Motivation Even When You Feel Hopeless
The feeling of hopelessness is an emotion many people have experienced: parents, workers, and the bereaved deal with despair differently. Unresolved feelings of hopelessness can lead to depression, suicidal tendencies, and other mental illnesses. During an emotionally stressful time, you need to find ways to bring yourself out of such negative feelings. How do you motivate yourself when you feel so down? Here are some tips to consider.
- Manage your expectations
Setting expectations for yourself is a good form of motivation. Sometimes, unmet expectations of yourself can create a feeling of hopelessness; it is an emotional drain that contributes to low motivation. It is a healthy practice to set goals and objectives for yourself that are realistic and attainable. It will also be useful to set reasonable timelines to achieve your aim. For example, you may have just started a small business and set the goal for your first profit at $10,000. This is not so attainable for a new upcoming small business. First-timers record losses or more rarely, break even. By admitting to the reality of the situation, you set reasonable goals and also in turn reduce the risk of harming your mental health.
- Revise your goals
When you feel so blue, you should take the time to think about your goals and revise them where necessary. Ask yourself relevant questions you can answer objectively. For instance, why are you working at your current place of employment? A few months in, you begin to realize the work culture in that environment is not what you wanted. What do you do now? Is it time to quit your job? Now is the time to re-evaluate your current situation and see how to extricate yourself from a condition that drains you mentally and emotionally. To properly revise your goals and evaluate your life, you should practice some soul-searching. Soul-searching is an excellent exercise for people to embark on. If things took a different turn than you expected, take a step back to rethink your next line of action. It may be useful to use a journal to plan your thoughts as you visualize strategies that may work out for you in the short to long term.
- Find sources of positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement dwells on hope and a deliberate attempt to be optimistic. People tend to act reclusive and distant when dealing with hopeless situations. On the contrary, being able to stimulate your mind and emotions is a necessary exercise. You can read inspirational books, listen to motivating songs, or identify with others who overcame such feelings. If you are bereaved, handling the Funeral Register Books may be quite a heart wrenching task. You should surround yourself with positivity from your friends and family and connect with people who radiate such positivity. It is a dangerous practice to allow feelings of hopelessness to fester.
- Appreciate your achievements and small victories
When you feel so down, you may feel like you have no victories or haven’t achieved much. Sometimes all it takes is for you to remember the successes you chalked over the years to remind you of how amazing you truly are. Remembering past victories motivates you to see how things can be better and rebuild your resilience. Look back at the challenges you faced and the fears you conquered. These positive memories should help jumpstart your path to recovery. Appreciating your achievements also reminds you of ways you can solve those problems weighing you down. If you were able to handle them, then you could conquer them now!
- Understand the feelings
A recognition of what you are feeling is the first step needed to deal with hopelessness head-on. Even though it is normal to feel overwhelmed in such situations, be conscious about the experience. To deal with it, register at a local gym or hire a personal trainer to come home, as healthy routines to keep your body in shape also have a positive ripple effect on your brain. The dopamine hormone (a feel-good hormone) secreted in your body will contribute to alleviating stress that comes with a lack of motivation.
The hustle and bustle of life create different experiences in all of us. How you choose to deal with it determines how quickly they bounce back. You should not remain in the trenches of hopelessness. Instead, be deliberate and try out the tips mentioned. Create new memories, ask for professional help if required, and also be ready to accept help when it is offered. Be convinced there are better days ahead and work towards building your physical, mental, and emotional capacity.