I don’t know why I’ve never written this post before. If I’m being completely honest, I’m an expert when it comes to feeling unmotivated. I say that because I am a HUGE procrastinator. There may be several reasons for that, some more convincing than others, but sometimes it’s simply because “I just don’t feel like it.”

A lot of people don’t talk about the struggles they experience (for thoughts on some other people you shouldn’t be taking advice from, click here). Just look around – there are a lot of bloggers/social media influencers who choose only to share the high points. The things that other people look at and wish they could be/do/have.

If you were looking for that, I’m sorry that you won’t find that here. I’m a big fan of reality. And one of my realities is that I’ve long faced the challenge of working against tendency to put things off.

The tendency to cave to lack of motivation is a huge stumbling block to success. I mean how could one become successful if they allow the thought of “I don’t feel like it” to control what gets done? You can’t.

For example, if you follow me on social media you would have seen this post yesterday:

That’s because I woke up yesterday to find myself in one of those moods. My whole day was a little out of sorts. My daughter had a Mother’s Day event at her school, and while it was super sweet, it threw off our schedule. That means the the things that usually help me get going (like getting my workout in first thing) were not present and my day just all together felt off. I just didn’t feel like doing much of anything.

I sat down at my computer to write this post and my brain was mush. I had no idea what to write and no real drive to figure it out. And so, I did what I often do when I’m in these moods. I procrastinate…

BUT, the punchline here is that I have learned how to procrastinate productively

Productive procrastination… is that a thing?

It is now!

I’ve found that instead of letting the urge to do nothing take over, you can honor that feeling and then utilize some simple self-care strategies to move through it.

So here are 6 self-care strategies for coping with that unmotivated moment:

1. Do small tasks that require the least amount of thought: Today I paid bills, renewed a certification, updated my financial records, did some needed upkeep on my website, and downloaded a slew of my daughter’s photos (a task that has been on my to-do list for longer than I care to admit). Were any of those things what I planned to get done today? Nope. But when I read that list, I think to myself… Not bad for what felt like a totally unproductive day!
2. Get something started: I knew this post needed to be written. But my brain wasn’t in the space to write it. So instead, I outlined it quickly. That way when my brain was finally in gear (which happened at 11 pm), it’s much easier to knock out the creative parts using the outline that’s already completed. Sometimes, just getting yourself to do something can be the spark you need to get yourself going. And if it’s not, then at least you have less of the project to complete later when you find yourself ready to work! This is also a useful strategy for exercise. We all have those days when we are dragging, but sometimes if we just tell ourselves to do something small and get going, we find we can go the distance just because we started.
3. Music: Often when I’m feeling less than energetic about something, music can be a great push. I have two playlists that are my go-to’s. One is called Motivate and the other is called Good for the Soul (the links will take you to my Spotify so you can take a listen!). I turn the volume up (that sounds so gangster of me, but really my daughter is often sleeping, so “turning it up” means it sounds about the same decibel as elevator music) and I let the words and the beat get me into gear. Music, to me, is super powerful so the right tunes can really shift my mood. I try to use this to my advantage as much as possible.
4. Listen to a podcast: Find someone who’s words speak to your soul and then save those episodes to have in your back pocket when you need some fuel for your soul. When I find myself in a funk, I often turn to my church’s recorded messages, Oprah, Tony Robbins, Andy Frisella, or Amanda Frances (it all depends on the mood that I’m stuck in). Listening to someone else’s perspective can often be the kick I need to reenergize my plan for the day.
5. Clean up your space: My husband will likely laugh out loud when he reads this one. I guarantee his thought is “she’s writing about organizing something?!” And, I’ll admit, I’m not a very organized person. But I think he would also acknowledge that every now and then I’ll get in this mood where everything needs to get thrown out or put away. What drives that? Often, the stress of needing to get things done and feeling overwhelmed. Marie Kondo would likely love to hear me say that a clean space is often a great way to get your brain to focus on important tasks. Get rid of the physical clutter and you’ll find you have inadvertently cleared out space in your brain to get things done.
6. Allow yourself to rest: Sometimes feeling unmotivated is a warning sign. It could mean we are on the verge of burnout or exhaustion. Lack of motivation may be your body’s emotional cue to slow down and rest. No one can do it all, all the time. You may find that one day of rest and recharging allows the next day to be more productive than you could have ever imagined. We live in a society that touts pushing through pain and constant grinding in order to achieve success. Working late, getting up early, blah, blah, blah. But the reality is that all that grinding, without rest, can lead most people to crash and burn rather than actualize their dreams. If you find lack of motivation is due to fatigue. Rest and be ready for your energy skyrocket the next day!

BONUS TIP – diffuse some energizing essential oils into the air while you do any of the above. Our sense of smell can be a powerful ally in getting ourselves ready to take on the world! Essential oils are quickly absorbed by our smell receptors which have a direct link to your limbic system. That’s the part of your brain that stores memories and emotions. Using oils that have an uplifting or energizing effect can be a great addition to any of the steps I listed above. I typically love to use citrus (lemon and orange are my favorite!) or peppermint oils when I’m trying to give my motivation a boost! Click here to learn more about essential oils!

If you notice, none of the tips I gave you suggested you should just force yourself to do something. Yes, sometimes we really don’t have a choice and how we feel is irrelevant. Those are not the moments I’m speaking about. I’m talking about the moments when we do have the option to not do something. It’s these moments that often throw people off track with their goals.

I’m a firm believer in rolling with our emotions rather than fighting them. So I encourage you to ignore the voice in your head that tells you that productive procrastination is lazy. That the only solution is to keep going, keep pushing, keep grinding… pushing out half-hearted work until you are completely burnt out.

Instead try one of my productive procrastination ideas and see if it doesn’t allow your emotions to move through you effortlessly, leaving you ready to take on the world again… once that pull of procrastination has passed of course!

Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts on these tips! I always love hearing from my readers!!

And as always, Stay Healthy as Heck, KH