6 Ways To Stay Motivated When You Feel Like You’re In A Slump

Life certainly has its ups and downs. When you’re up, it’s great. The sun shines brighter, the food

tastes better, and the world is borderline musical. But it can feel pretty short lived; especially when

you compare it to when you’re down.

When something bad happens in your life, you’re suddenly surrounded by negativity; work projects

failing, material possessions breaking, relationships falling apart. It seems like everything in your

life is slowly being tainted by a dark sticky web that’s travelling throughout every aspect of your life

and nothing will ever seem right.

I’ve had that happen to me. The worst part about all the negativity that I allowed in my life? I was

just going through a work slump. I wasn’t feeling very motivated, I felt bored because everything in

my life was becoming so routine. But a simple lack of motivation had turned into a bad day, that

molded itself into me thinking I wasn’t where I should be in my life. I became depressed.

It’s scary to think that something so small could have such a huge impact on your thoughts, feelings,

and actions. Whatever small thing that your mind made bigger became the reason for all the

negative changes that happen. I ended up losing my job. I found myself incapable of finding a new

one because I felt lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to have or do. I fell behind on my bills. I had

debts that started piling up on other debts.

And all I was going through was a slump.

Fast forward to two years and I’m in a job I love, living in a place I love with a man I love. My debts

have all been written off, and my bills are always paid on time.

While I understand that there are different reasons and circumstances for everybody, I wanted to

be able to share some insight on how you can avoid going through a slump like I did. It may not get

you through a period of depression, but it may help you keep your job.

1. Exercise before work.

Oh, dear, an even bigger challenge! Yes, it’s difficult to convince yourself to get up and work out. It’s

more difficult thinking about dragging yourself out of bed a good few hours before you actually

need to get ready for work. But you can’t escape from the fact that exercising releases endorphins

which make you feel good. If you start the day with endorphins in your system, you get a better

chance of looking at your workload with a smile on your face and an attitude that’s ready to take on

a challenge.

2. Create some affirmations.

If you don’t believe in yourself, who else will? It’s important for you to realize how powerful words

can be. Write a list of things you want to happen, things you want done, things you want to remind

yourself of. Then face the mirror every morning and tell speak those affirmations to yourself. You

can also put these things in little sticky notes and post them around places where you’ll find them

when you feel like you’re feeling down. Try the fridge door, the bathroom mirror, the desk calendar

in your office, the computer screen, and the inside cover of your journal.

3. Have an attitude of expectancy.

Know what you want from the day and think about what you expect to happen out of those wants.

Think about you getting what you expect. Say it out loud. Say it to yourself in front of the mirror.

4. Take control.

A lot of people stress about things that are beyond their control. This is how people end up feeling

helpless, useless, and in a slump. You have to learn to accept that there are things you can’t control

and there is nothing you can do about it. Then, you can start figuring out which things you can

control and worry about those. The sooner you can get over the things that went wrong, the sooner

you can focus on what you can do to make everything else right. It’s impossible for you to attain

true happiness if you obsess over things you have no power over, and things that have already

happened. Don’t let your mind cloud you from seeing that there are so many things that you can

still do.

5. Spend time with positive people.

If there’s anything that will help keep you motivated, it’s spending time with like- minded people

who share the same passions and goals. Just hearing them talk about what you do and what they

want to do can be enough to encourage you to stay the course. And if not, a fun night out and some

strong friendships, can be strong motivators to keep you positive at work.

6. Surround yourself with positivity.

Find yourself something to read or watch that’s positive, uplifting, and inspiring. Things like these

often help you realize the good things that you have in your life. Positive content helps remind you

that you are blessed and capable of doing so much more. Positive people also help in that

department. Engage with those types of people as much as you can. If you find yourself talking to

negative people and you’re scared they might distract you from your goals, you can always choose

to not participate in the conversation or politely excuse yourself by saying something like “I’m

really busy with this new project that I’m super excited about and I need to go prepare”.

Joan Pierce is a rehabilitated woman who has just recently learned how to stand on her own two feet. In order to give back, she has dedicated her time to helping people who, like her, desire to be better. She often writes about free rehab centers in her official site Addictions.com.