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  • Why Am I So Unmotivated?Why Am I So Unmotivated?
  • Unmotivated Vs. DepressionUnmotivated Vs. Depression
  • How to Find MotivationHow to Find Motivation
  • How Therapy HelpsHow Therapy Helps
  • ConclusionConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources
  • InfographicsInfographics
Motivation Articles Lack of Motivation Motivational Enhancement Therapy Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation

Lack of Motivation: Causes, Ways to Manage, & Therapy Options

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Author: Renee Skedel, LPC

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Renee Skedel LPCC

Renee Skedel, LPCC, has extensive experience in crisis resolution, suicide risk assessment, and severe mental illness, utilizing CBT and DBT approaches. She’s worked in diverse settings, including hospitals and jails.

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Medical Reviewer: Naveed Saleh, MD, MS Licensed medical reviewer

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Naveed Saleh MD, MS

Dr. Saleh is an experienced physician and a leading voice in medical journalism. His contributions to evidence-based mental health sites have helped raise awareness and reduce stigma associated with mental health disorders.

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Published: December 9, 2021
  • Why Am I So Unmotivated?Why Am I So Unmotivated?
  • Unmotivated Vs. DepressionUnmotivated Vs. Depression
  • How to Find MotivationHow to Find Motivation
  • How Therapy HelpsHow Therapy Helps
  • ConclusionConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources
  • InfographicsInfographics

Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why do I have no motivation?” Lack of motivation may be caused by stress, life changes, or underlying mental health conditions like adjustment disorder or depression.1,2 Low motivation can be remedied with activities that increase dopamine output, like physical exercise, behavioral activation, mindfulness, psychotherapy, and for some, medication.3,4,5,6

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Why Am I So Unmotivated? 10 Potential Causes

Lack of motivation can happen when someone is experiencing life stressors or changes, such as going away to school, changing jobs or work burnout, the death of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, illness,  overwhelm, or other major life transitions.7 Or, someone might have a mental health concern, like depression or an adjustment disorder, that’s aggravating their lack of motivation.

Here are ten potential reasons why you’re feeling unmotivated:

1. You Might Have an Adjustment Disorder

Lack of motivation can be seen in individuals who are dealing with adjustment disorders.7 These individuals might be experiencing major life stressors and changes, but continue to have difficulty adjusting to these changes in their lives to the point that they struggle to maintain their normal routine, daily tasks, things they enjoy, or engagement with a support system.

2. You Might Be Experiencing Toxic Stress

Low motivation is often experienced when someone has a chronic stressor that they can’t change—known as toxic stress. These feelings can become a cycle, where people can’t escape their stress and keep experiencing this lowered drive. It can cause reduced sleep and self-care, which continues the destructive cycle. Those who experience low or no motivation tend to struggle when they don’t know how to change the stressful situation they’re in.

3. You Might Be Feeling Overwhelmed

If you have a lot of tasks to complete, especially in a short period of time, you may begin to feel overwhelmed. It is not uncommon to begin experiencing low motivation to complete any of the tasks on your list, especially if you are struggling to figure out where to begin. This can be a frustrating cycle, especially as anxiety can significantly increase and further influence apathy.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, it can help to break down each task into smaller, more achievable items to get things done in small blocks. This approach can help reduce anxiety and apathy, helping you meet your goals.

4. You May Not Have a Lot of Activities That Interest You

When you do not have a lot to look forward to or get excited about, you can experience lowered motivation. As a result, you may find yourself engaging in mindless tasks that are not enjoyable, productive, or meaningful to you most of the time. It can be difficult to get out of this funk, especially if you do not know what will fulfill you.

It can be helpful to try new activities or return to old activities that used to motivate you or make you feel happy, especially since research has suggested creativity and spontaneity increase inner motivation.8

5. You Might Be Doing a Lot for Others, But Not Taking Time for Yourself 

If you are constantly engaged in tasks with or for other people and you’re unable to find time for yourself, you may find yourself having little or no motivation to do anything. This can be frustrating, especially if you value the people you’re helping. Because of how little time you have to yourself, you may not be able to engage in creative activities that would interest and further encourage creative growth.8

It can be helpful to allow yourself some alone time daily or every few days to breathe and engage in things you enjoy to increase your motivation levels again.

6. You Might Be Burnt Out

When someone has emotional, cognitive, and physical fatigue as a result of their work, they are likely experiencing burnout. Burnout can result in lower productivity, feelings of helplessness or frustration, reduced mental and physical health, and lowered motivation. If someone doesn’t feel a sense of belonging in the company and with their peers, it can lead to an increased risk of burnout.9

Burnout can be a complex and difficult experience, especially if you are unsure of how to move forward. It can be helpful to reach out to a mental health professional and take some time to assess how fulfilled you are in your current work.

7. You May Be Having Difficulty Changing Your Perspective

People can experience rigid or fixed perspectives that make it difficult to consider alternatives to being perfect or doing something in an exactly correct way. This perspective can influence rumination (worrying), perfectionism, and other unhealthy thinking patterns that do not allow for alternatives to meeting a goal.10

As a result, you may experience low motivation due to unhealthy patterns that reinforce the idea that if you cannot meet a goal in one exact way, then you cannot at all. It can be helpful to challenge the thought or feeling that comes with the thought process and work on becoming flexible or adaptive in how you can meet that goal.

8. You May Be Dealing With Recent Stressful or Challenging Events

If you have recently experienced a life-changing or stressful event, like a death, loss of a relationship, moving, or leaving a difficult situation, you may feel upside down or immensely heavier. You may be having difficulty handling your new normal, which can impact general motivation.

You may feel like you are struggling to come to terms with this event and may not feel like doing much of anything. In this case, it can be helpful to process the event for yourself and allow yourself time to rest and recover from the event.

9. You May Be Avoiding Difficult Feelings Brought Up by Your Goals 

Imagine a difficult task, like writing an essay, and think about the amount of work. Negative feelings, like frustration or anxiety, may start to occur and you may experience significantly low motivation in starting or completing this task. This may be because you are uncomfortable with experiencing these emotions and facing them in the process of completing this task.

If you feel the level of frustration or self-doubt is difficult to manage in relation to the task, you may be more likely to experience immediate avoidance and, in turn, lowered motivation.11 You might even know how important the task is to complete, further reinforcing the negative feelings of it not being completed. It can be helpful to break down the task into time intervals and even reward yourself as you go along to increase positive feelings surrounding getting it done.

10. You May Be Experiencing a Depressive Episode

Although motivation can be influenced by quite a few factors, low motivation is a common symptom of a major depressive disorder.12 This normally presents with difficulty in other areas in addition to motivation (like feeling sad or hopeless, changes in weight and energy levels), which can make it difficult for you to meet your goals and manage how you are feeling.

It can be incredibly helpful to reach out to a mental health professional so you can get a diagnosis and begin processing what is happening.

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Lack of Motivation Vs. Depression

Lack of motivation generally feels like limited or no interest or energy for the activities in your life, including things you’d normally enjoy. Depression includes negative feelings for yourself, although it does also substantially lower your energy, motivation, interest, and focus. Both experiences overlap, so it can be helpful to ask yourself if you’re feeling like you’re in a temporary rut and somewhat lazy or depressed. It is important to know when to reach out for help with either condition.

While lower energy and less interest in the things you enjoy are common in both conditions, lack of motivation and depression are different.

When you have a loss of motivation, you may experience:4

  •  Difficulty in mustering up energy to complete daily tasks
  •  Relying on others to plan outings or events
  •  No desire to engage with new or inspiring people or experience
  •  Feeling limited to no emotions about good or bad things
  • Apathetic about your issues
  • A general lack of any emotion surrounding your life
  • Feeling bored with life

When you are depressed, you may experience a number of these symptoms for two or more weeks:12

  • Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness nearly every day
  • Worthlessness and unwarranted guilt
  • Weight loss or gain due to a noticeable change in appetite
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Feeling restless or feeling like you are moving very slowly
  • Feeling tired or having low energy
  • Difficulty focusing or thinking straight
  • Suicidal thoughts

While some of these symptoms may sound minor, people should reach out for help when they begin to notice that their life has begun to look different. These changes may be noticed when you are struggling to finish your work tasks or homework, when you are consistently isolating yourself from your friends and family, or when you are not taking care of your basic needs.

Tips for Finding Motivation

While it can be difficult to get moving and start making tangible changes when you have no motivation, there’s a lot you can do to get going again. Find a few motivational podcasts you enjoy and listen to them whenever you’re in the car or commuting to and from work. You can pick up a lot of useful information to help find motivation and overcome procrastination through the stories of others.

Here are nine tips for how to get motivated:

Create a Routine

By breaking down your day and creating expectations for each day, you are training your body and mind to naturally fall into these behaviors—even if they are incremental.

Take Care of Yourself Physically

Good self-care includes proper hygiene, sleep, and nutrition. If it’s been a while, you might want to schedule a visit with your doctor and get their personalized advice on the best ways to take care of your body.

Work Out

When you engage in exercise and other things that make you proud of yourself, your brain produces dopamine. This can make you feel happy, rewarded, and motivated.13

Break Large Goals Down Into Smaller Tasks

You may not feel as overwhelmed about completing each small task, and that will help you to change your perspective regarding the goal itself—while before it may have seemed insurmountable, you now have a game plan that you can follow.

Reward Yourself for Completing Tasks

Rewarding yourself works because you’re promoting dopamine output as well as motivating yourself to keep going. This could be anything from a nice coffee to a bubble bath to a kind word to yourself, or even a vacation after completing a larger goal.

Do Things You Used to Enjoy

For example, reading a fictional book, playing a game, sitting outside, and drawing are all great places to start. Even if you aren’t sure you still enjoy the activity, give it a try and see how you feel afterward.

Reach Out to Your Support System

Sometimes, a coffee date, phone call, or FaceTime interaction can help to increase motivation by getting a reminder from people who love you that you’re doing a good job.

Practice Gratitude & Mindfulness Skills

Both gratitude and mindfulness have been proven to deepen your appreciation for life and the simple things. They also help to increase your attention to the present and the control you do have.

Consider Going to Therapy

If you’ve tried several strategies to dispel your lack of motivation but you’re still struggling, it may be time to consider therapy. Even if you’re not sure what you would talk about in therapy, the therapist could ask the right questions to help you pinpoint the potential reasons for your lack of motivation and help you brainstorm solutions.

How Therapy Can Help With Low Motivation

Therapy can help you increase your motivation or energy levels, become more self-aware, and expand your ability to help yourself and learn ways to cope with life stressors. Going to a therapist can also help to de-stigmatize your symptoms and to feel validated by someone who can empathize with you about what you’re experiencing.

Some counseling specialties or types can be more effective than others, especially when someone is experiencing lowered or no motivation. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular option for lack of motivation, as it challenges you to change your thinking and behavior patterns with techniques like reframing and activity scheduling. Another option is motivational interviewing (MI), designed for people who are struggling to challenge themselves and are feeling stuck.

While a number of therapy approaches exist, what matters at the end of the day is having the right fit and feeling comfortable with your counselor. The client-counselor relationship is one of the most important influences in helping you gain what you need—and want—from counseling, as well as feeling safe and accepted.

How to Find a Therapist for Low Motivation

A good first step when choosing a therapist is knowing what kind of treatment you want, and then using an online therapist directory to find a therapist who practices that technique. Many directories will provide a filter for areas of specialty—like CBT or depression—and will provide reviews and relevant information like cost and insurance coverage for each therapist.

Final Thoughts

If you catch yourself asking, “Why am I not motivated to do anything,” speaking with a therapist could be life-changing. For some people, going to a therapist or counselor can be a scary, uncomfortable, new, or vulnerable experience. However, if you find the right fit, therapy can be incredibly effective in creating change.

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For Further Reading

  • Inspirational Blogs by Motivational Bloggers
  • What to Do When You Have No Motivation to Do Anything
  • 25 Tips for Setting (and Achieving) Healthy Goals
  • A Guide for How to Get Out of Bed When Depressed

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Reasons for Lack of Motivation Reasons for Lack of Motivation Tips for Finding Motivation Therapy for Motivation

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Sources Update History

ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.

  • American Psychological Association. (2020). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/apathy

  • Mayo Clinic. (2019). Mental illness. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968

  • Spiegel, D. R., et al. (2018). Disorders of diminished motivation: What they are, and how to treat them. Current Psychiatry, 17(1), 10-18, 20.

  • Ishizaki, J., & Mimura, M. (2011). Dysthymia and apathy: diagnosis and treatment. Depression research and treatment, 2011, 893905. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/893905

  • Kamenov, K., et al. (2016). The efficacy of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy and their combination on functioning and quality of life in depression: A meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 47(7), 1337-1337.

  • Epstein, J., & Silbersweig, D. (2015). The neuropsychiatric spectrum of motivational disorders. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 27(1), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.13120370

  • Mayo Clinic.  (2017). Adjustment disorders. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adjustment-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20355224

  • di Domenico, S. I., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). The Emerging Neuroscience of Intrinsic Motivation: A New Frontier in Self-Determination Research. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00145

  • Brandstätter, V., Job, V., & Schulze, B. (2016). Motivational Incongruence and Well-Being at the Workplace: Person-Job fit, job burnout, and Physical symptoms. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01153

  • The Light Program. (2021). Rigid Expectations Effects on Mental Health. Retrieved from: https://thelightprogram.pyramidhealthcarepa.com/rigid-expectations-impact-mental-health/

  • Krieglmeyer, Regina. (2008). How to Overcome Frustration? The Influence of Frustration on Motivational Orientation and Motivational Intensity.

  • American Psychiatric Association. Depressive Disorders. (2017). In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (pp. 160-168). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

  • Arias-Carrión, O., & Pŏppel, E. (2007). Dopamine, learning, and reward-seeking behavior. Acta neurobiologiae experimentalis, 67(4), 481–488.

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We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.

May 6,2025
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Primary Changes: Added Depression Workbook with nine worksheets.
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Primary Changes: Edited for readability and clarity. Reviewed and added relevant resources.
December 9, 2021
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Primary Changes: Updated for Readability; Added seven new potential causes to “Why Am I So Unmotivated?” New material reviewed by Dena Westphalen, PharmD.
December 4, 2020
Author: Renee Skedel, LPC
Reviewer: Naveed Saleh, MD, MS
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