13 Uplifting Ways to Feel Motivated Again

Do you feel like you’re just existing? That every day is the same day and you have no motivation to do anything? Were you previously a very motivated person and lost interest in doing what you love?

A lot of people are significantly impacted by this pandemic not just financially, but also many are experiencing mental trauma. Even though it’s been a year or so since the pandemic began, it could still be hard to cope with the changes in our lives and find ways to not feel lost in life. 

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Advice Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional, all of the content in this blog is just my personal recommendations and for informational purposes only, not to be a substitute for a mental health professional. Always seek guidance from a mental health professional for help and diagnosis.

Here are 13 ways to feel motivated again:

1. Identify What You Are Feeling with a Journal

Use a journal at least once a week to write down where you are in life and what you are feeling. Track your emotions and write down why you feel that way. We tend to think so fast about a wide range of things that we don’t actually take a lot of time to sit down and really focus on why we are feeling that way. What is the root cause?

A journal I recommend that could help you better understand your emotions would be the Breathe Self-Care Journal. It has different self-care routines that you could add to your daily life also. 

2. Create a Playlist to Feel Your Emotions

This is the method that I use daily to understand my emotions. I will create a playlist on what I’m currently thinking about. If I feel very overwhelmed, I automatically create a playlist and find all matching songs related to what I’m feeling. Then, I just sit back, relax and listen to my playlist.

It’s okay to feel your emotions. Don’t listen to all the toxic positivity on social media telling you to just get over your negative thoughts and only think positive thoughts. That will only backfire on you because what you suppress will come back tenfold. 

Feeling and understanding our negative thoughts is a must so that we can properly overcome them.

3. Make an Appointment to See a Therapist

Seeing a therapist is one of the most important things to do to address any of your mental health struggles. Most of the time we can’t even diagnose ourselves and think it’s a normal part of life to experience these things so we just live with our issues. By not addressing those problems at an earlier stage, they start to become bigger problems and affect other areas of our lives.

If you have been doing everything you can to overcome your challenges and it’s still not working, you should definitely see a therapist. They know the best practices and have dealt with many clients with the same issues. And not everyone has supportive friends so having a supportive therapist can mean the world.

If you don’t have access to one, then pick up a few self-help books from your local library or bookstore. 

4. Watch some Inspirational Ted Talks or YouTube Videos

• Recommended Ted Talk:
  • How to be your best self in times of crisis

• Some of my favorite YouTubers that I watch to boost my mood:
  • ALLISON – Home Decor / Cooking / Lifestyle Vlogger
  • LilyLikecom – Self-Care / Fashion / Lifestyle Vlogger
  • HYONYEO – Cafe / Home Decor / Lifestyle Vlogger

5. Join a Support Group

There’s plenty of groups on Facebook and other online platforms that include people that have the same life situations. Look for those groups and request to join them. They might have resources that could help you and it could put your mind at ease knowing you’re not the only one going through this.

6. Surround Yourself with People that Uplift You, Not Put You Down

You’re already going through so many struggles, why deal with people that make your life worse? Cut out any toxic people in your life that consistently make you feel bad about yourself and surround yourself with people that encourage you. You are who your closest friends are. If they are negative all the time, you will most likely be too. 

7. Meditate

Practice breathing exercises and stop your mind from drifting off into your worries. Let them go for that moment and just focus on your breathing. You need to take breaks from what is happening in the world and meditation is the best way to do that. 

I recommend using the Calm app! I have been using it since the pandemic started and it has been really helpful.

8. Create a Vision Board

You might be feeling lost on what you should be doing in life and don’t feel like you have much control of what happens. A vision board can be your source of inspiration. This will help you plan what you want to do over the course of the year or for decades to come. 

9. Don’t Make Your Goals Too Unrealistic or Too High

You will burn out way faster trying to do something way above what you can currently handle. Take smaller steps to get there and don’t beat yourself up if you slack off for a day or two. What’s important is that you never give up and add lots of self-care and breaks in-between the process. 

10. Detox From Social Media or Completely Cut It Out

If you find yourself scrolling endlessly through your social media feeds and constantly comparing yourself to your friends, it’s time to turn your social media off for a while or completely cut it off. Too much social media can possibly cause depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues because of our FOMO (fear of missing out), according to Healthline.

11. If You’re Tired of Being Indoors, Sit Outside in Nature for Longer Periods of Time.

We need the sun to help regulate our moods. If you sit in the dark all day every day, you’re more likely to feel sad. Get outside for a minimum of 30 mins a day whether that means sitting outside in your backyard, at a park, or going for a walk.

12. Change Your Diet and Get More Sleep

This is the basics, but most people do not get all of their nutrients and sleep at the same time every single night. If you go to sleep at 10 p.m. one night and then 3 a.m. another night, your body is going to have a hard time adjusting to the inconsistent schedule. By doing that, you could be setting yourself up for insomnia. You won’t be able to go to sleep earlier. 

And when you don’t get enough sleep, you start feeling tired and sluggish throughout your day. Which leads you to crave those sugary and fatty foods that will lead you to feel even more tired and unproductive. Don’t start a chain reaction and get enough sleep and eat enough healthy food.

13. Improve Your Surroundings and Keep Your Home Clean

It’s hard to feel productive and happy when your room is a mess and dirty dishes are everywhere. Clean your house often and make it as cozy as you can. Adding lots of natural lighting by opening the windows will help a lot. Invest in some plants like succulents as they are really easy to maintain. You can try flowers if you’re good with upkeep. 

If you are in distress and thinking of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free and confidential support 24/7 at 800-273-8255.