Motivation is what drives people to achieve their needs, wants or desires in life, it’s one of the driving forces behind human behaviours.

People can be motivated for different reasons, it could be intrinsic, a powerful form of motivation as it is part of a person’s personality or identity. For instance someone who does something because they love doing it or how it makes them feel.  It could be motivation for external reasons which tends to motivate people for shorter periods, like the thought of a bonus or reward for something they do.  Whatever the reasons are for being motivated it’s what pushes you to strive for meaning and purpose in life.

You don’t just need to feel motivated to succeed in your career or in competitive circumstances, you need to feel motivated to do most things in life on a day to day basis.  If you’re suffering from a lack of motivation it can have a devasting affect on your life and stop you from doing anything meaningful.

Causes

There can be a variety of reasons for someone to lose their motivation like major life changes or stressful situations such as:

·      Challenging or stressful events like moving house, changing careers, the break up of an important relationship or loss of a loved one

·      Depression can result in negative thoughts, loss of interest, low energy and apathy

·      Sleep issues can cause low energy, muscle loss, weight gain, emotional fatigue and reduced libido

·      Burnout causes people to lose their motivation to work as they feel mentally and physically exhausted

·      Fear of failure or not achieving their goals can cause a person to struggle with motivation

·      A lack of confidence or self-esteem can result in people struggling to motivate themselves

·      Self-care is an important factor, if someone spends all their time caring or doing things for other people they can struggle to find the time and energy to stay motivated

Self Help

There are simple things you can do to try and regain your motivation.  Create a routine and try and eat well and ensure you get sufficient sleep as well as taking regular exercise which causes the production of dopamine, which makes you feel good.  Make time for yourself to do the things you enjoy like reading or being in nature.  Break large goals into smaller tasks and reward yourself when you complete each task.

Professional Help

If you are struggling with a lack of motivation you should initially see your doctor so they can rule out any underlying physical cause.  If they are unable to find any physical reason and you have felt this way for two weeks or more, or it is stopping you from functioning or working, they can refer you to a mental health professional.  They can diagnose any underlying mental health condition or cause for your lack of motivation.  Through therapies such as psychotherapy and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) they can help you to recognise and change negative thoughts and behaviours.  Written by Jan, Jeana and Wendy at Barnsley Hypnosis and Counselling (UK). For more free Information click above link.