4 Ways to Try Increase Motivation

Counseling in Colchester, CT

4 Ways to Try Increase Motivation

2020 has been quite possibly the most stressful and anxiety producing year ever.  You try to cope with pandemic, figuring out how to work from home, trying to teach your kids from home, and you find yourself anxious and stretched way too thin.  You start to notice that you are not as motivated as you used to be.  The hobbies you once enjoyed are really hard to get into.  Everyday life is now exhausting never mind trying to exercise, try to coordinate a socially distant visit with friends, or try to focus long enough to read a book.   Here are 4 ways to try to increase motivation :

1.       Treat yourself with kindness and compassion.  If it were easy to just get up and workout, you would.  Some days are difficult and exhausting, and it is too hard to make it happen.  If this is the case watch the language you use for yourself.  Limit the could, should, must self-talk because it is not how you actually feel which can increase worsening mood symptoms.  What would you say to a friend or a child?  We tend to give them good feedback and lots of compassion.

2.        Forget about what you did not do the day before or the previous week.  Even if you failed 100 times at what you are trying to achieve, it is only right now that matters.  If you wake up late, start then. If you are behind, begin anyway.  The point is, just start.

3.       Be realistic with what your goals are. Be very honest with yourself about what you can do.  Sometimes people agree to do too much and then feel terrible that they cannot do it.  Keep it small, keep it simple.

4.       Do not “beat yourself up” if you fail at something.  No one ever says, “Now that I said mean things about myself, I feel motivated to do the things!”  Beating yourself up makes you less likely to get it done next time.

Counseling in Colchester, CT

This year has been challenging for sure and it is understandable if you are struggling with low motivation.  Counseling can be helpful in exploring feelings and learning new coping skills.  Be sure to check out the anxiety, panic, and online therapy specialty pages.  Currently, all therapy session is being held online due to the panic.  This allows every to stay safe, allows for counseling in Colchester, CT, and allows for counseling for anyone in CT.  Call or email to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we are a good fit!

5 Activities That May Alleviate Anxiety

You are experiencing more stress than ever before.  You try to balance increasing work stress, trying to cope with a pandemic, all on top pf household stress.  The result?  Anxiety starts kicking in.  You go through your ever-growing to-do list in your head which makes your mind start to race.  Then you cannot fall asleep at night (Hey, thanks racing thoughts!)You start to feel worries about several different things going on and feel like it is impossible to control the worry.  There is hope!  There are several different activities that can help reduce some anxiety sometimes. 

Here are 5 popular activities to try to alleviate anxiety:

1.       Exercise.  Yes, the tried and true exercise.  Find an activity that you enjoy and can be consistent with.  The physical stress that anxiety has on the body can actually work to reduce anxiety.  Exercise works to reduce the stress hormone, Cortisol.  Exercise also releases endorphins which can naturally improve emotional well-being.

2.       Reduce caffeine intake.  I know, I know, this does not sound like fun; however, large amounts of caffeine can increase anxiety as caffeine is a stimulant.  Coffee, tea, chocolate (sigh), and energy drinks all contain various amounts of caffeine.  Of course, everyone responds to caffeine differently.  See how you feel after consuming items with caffeine.  If you feel an increase in anxiety, you might want to consider cutting back.

3.       Write.  Sometimes there can be something so helpful about writing things down that can be soothing.  There are a few ways to do this.  Some people find it helpful to write about the things that activate anxiety and how they coped.  Others find it helpful to write down the things they are grateful for during that day.  There is no right or wrong way to journal (and spelling does not count – this is just for you!).  Experiment with what works for you.

4.       Deep breathing.  When anxiety increases, our body’s sympathetic nervous system activates our “fight or flight response”.  This “fight or flight” response is helpful when we are in danger; however, when we are feeling anxious, we are not typically in danger.  The heart starts to race, the chest area feels tight, palms get sweaty, and breathing quickens.  Sometimes this can be the start of a panic attack.  Deep breathing is a way we can tell our body that we are not in danger and do not need “all systems go” right now.  Deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest and relaxation.  Bring awareness to your breath, breathing slower and deeper. 

5.       Say “no”.  Very often, we commit to too many things and too many people.  When you start to feel overwhelmed or start to resent things or others, it is a sign you have taken on too much.  When we can say “no” to others, we can start saying “yes” to ourselves to recharge. 

Counseling in Colchester, CT

If you are feeling anxious and having a difficult time managing anxiety, call 860-888-2516 or email to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.