How To Motivate Yourself When You are Depressed?

How to motivate yourself when you are depressed? A popular misconception is that we need to have enough inspiration to do something. So, you wait for the day when you can feel more motivated and start participating in life.

You wait to get enough motivational jolt to feel more like yourself again. But, we forget that motivation isn’t something that appears out of nowhere; one must nurture it. You must do something to rekindle motivation.

Here are seven proven, effective strategies to increase your motivation and get you through depression.

Do What You Enjoy

Making a list of things you enjoyed doing in the past or something you want to start doing is a good place to start. “What do I feel like I can do right now?” ask yourself. “What has previously inspired me?” “Can you think of something you’ve always wanted to do?”

There is no correct or incorrect way to begin. The most critical step in identifying pleasurable or meaningful behaviours is to get moving and do something other than what you’ve been doing.

Set Achievable & Realistic Goals

Setting realistic goals and objectives is the second step. Consider what you can do at the time and how much you can do. Start with 15 minutes if you think you’ll be able to go for a 20-minute stroll. You don’t want to overdo it by pushing yourself too hard.

If your target is too big, and you can’t achieve it, it will be disappointing for you. You will end up having negative thoughts and lose motivation to try again. Instead of setting yourself up for failure, concentrate on setting small, attainable goals.

Achieving these small goals will encourage you to think positively about yourself. Furthermore, success will increase your motivation to do more.

Identify The External Stress Inducing Factors

External influences may often affect our motivation. Perhaps you have a chronic health problem. You might feel trapped in a dead-end workplace or work in a stressful environment. Maybe your significant other or family members have been critical of you. All of these factors may have an effect on motivation.

However, thinking about what you can do and what you can control can help you feel more in control of your life. Give yourself the power to walk away from a negative and stressful situation. If the work scene is crazy, take a few days off. Sometimes, a change of scenario can help you to be back on track!

Break Out Of The Box

Depression often gets induced because a single occurrence or thing has been repeated too often or for a long time. You need to break those habits now. Change your routine or pattern. Always be up for trying out new things. Change can be tricky, but sometimes it may unravel the best in you.

Do something different from your usual routine. Surprise yourself!  Make a bold statement or do something you’ve never done before.

Take Up Physical Exercise

We know we’re asking you to do the impossible. The proposition might sound outrageous! But it is a proven fact that physical activity shows promising results in reducing depression. But the bigger question might be, how to motivate yourself at work when you are depressed?

Depression is treatable with psychological or emotional mediation. You can do many physical exercises that can help you get out of that depressed state.

In addition, take a cold shower regularly to relax your body and relieve tension in your mind. A cold shower is typically preferred because exposure to a small amount of cold air or water improves brain function. Go for a swim to take your mind off the stress.

You can also try walking every day. It helps clear the clutter in your mind. When your brain is not stressed, you are more likely to feel motivated.

Exercise enhances the production of endorphins. It is a natural chemical produced in the brain for the wellbeing of your mental health. Five to ten minutes of daily exercise is enough to prevent you from slipping into depression.

Get Enough Sleep

Yes, you read that right! Lack of sleep can make you feel less motivated and hamper your productivity. It can also make your depression worse. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep every night on a regular basis. If you can’t get enough sleep, make some adjustments to your routine.

Increased tension, vigilance, and irritability may occur when sleep is disturbed or insufficient. Physical or emotional trauma can cause sleep disruptions. Furthermore, metabolic or other chronic medical issues may have an impact on your sleep cycle.

Consequently, you might be exercising less because you’re tired. And your health level suffers as a result. You eventually fall into a vicious cycle of inactivity and disrupted sleep, which triggers depression and causes a lack of motivation.

It’s also essential to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Regular sleep can make you feel refreshed when you wake up. Talk to your physician if you are facing trouble sleeping at night.

Motivate Yourself by Reshaping Negative Thoughts

A shift in perspective is necessary for personal progress when you are trying to motivate yourself through depression. Accomplishing any task during this time is no small feat. Make sure you remind yourself how good you are doing and how far you’ve come in life, fighting through depression.

Give yourself a pep talk before starting the day. Learn to be your own motivational speaker! Reframing your negative thoughts into something positive can interrupt your fear and anxiety. It can help you break away from an unhealthy pattern and be more in control of your thoughts.

With a positive mindset, you’ll surely be able to motivate yourself. Learn to be more forgiving and accepting of yourself. If you find yourself falling into the black hole of depression, use the tools of positivity and self-love.