7 Ways to Motivate Yourself

Motivating yourself can be very difficult, even for someone without a mental health condition. Some days it can be easier than others, but overall, we need to be able to complete our daily tasks otherwise we risk falling behind, getting in trouble, or affecting others. Here are 7 easy ways you can motivate that won’t cause you stress, but instead reduce it!

Set an alarm

Sometimes it can be easy to let life get away with us. This can occur while doing other tasks, sleeping, or doing enjoyable activities. Set yourself timed tasks, for example to wake up at 7am, and to put the laundry on at 8:15am, so you have a constant reminder of what needs to be done, and ample time to do it.

Reward Yourself

Sometimes the easiest way to motivate yourself can be the simplest. Just like you would with a child, allow yourself treats or rewards for completing tasks. Hoovered your house? Fantastic, watch an episode of your show. Finished the first 500 words of that assignment? Brilliant, spend 15 minutes on Facebook. If you associate tasks with being able to do a pleasurable activity, you may find it easier to get them done.

Treat each day as new

You may have had a fantastic day yesterday and achieved everything. That’s brilliant, but don’t force yourself to hold the same standards today. Likewise, you may have had an awful day yesterday, but that doesn’t mean today will suck. Take each day as it comes, and don’t beat yourself up when things go wrong. You can put it right. Negative thoughts may end up demotivating you more.

Reflect each day

While you should treat each day as new emotionally and mentally, it can be worth reviewing what has been done. By reflecting at the end of each day, you might find yourself more motivated for the following day. Looking at what worked means you can try to repeat the process in future. You can also look at what didn’t work, what negative thoughts or feelings you had, and what situations may have occurred that demotivated you. This can help prepare you for similar situations in the future.

Have a break

Make sure you have one day each week, where you can, that you allow for yourself. I appreciate that people with children may not have this luxury, but there are workarounds. Have a duvet day with movies and snacks. Or do enjoyable activities. Yes, that may mean you have more to do on other days but it can be very therapeutic spending a day without a care.

Look to others

Find out the processes other people have, as they may do things a different way to you but that might work. Watching YouTube videos, reading blogs, and asking people can be great way to find ways to motivate while learning more, which could also lead you to completing things quicker. Win-win!

Make your bed

By making your bed each morning as soon as you get up, you have completed the first task already. Imagine how great it will feel if you have, for example, 7 tasks to do and 2 minutes in your first one is complete! Personally, I have also found this helps reduce the chance of demotivating by allowing yourself to crawl back into bed and snooze.

I hope you’ve found these 7 tips helpful. If you have any, I would love to hear them. Motivation can be a struggle, but as long as we keep trying, we are still winning!