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We all have those days where we feel unmotivated. The days where the thought of working out sounds as appealing as drinking printer ink. Perhaps you got injured, and you don't want to risk furthering the damage. Or perhaps you aren't seeing the progress you hoped for, and want to give up completely.
Don't fight it.
But don't give up, either.
Motivation comes and goes, but there are tricks to building motivation when all seems lost.
Lowered Expectations
I dislike using the term "hack" here because it's a simple concept, but think of this as a "mind-hack". Feeling motivated is largely a mental state. When the reward centers and feel-good parts of your brain are activated, you're motivated to keep doing the things that put you in that state.
When you're feeling unmotivated, the reverse is true. You avoid spending energy on unnecessary actions.
So the best way to feel motivated is to create small little wins to convince your brain you're having a good time. In other words, LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS, RAISE YOUR SUCCESS.
Is this backed by science? Probably, but I don't have the motivation to look up the research. It sounds good though, right? It's a technique I use for myself and my clients when feeling down and unmotivated.
Here are a few suggestions for creating small wins when everything else feels like a loss.
Instead of forcing yourself to do a grueling exercise session, consider a few alternatives.
Replace Tough Workouts With:
A light walk. Take 20 minutes around your neighborhood or on a treadmill. Call it a day.
A stretching or mobility session. Loose muscles make you feel good.
A foam rolling session. If you do it right, it's kind of a workout by itself.
Focus on light weight, high reps if you're already in the gym, a change-up like this can be nice.
Take a day off. If all-else fails, come back tomorrow and try again. Do one of the recommendations below.
If you're having trouble following your nutrition plan (or doing anything healthy), consider a few dietary alternatives:
Change your nutritional expectations by:
Take a daily multivitamin. It's an easy task that makes you feel like you "did something." And you did do something. You invested in your health. Way to go!
Drink a glass of water. Just one and done.
Eat a veggie. Seriously, just grab a microwaveable bag of broccoli and cheese and eat it.
Don't track your food for a few days. This one goes out to those people who are rigorous about their nutrition and diet. Some days it's good to let go if you're feeling burned out.
Track your food for a few days. For the rest of you, try this. Don't change what you eat, just try logging your food for a day or two. It may give you a mental kick-start when you see the junk you eat in a single day.
If all else fails, consider a few simple life-style alternatives to give you the small wins.
Do a simple task like:
Call a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in a while.
Make your bed.
Buy a new workout outfit.
Get off social media. It saps your motivation by forcing you to compare yourself against others.
Read a book.
Are these simple things? Yes. That's the point. If you feel like exercise and nutrition are a daunting task, we simply shrink the amount of change needed to "win."
Not surprisingly, these are the same techniques used to help overcome bouts of depression or low-affect moods. Try them out next time you don't feel like hitting the gym.
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