11 Exhausting Habits Of People Who Always Seem Tired & Unmotivated

Did you ever meet someone who you could swear was an energy vampire? They are always tired, have to be pushed to do anything even remotely active, and seem to be more or less content with sleeping throughout the day, or at best, playing video games.

It’s draining to be around them, and it’s even more draining to try to get them to work on themselves. Ever wonder what makes a person behave that way? After years of watching it happen, I noticed these particular habits tend to turn people into tired and unmotivated living lumps.

Here are 11 exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated

1. Saying 'I can’t do it'

saying i can’t do it exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Ziga Plahutar from Getty Images Signature via Canva

This is one of the most aggravating bad habits a person can have, in my opinion. It’s the habit where a person doesn’t even try to do anything new because they feel like they aren’t equipped, capable, or funded enough to try something.

In many cases, it’s just a part of weaponized incompetence. In other cases, it could be a case of learned helplessness, a sign that they genuinely don’t believe they can escape their situation anymore.

Regardless of why they keep saying they can’t do anything, the fact that they say it demotivates them even more.

2. Negative self-talk

negative self-talk exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Boris Jovanovic from Getty Images via Canva

Humans think a lot more negatively than they often let on. A study revealed that the average person has as many as 80,000 thoughts a day, and that up to 80% of those thoughts are negative.

In life, our actions often reflect our thoughts. If we think we’re trash and worthless, we often won’t be motivated to be better, do better, or try harder. Needless to say, this is one bad, demotivational habit that ends up wrecking everything from your mental health to your ability to meet those goals.

3. Not getting enough sleep

poor sleep habits exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated filadendron from Getty Images Signature via Canva

Speaking as someone who has horrible sleep habits, I can personally attest to how much bad sleep can be an energy drainer. Poor sleep quality can cause skin problems, difficulty focusing, mood swings, and even a drop in social skills.

If you can, try to get eight hours of sleep on a good mattress in a quiet room with few interruptions. Oh, and try to gear up for sleep with at least one hour of quiet relaxation beforehand.

4. Eating poorly

eating poorly exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Tim Samuel from Pexels via Canva

Another fairly obvious habit that drains energy is the habit of eating poorly. If you want to feel good and actually have a high-energy body, you need to give your body a decent amount of fuel. Food isn’t just supposed to be tasty. It’s supposed to be fuel.

If you try to run a car on whale blubber, it won’t work. If you run it on Regular, it will work. If you run it on High-Octane Premium, you can probably afford a nicer car, and the car you own will run even better, and it’s probably an expensive car.

The Cleveland Clinic cites fatigue and brain fog as two of the leading “sneaky” signs of a bad diet. So, it might be time to eat better.

5. Staying dehydrated

staying dehydrated exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Dean Drobot via Canva

Up to 60% of the human body is water. We need water to survive. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to hear that dehydration can cause even the most energetic person to feel draggy and laggy.

By the time you actually have a dry mouth or a scratchy throat, you’re already very dehydrated. Drink water, drink it frequently, and you’ll notice a pop of energy in your life.

6. Drinking energy drinks

drinking energy drinks exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Stockbusters via Canva

As someone who drinks a ton of these, I am aware that energy drinks are not the best thing to put in your body. Most of the time, energy drinks are used because they are full of caffeine, diuretics, and sugar.

Those things give you a boost of energy for a short time, but we all know those drinks can come with a serious crash. This can and will lead to feeling groggy and sleepy sooner than you think.

7. Not cleaning clutter

not cleaning clutter exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Aflo Images via Canva

If you live in a small living space, there’s only so much you can do in terms of clutter. All those little knick-knacks will start to eat away at your space, making you feel like the walls are closing in on you.

Trying to live in a cluttered home can feel whimsical for a short time, but after a while, it becomes draining and suffocating. Do yourself a favor and start tossing out the stuff you don’t need or use. You’ll feel better in no time.

8. Multitasking

multitasking exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Sarah Chai from Pexels via Canva

This is another habit that even the most well-meaning people tend to do. While it can (in theory) get stuff done quicker, the truth is that multitasking takes a lot more effort, especially when it comes to your mind.

Studies show that focusing on a single task at a time will increase your overall energy and also increase your speed. Who’d have thought that just “tasking” could do that?

9. Keeping distractions around

keeping distractions around exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated fizkes by Getty Images via canva

We all have that one friend who has a tendency to get distracted at the drop of a hat. You might entertain them, but that doesn’t mean you have to emulate them. Keeping too many distracting, irrelevant things around you can make it hard for you to focus.

The end result is pretty clear. Your mind wastes a lot of energy just keeping its “eyes” on the prize. This tires you out, even if you’re not aware of it. Removing distractions (including email ads) can help prevent that drainage from happening.

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10. Not taking breaks

not taking breaks exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels via Canva

Most of us have heard of the Pomodoro Method, a study method that encourages people to get a five-minute break after every 20 to 25 minutes of work. There’s a reason it’s popular among people in high-demand fields. It works.

Studies show that our brains naturally search for a break after 25 minutes of solid work. Pushing through that can cause a mental drain. If you can, just get up, stretch, and walk for a bit. You’ll feel better.

11. Surrounding yourself with negative people

surrounding yourself with negative people exhausting habits of people who always seem tired and unmotivated AndreyPopov from Getty Images via Canva

This is one of those rules of life that just seem to follow us wherever we go. Low-energy, low-vibrational people tend to attract other low-energy, low-vibrational people.

If you want to feel more upbeat, change your scenery and your crowd. It can do wonders for you.

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.