How Does Mental Health Affect Motivation and What Are The Strategies To Help?

Last year I lost lots of motivation and I didn’t know what to do with myself.  It felt like I wasn’t trying in school and even in my own hobbies.  The mental state of somebody plays a big part in their motivation to do things. 

“Motivation is what energizes and inspires us, and mental health affects that in every way,” – Jenna Stark a licensed clinical social worker. A few of the most common mental health conditions that can cause difficulty with motivation include depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Depression symptoms can include low motivation, fatigue, difficulty concentrating,  increases or decreases in sleep, and low self-esteem.  Anxiety can have physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shakiness, and an upset stomach which can make it difficult to keep focus. ADHD also has the possibility to make it difficult to initiate and tackle goals as well as maintain motivation once you have started working on a task.

Here are some strategies to help reclaim your motivation.  You can set small and specific goals to make things less overwhelming.  If you’re having difficulty getting up in the morning, focus on setting your feet on the ground and taking the next step. If you’re feeling disconnected, make plans with friends. Focus on placing value in intrinsic rewards that fulfill you, even if you don’t have something to show for it, instead of extrinsic rewards that come from outside of ourselves like getting a promotion, good grades, sharing on social media, and having the validation from others.  It can be easier to feel motivated if you have a friend by your side.  Our minds can get ahead of ourselves focusing on the future or behind us in the past, and it’s hard to feel motivated in the present when your mind is somewhere else. When you are feeling stuck, take a moment to be in the present, this can be through breathing, meditation, yoga, or anything that puts you at ease. Grounding yourself in the present will get you in a better position to take actions that will help you feel better. Emotional exhaustion is often caused by not having enough self-care. Self-care can look like exercise, time in nature, meditation, a soothing bath, or whatever self-care means for you.  Remember this: your worth is not bound to your motivation or productivity.  You deserve to be driven, motivated, and passionate, but you do not need to be always ‘on.’  Letting go of this expectation and giving yourself a break may be just what you need to reignite your motivation.

I had an interview with Dominik Urrutia, a student at pods for 7 years.  I asked him questions about mental health and motivation and he had some suggestions for strategies to help with motivation and his perspectives on how mental health affects motivation. “The biggest problem that I see with the people my age that have depression or deal with anxiety don’t realize how much it affects their motivation and mental health,” Dominik stated.  “Kids are too focused on fitting in rather than thinking about themselves and their goals.”  One strategy that Dominik said was to build discipline and set goals while staying on track, but still have a balance of working and focusing on yourself.  

Mental health and motivation are very important, and so are you and me.  

Reclaiming your motivation is not an easy task.  Start small and set goals, but don’t forget to focus on yourself.  I have taken information from my research and interviews and I will be using these strategies for myself.