Have you ever found yourself stuck, feeling unmotivated and unable to really pinpoint a reason why you are feeling this way?
Recently, in the period of time between Christmas and New Years, I found myself in this weird state of mind: it felt like I was in total limbo. I lived in my jammies, couldn’t muster the strength to cook a meal, simple house chores felt impossible to complete {I’m looking at you laundry and dishes}, and I BARELY left the house except to go outside to watch the kids play. Leaving the yard? FORGET ABOUT IT!
After the New Year had come and gone, I knew it was time to pull myself out of this funk. The problem is, once I am in this limbo-land, it is SO hard for me to get out of it. It is a vicious cycle of lack of motivation and fatigue that makes the simplest of tasks seem impossible to tackle, but a longing to be productive again that seems to torture me until I curl up into a ball and cry!
The first step is to recognize early on that you have entered this unmotivated state of mind or as I like to call it “limbo-land”.
Once you have recognized it and acknowledge the need to do something to pull yourself out of it, you can take proactive steps to get back on track! These are some of the steps that help me when I am feeling unmotivated and stuck.
Make a To-Do list
Don’t make this too complicated. You don’t need to have gigantic items on your To-Do list to make you feel productive. You can have simple things like “Get Dressed”, “Wash and Fold ONE load of Laundry”, “Read one chapter of the book you have been waiting to start”.
For me making a list of small simple things every day, really helps me not feel overwhelmed, and as I cross things off the list, I instantly feel productive again. Remember you didn’t get overwhelmed or behind in one day, so you can’t expect to suddenly accomplish ALL of the things you have been putting off.
Get Dressed
This step is obviously geared more toward us stay at home/work at home mommas because if you are a working momma you most likely have to get up and get dressed for work regardless of how you are feeling that day!
But if you are a work from home momma or a stay at home mom like me and have felt stuck and unmotivated, GET OUT OF THOSE JAMMIES!
This is a huge mindset changer for me, even if I have nowhere to go, I will put on REAL pants, fix my hair and I will instantly feel like I can tackle all of the things on my to-do list!
Move your Body
My mental health is always closely tied to how active I have been lately. So even if the gym is not your thing, get out and take a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood, or get on YouTube and find a great free workout. These are some of my favorite workout channels that you can easily do at home with little or no equipment. And bonus no childcare needed!
Do Something that brings you Joy
Sometimes just doing something that brings you joy is enough to pull you out of this stuck state of mind. It can be anything like reading a good book by your favorite author, painting a picture, coloring, play a game with the kids, grabbing coffee with a friend…… The options are endless and just depend on you and your preferences.
The most important thing to note is that we ALL feel this way sometimes. But you are never actually stuck. I promise that if you feel this way and you try one or all of the things above you will start to feel better and more motivated!
I also want to point out that there is a difference between feeling stuck and unmotivated and real immobilizing depression. If you are reading this and thinking that you have already tried everything on the list and nothing is helping, this may be more serious than just being in limbo-land or feeling stuck. This is where I would suggest you reaching out to your primary care physician or a counselor and telling them what you have been feeling. You may not be able to pull yourself out of this without help and that is OK!!! There is NEVER anything wrong with reaching out and getting help!
Some other useful tips that didn’t make this list:
Cut out the junk food/sugar
Call a good friend
Find a good Podcast
Start a gratitude journal
List good things that you see your kids do throughout the day
