What To Do When You Have Low Motivation

Written by Gina Porter, MA, LPCC

Low motivation is often a complaint among those struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD. There can be many reasons for low motivation.It is common to experience low motivation due to internal challenges (anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout, etc.) and external challenges (pandemic, economy, job-related stress). With the pandemic, inflation, and economic stress, many may start to feel the effects of being in “survival mode” over the past several years. There are more people experiencing physical, mental, and emotional burnout due to the stressors of the pandemic and the years that have followed.

Ruling Out Biological Causes of Low Motivation

When understanding low motivation, you want to rule out any biological causes first. Your primary care physician should be able to perform a complete blood panel to check for the following:

• Vitamin Deficiencies

• Hormonal Imbalances

• Thyroid Issues

• Perimenopause

• Blood Sugar Issues

• Medication Side Effects

Understanding the Reasons for Low Motivation

It can be difficult to treat an issue without diagnosing the cause or reason for the issue. Many times, people can identify that they are experiencing low motivation, but finding the cause for the low motivation can be more challenging. Therapy can help with uncovering the reasons for low motivation and treating this issue. To begin the journey of understanding the cause of your low motivation, it may be helpful to ask yourself some of the following questions:

• When did I start struggling with low motivation?

• When do I experience feelings of low motivation the most?

• Are there times I feel more motivated? If so, am I doing anything differently?

• How is my current stress level? Do I feel overloaded or overwhelmed often?

• How do I view myself? Do I view myself as capable, confident, determined?

• How do I view the world around me?

Thoughts Contribute to Low Motivation

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the therapist is working with you to adjust negative thoughts that are causing you to feel poorly. In the theory of CBT, your emotions follow your thoughts. Here are some examples of maladaptive thoughts that can result in feeling unmotivated:

• I can’t do this.

• What’s the point?

• I’m not good enough.

• This situation is hopeless.

• The world is a bad place.

• Things are just getting worse.

How Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, and ADHD Affect Levels of Motivation

Having an underlying mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, or ADHD can increase the likelihood of experiencing low motivation. Here’s how each of them can affect levels of motivation:

• Anxiety: Excessive worrying, overthinking, and ruminating may contribute to one feeling less motivated due to the constant overanalyzing. Anxiety can cause feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, and the fear of receiving negative judgment from others. Anxiety can be paralyzing which can affect one’s levels of motivation.

• Depression: Low motivation is specific criteria for clinical depression. Depression can create feelings of low motivation due to thoughts of hopelessness, low self-worth, and a general loss of interest in pleasurable activities.

• PTSD: Trauma can affect the brain in many ways, and it is not uncommon to experience anxious or depressive symptoms with PTSD. Those experiencing PTSD may have lower levels of self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness, or feeling “on-edge” (hyper vigilant). PTSD can also cause strong feelings of anger, rage, and dissociation. PTSD can become overwhelming at times, causing a person to have little to no mental or emotional energy to stay motivated.

• ADHD: Low motivation can occur in those with ADHD. If low motivation is occurring in someone with ADHD, it may be because there are not enough “reward activities” occurring. Those with ADHD or ADD need regular dopamine-releasing rewards, and without regular rewards, it can be difficult to experience high levels of motivation. Those with ADHD/ADD commonly struggle with inattentiveness and procrastination, which can make it more challenging to stay motivated at times.
  

Ways to Improve Low Motivation

There are many ways to treat feelings of low motivation. This is not an exhaustive list of treating low motivation, but it provides a few practical ways to begin to improve your motivation.

• Commit to 10 Minutes: If you’re struggling with starting something that you feel unmotivated to do, start by committing to just 10 minutes of it. Whether that’s 10 minutes of a workout, 10 minutes of writing a paper, or 10 minutes of cleaning. This can make the task feel less daunting, and there’s a chance you may gain more motivation as you begin!

• Fight Your Self-Defeating Thoughts: If you’re experiencing a lot of self-defeating thoughts (ex. This is going to be awful, I can’t do this, I’m not good enough") practice changing those thoughts to a more encouraging statement, such as the following: “Even though I feel like I can’t do this, I’m going to try it for a little bit and feel proud of myself for trying". An additional way to fight self-defeating thoughts is by using the practice of Mindful Self-Compassion. I highly recommend the “Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook” by Kristin Neff, PhD.

• Make it Rewarding: If you’re trying to motivate yourself to do something, find a way to make it rewarding. Make a deal with yourself! For example: “I will work on this task for 30 minutes and then give myself a 10 minute break to walk outside, scroll through some funny reels, etc.”.

• Manage Your Expectations Of Yourself: If you’re a high-achiever, you may want to re-evaluate your expectations of yourself. Do you have to complete that entire list you created for yourself in one day? Does the house have to be completely clean every day? Do you have to get perfect grades in every subject? We can often times overwhelm ourselves with our own expectations of ourselves, causing us to feel overwhelmed and completely lose motivation. It may be time to let go of some of the high expectations you have of yourself and create more realistic, reasonable expectations.

• Stress Management: Be aware of your level of stress. Are you putting in extra hours at work? Are you feeling stretched thin with all of your obligations? Find ways to manage your stress, make time for self-care, and allow yourself to have a break.

Professional Help for Low Motivation

Therapy can be a great tool to overcoming feelings of low motivation. When does low motivation become an issue that you need professional help for? If low motivation is disrupting your personal life, work life, relationships, and mental well-being, it may be time to contact a therapist. Working with a professional can help you identify why you may be struggling with low motivations, and find specific ways that can help you overcome feelings of low motivation.

If you are in Colorado and would like to get help with feelings of low motivation, please fill out the “Contact” form for more information.