motivation when you’re in a rut. I mean, all I want to do is lay down and take a nap! But I think just unplugging for a bit will make a world of difference.
September 11, 2019 @ 3:26 am
Very interesting post as to find motivation is the most difficult thing I see in my friends. But when I feel demotivated, then I listen music, sometimes clean my home and spend some time in nature. But yes unplugging from daily routine to something unusual kind of work makes you work again.