How I Motivate Myself… Especially When I Am Just Not In The Mood
This is a question I get asked a lot “how do you stay so motivated”.
Motivation is something that so many people (including myself) struggle with on their health and wellness journey. It’s easy to wake up and look at your workouts and health rituals with dread. It can be hard to find the motivation to hit play on that workout, put on those sneakers and head out for a run, sit down for a meditation or make a healthy salad for lunch when you just aren’t in the mood for it.
Over the years, I have gotten in the habit of asking myself (on those “lazy feeling days”) this question: Am I just feeling less motivated today and need a little push to get going or am I feeling exhausted and need rest day? Often the answer is that I am just feeling less motivated and I need a little push to get going. When I find that the answer is that I just need a push, I try and utilize the following:
Reset To Reconnect
Often when you feel unmotivated, it is because you are feeling stuck or out of alignment with your routines. If you feel like you are out of alignment with your routine, habits and goals, then it is time to reset (stop everything and reevaluate your current health and wellness lifestyle and your goals) so you can reconnect to yourself and the goals that align with your current needs and values. As you progress in your health and wellness journey, you will often need to reassess and create new goals for yourself and often setting new goals is just one of the best ways to find motivation again. Also, over time our values and needs change which means that our routines need to change as well. I personally love to change up my routines according to the seasons but I also love to shift into a new routine when I just don’t connect to my current one.
Switch Things Up
A lot of times when I feel less motivated (and maybe you can relate to this!) it is usually because I am bored of my usual routine. When beginning healthy habits it can be easy to get stuck in what you found to work for you- the workouts, the meals, the morning routines, etc. When you find something that works and that you enjoy, it makes it easier to be more consistent with (which is great for building and maintaining that healthy lifestyle!) BUT it can also cause boredom if you are always doing the same thing and never switching it up. When I find myself in a state of boredom with my routine or unmotivated by my routine, I try and switch everything up. This means getting out of your comfort zone and try new meals, do a different type of workout that you enjoy, changing up your morning and night routine, etc. Another thing I love to do to get unstuck in my routines is:
Get Inspired
If you are having trouble figuring out how to switch up your routine in a way that you can enjoy or if you are feeling like you are lacking inspiration, try and get inspired. A few ways (that I and my health coaching clients love) to do this is by going out to a “new to you” workout class (feel free to invite a friend to go with you!), going on Pinterest and discovering new healthy recipes, trying out a new healthy cafe for lunch for some food-spiration, check out your favorite influencer’s morning and night routine to get inspired, asking your friends or peers what routines they have been into lately, etc.
A few other things that help inspire me are:
journaling- I love to journal about what I need out of my routine and my current goals to get me motivated
activewear clean out- I love doing this a few times a year. You can either donate or sell your old workout clothes that don’t spark joy/motivation and then buy a new workout set that you feel confident in!
clean out your kitchen fridge and pantry- I swear this helps when it comes to boredom with your diet. Get rid of anything that you don’t like, anything expired or items that don’t align with your goals. Then once you have a clean slate, restock with colorful fresh foods that will motivate you to get cooking!
Ready to take things to the next level? Join the waitlist here for my health and wellness coaching program where I will help guide you to finding your motivation and a routine that works for you!
