What to Do When You Have No Motivation to Do Anything: 8 Tips to Get Out of a Rut

Why You May Have No Motivation to Do Anything

Becoming discouraged is easy when you have no motivation. Discouragement can make you feel stuck in life and doubt your ability to re-ignite your spark. What causes a lack of motivation varies by person but often relates to negative thoughts, poor life satisfaction, or depression.

Struggling with motivation is not abnormal and does not mean you are doomed to be stagnant and unmotivated indefinitely. You can regain your inspiration, even when you don’t feel like doing much of anything.

What to Do When You Have No Motivation

Learning how to overcome a lack of motivation can seem daunting, but there are many ways to get motivated again. What works for others may not work for you, so experiment with different activities and practices. Combining techniques can further boost motivation, but start small until you find what resonates. Keep going until you are back in full stride once again. If you need more tips for overcoming a lack of motivation, try listening to a variety of motivational podcasts.

Below are eight tips for how to get motivated when you have no motivation:

1. Replace Self-Bullying With Gentle Encouragement

We often fall into the trap of being hard on ourselves, especially when we feel unmotivated to do anything. Trying to bully and berate ourselves into action does not help, especially when we order ourselves to change.¹ In fact, pressuring ourselves to become motivated has the opposite effect, increasing negative thoughts and further dampening our spirits. Be gentle with yourself rather than mean for a very human lack of motivation.

Below are steps of the RAIN method to help you approach a lack of motivation with compassion:²

• Recognize your challenge (your lack of motivation)
• Allow it to exist rather than judging it or yourself
• Investigate rather than criticize, and avoid jumping to the conclusion you are lazy (or any inaccurate and judgmental label)
• Nurture yourself with self-compassion, meeting your lack of motivation with understanding

2. Notice Your Thoughts & Attention

What we focus on is what grows.³ When you ruminate on thoughts like, “I have no motivation to do anything,” you feed these beliefs. The more you think about your lack of motivation, the more difficult it becomes to break. Shift your attention to something else when caught in this cycle. Use mindfulness and draw on your senses to pull yourself out of your thoughts and into the present moment.

For example, use the 5-4-3-2-1 mindfulness exercise to quickly change your focus without pressuring yourself to think of the “right” thing. Name five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can feel, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste (if available). This practice offers a refreshing change of perspective and can sometimes be enough to help you take positive action.

Additionally, harboring negative thoughts about a task can be incredibly unmotivating. Free yourself to act by adopting a beginner’s mind.^4,5 A beginner comes to a situation with an open mind without expectations, unclouded by past experience and judgments. See each moment and new task as a fresh endeavor to avoid bringing negative feelings from past experiences into your present situation.

3. Do Something Even When You Don’t Want To

Action comes before motivation rather than the other way around.⁶ When you feel stuck and sluggish, select one small thing to do. This task could be as simple as stepping outdoors into the sunshine and taking a few deep breaths. Once you begin moving and doing small things, you might feel energized and encouraged to do one more thing. And if not, acknowledge and own that you finished one task.

Some tips to help you do something to spark motivation include:^1,4

• Make to-do lists of small actions: Include small steps you must complete on a project or chore. Incorporate activities you enjoy, too. Keep the lists handy so you can easily pick an action instead of getting caught up in deciding what to do.
• Just start: Choose one task and just begin when you’re trying to tackle an overwhelming endeavor. You don’t need to complete every project linearly, and jumping in at a random spot (an enjoyable rather than tedious component) can help you gain momentum.
• Use mindfulness techniques: Apply mindfulness by focusing on small actions you can take now when you have no drive to do anything. Doing so can help you avoid remaining paralyzed by anxiety about what might happen in the future if you don’t complete a given task.
• Explore something new: Try something brand-new to break out of a rut, as ruts can lead to feelings of drudgery that deplete drive. For instance, read inspirational blogs by motivational bloggers for help getting into the right mindset.

4. Consider Your Goals

Developing goals gives you a target to work toward. However, your goals might be why you’re losing motivation. You may feel resistance rather than desire to accomplish tasks if someone else imposes these on you. Your motivation likely increases when you can set your goal or participate in a group goal.⁷

Consider discussing goals if you are working with others. Ask for an opportunity to play a more significant role in developing these goals. An open discussion with this person might help you regain some power and control—and thus motivation.

Another thing to consider is how you frame your goal. Knowing how to start can be challenging if your goals are too big or vague. Losing motivation is natural when your aspirations seem unachievable.

You might reexamine your goals to ensure they are specific, neither too difficult nor easy, and divided into small steps. Furthermore, ensure you can buy into your goals, believing in the importance of the outcome or the reason behind your involvement.⁸

5. Celebrate & Give Yourself Rewards

Lost motivation is normal when what you do is driven by extrinsic rewards such as praise from others or material compensation. However, creating a reward system to acknowledge actions and achievements for yourself can be beneficial.

Celebrating by doing something you enjoy tells your brain you did something good and encourages you to do more.¹ Giving yourself mental rewards helps you avoid the pitfall of disregarding your progress and focusing on everything you still have left to do.⁶

Celebration and rewards also provide balance and offer crucial breaks to rejuvenate. Becoming overwhelmed and experiencing burnout is easy when working on a gigantic project or facing multiple competing demands. Creating balance is critical for well-being, and pausing to celebrate your accomplishments can help you maintain or regain motivation.

6. Reflect & Investigate

Pausing to self-reflect might provide insight when a lack of motivation becomes overwhelming.⁸ Ask yourself if your lack of motivation is general or related to a specific issue. Are there actions you can take to change your situation?

Also, examine what excites you and makes you feel alive. You might be able to uncover what is holding you back when armed with insights from reflection. Making necessary changes in your life may be exactly what to do when you have no motivation.

7. Seek Meaning & Purpose

Human beings need meaning to thrive. Purpose is one of our biggest motivators, and zero motivation may signal that your current situation is not suited for you. When you think about your life, do you feel energized or physically and emotionally drained? Listen to what your gut tells you and look for patterns.

8. Remember & Use Your Strengths

Remember you have character strengths to draw on when thinking, “I have no energy or motivation.”⁹ You may feel more motivated and fulfilled when using these talents because they enhance self-confidence and efficacy.

Consider taking an assessment to identify and learn about your unique strengths. Identify how you can use them in your life. Your inspiration may return as you implement these strengths into your life. Be patient and persistent. Remember that action comes before motivation, so stick with your efforts.

Is It Normal to Have No Motivation?

Experiencing a lack of motivation is disconcerting, especially when in a slump. You may wonder if you are lazy or depressed and need more serious help. However, in most cases, low motivation and energy simply show you’re human. Motivation ebbs and flows for everyone, no matter how happy, purposeful, or driven they are. So, be gentle with yourself when experiencing a lack of motivation.

While knowing that feeling unmotivated is okay, this insight will not necessarily push you back into your life. Understanding the causes when you have no motivation can help you create a plan for what to do next.

How Therapy Can Help You Get Motivated

An underlying psychological issue sometimes blocks motivation and interferes with overall life satisfaction. When this is the case, a therapist can help you uncover the hidden cause and assist you in overcoming a lack of motivation.¹ Therapists can help people with issues like depression and other mental health conditions that interfere with motivation, but everyone can benefit from therapy. Mental health professionals help people with all sorts of life challenges.

Finding the right therapist can help you recognize your deeper thoughts and emotions, process them, and develop healthy new beliefs to replace them. A lack of motivation may stem from frustrating life situations or believing you must be constantly productive to have worth.

Browse an online therapist directory to find a therapist near you. Life coaches help people meet goals to improve their lives and can help you establish new directions and goals that excite and energize you.

Final Thoughts

Lacking motivation is a normal human experience, but help is available for those struggling with overcoming a rut. Consider reaching out to a professional to uncover the causes behind your issues and find ways to overcome them.