As we move into the winter months and the weather turns icy cold and frosty, you might find that you don't feel that motivated. It might feel slightly more difficult to get out of bed in the mornings or to go for that lunchtime walk that you know benefits your wellbeing but you might just feel like you cannot be bothered.
You know you should probably cook and eat a healthy meal but when you get home, take away pizza and a packet of biscuits is what you go for.
Perhaps you feel like curling up on your sofa and binge watching Netflix until the spring arrives.
If this sounds like you, don't worry, you're not alone.
A lot of people struggle with their mental health and motivation at this time of the year. Some people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (see my blog entry- Are you feeling SAD?) whereas others struggle with the dark nights and the expectations and emotional turmoil of the festive season.
The problem is that when we feel unmotivated we tend to become more self critical and pushy with ourselves. We tell ourselves we must and we should and we force ourselves through the working day or the tasks we feel we need to complete on that day.
If we don't do this, we might experience feelings of shame or guilt and berate ourselves for those.
Like anything lack of motivation is on a scale. For example if you are depressed, you're likely not motivated to do things but what a lot of people do not realise, is that you do not get a choice in the matter because your depression chooses for you.
You literally cannot get out of bed because it feels too overwhelming and difficult. If you ask anyone who suffers from depression, they will probably tell you they wouldn't wish it on their worst enemy.
On the other side of the scale, you might not feel motivated to do certain things because they are boring or irritating, for example how many arguments have you had with your other half about whose turn it is to wash up or take the rubbish out?
But lack of motivation isn't necessarily just about not doing things. It can also be about how you feel about yourself. You might have a low sense of self worth and self esteem and this might mean you're not motivated to address issues in your life or to improve your wellbeing because it feels daunting, overwhelming, risky even.
Maybe it's the society and world we live in but we seem to be results driven and under constant pressure to perform and to produce. We have lost the art of doing nothing.
When we look at nature, we notice that in winter everything slows down. Trees lose their leaves, animals hibernate and frost covers everything.
Perhaps we could take a leaf out of nature's book and look at winter not as a season to be dreaded but as time in which to slow down, to re-evaluate, to take time out for ourselves, to reflect. To connect with ourselves and our loved ones.
Perhaps winter is not a time for doing but a time for resting.
And who knows- once you feel rested, your motivation might be exploding back into your life, raring to go. You might have more clarity on what you would like to achieve or what might need to change in your life to make things better.
Sometimes it's the small changes that make all the difference!
If you are struggling with lack of motivation and you would like to talk about it and how you feel, please do get in touch.
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