9 Simple Tricks For How To Motivate Yourself When You're Feeling Totally Uninspired

Motivation is hard to come by sometimes.

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A lack of inspiration is one of the worst feelings and can lead to a huge slowdown in productivity. When you're not sure what to do when you find yourself in a slump, these tricks for how to motivate yourself will put you in the right mindset.

While it’s easy to sit in this lack of motivation, it’s not a healthy or realistic way of living. 

There comes a time when you have to shake off the negativity and get back to the grind. 

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It might be a difficult thing to muster up the motivation to get on the right track again, but it’s entirely possible!

RELATED: 40 Friday Motivational Quotes To Start Your Weekend Off Right​

We all struggle with feeling uninspired and just wanting a break from the world. That’s okay and it’s totally normal. 

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What’s not okay is feeling so stuck that you don’t know where to begin. 

Well, here’s hoping that we’ve got some ways to counteract your lack of motivation and help you out of your funk. 

Here's how to motivate yourself when you’re feeling uninspired. 

1. Let yourself take a break.

Once you reach a certain level of burnout, it can be difficult to get back to square one. So the most important thing is to take it slow. 

Actually give yourself time to decompress and get your mind straight. If you have vacation time and the ability to use it, consider taking some time off of work or set aside time every night to do something you love, like reading or coloring to destress. 

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Take the whole weekend to yourself and lay in bed until 2 p.m. You won’t make any progress if you don’t first give yourself time to just take a break. 

2. Reach out to others for help.

There’s no shame in admitting that you’re lacking motivation. As a matter of fact, by doing so you’re allowing yourself to be open and honest with someone you trust. 

The hope is that they will help you get back on track by supporting you, giving advice, and in turn, will motivate you with their enthusiasm. 

Carlin Flora, author of Friendfluence, explained to TIME that research shows surrounding yourself with people who have high aspirations will eventually bleed over to you. 

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3. Start with small productive steps each day.

Depending on how unmotivated you are, it might be hard for you to do something as simple as making your bed in the morning. 

But in order to become inspired again, this is what you have to do. Maybe you’ll clean your bathroom, do some laundry, or go grocery shopping. 

When you get out of bed with an intention in mind, you immediately become more motivated. Start small and see where this takes your energy levels. 

4. Exercise a few days a week. 

Believe me, I get it — working out might be the last thing you want to do during this time. But that doesn’t mean that it's not exactly what you need for a burst of motivation and drive. 

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The chemicals that are released during exercise are known for doing many great things, one of them being an improvement in your mental health and mood. 

If you are pumping out endorphins, they will eventually trigger a positive feeling in the body subconsciously giving you the motivation to crush your day

5. Do things that bring you joy. 

Sometimes a lack of motivation comes from a lack of enjoyable things in your life. It makes sense that if you constantly focus on the thing that needs your motivation, you’re going to lose the motivation altogether. 

That’s why it’s important to make sure that you’re still incorporating fun, pleasurable activities into your daily routine. 

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This could be painting your nails when they become chipped or going on a small shopping spree. Let yourself enjoy life — don’t just be constricted by it. 

RELATED: 10 Tips For Finding Motivation To Change​

6. Reward yourself whenever you can. 

The book The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People explains the idea that rewards play a large role in our motivation levels. 

According to research, up to 75% of personal motivation for accomplishment stems from the rewards that are at stake. 

That said, it’s time to figure out how to reward yourself for crossing things off your to-do list. For many this is money, but it could also be something as simple as ice cream at the end of a long week. 

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7. Remind yourself why you love what you do. 

Losing inspiration to perform regularly can happen for various reasons. Maybe you’ve been doing it too much or have received criticism from superiors. 

Whatever the case may be, there’s a reason you were inspired by it in the first place. Take it all back to the start — why do you love what you do?

Make a list of things you find enjoyable about this particular job or activity and figure out ways to bring them alive again. 

8. Be positive. 

Who would’ve guessed it?

A good mood leads to higher levels of productivity, while a bad mood causes procrastination, according to research. I guess the expression "it all begins and ends in your mind" is pretty spot on.

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Find new ways to be positive in your everyday life whether that’s with a gratitude journal or smiling in the mirror. 

Transform negative thoughts into more positive, healthy ones that give you the motivation to find inspiration and achieve your goals. 

9. Maintain hope that the motivation will come back. 

There’s no telling when or how you will become inspired again but it’s important to recognize that you will. 

Being in a funk doesn’t last forever and you must go easy on yourself in times of discouragement and frustration. 

Be hopeful that there are brighter days ahead of you, as a positive mindset makes all the difference.

Until then, do what you can to make accomplishments and find your motivation. 

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RELATED: 60 Inspirational Quotes About Changing Your Life That'll Motivate You To Make Your Move​

Isabella Pacinelli is a writer who covers relationship, self-love, spirituality, and entertainment topics.