We’ve all stumbled across motivational videos, podcasts or books for at least once in a lifetime. Thanks to the rise of the internet and numerous technological innovations, there are excellent sources of information that you can use to define your problem. Not only that, geographical borders have been erased, and what was once unimaginable, is now normal — so connecting with like-minded people and sharing your experiences and struggles is not only possible, but is helpful and it’s sometimes the only way to open up about something.
As a result, feeling unmotivated, depressed, or anxious is no longer a taboo, and the first step in overcoming a problem is not being afraid to acknowledge it, and share it with others. However, reality has shown that knowing what’s the root of your problem is still not a solution to it. You have to know what to do with the useful info you have access to.
If you are not satisfied with your job, or you hate the way you look, or you would love to change your everyday routines, the ugly truth is — the majority of these things depend solely on you.
1. YOU ARE THE CREATOR
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That’s the first thing you need to accept, to make a change. When it comes to your mental and physical health, as well as your lifestyle, the creator of your happiness and your destiny is not another person or circumstance. Although this may seem like a false statement, many experts agree with it.
Your life events can shape you and affect the way you feel or look, but the only person who is responsible for your mindset, your approach to life, your success in business and relationships, or any other aspect is you. That being said, there are times when you simply lack energy, motivation, or you feel like you’re fed up with everything around you. You may want to make a change, but you’re not sure how to do it. This is the perfect timing for changing your lifestyle. Although it may seem like your world is falling apart, experiencing a big existential crisis is a great starting point for making lifestyle changes that will allow you to live your best life.
2. ABSORB ONLY SMART CONTENT
Although you can find great motivational content online, watching a video made by a successful person, where this person tries to sell you a course — isn’t really gonna be effective, nor will it help you get out of bed in the morning. It’s been proven that only practical tips can potentially make a difference in one’s mindset and positively impact one’s lifestyle. When choosing the content you want to absorb, avoid things that are useless, promotional or too good to be true. Instead, opt for relatable, evidence-based content that is possible to apply in reality.
3. THEIR MAJESTY – HABITS
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There is a great motivational quote that explains the importance of habits. People think that destiny is something out of our reach, but it’s been proven that habits affect who we are. As a result, our character then decides our destiny. It seems like the creator of this quote tackled the most important part of each person’s life — habits.
Our habits are being formed whether we want it or not. The main difference between people who are happy with their lives, and the ones that don’t feel motivated is the way they perceive and form their habits. If you have an unconscious habit to scroll through Instagram for 5 hours a day, chances are you’re not gonna notice that you could exercise for one hour, take a walk outside and call your mum — all in the same period, instead of unconsciously scrolling. What happens next?
We all know how this goes. You feel unmotivated and depressed to do something, and after another day of not doing what you’ve wanted, you feel even more depressed because of the things you haven’t done, so it results in stopping you from doing what you want the next day.
The best way to break the vicious circle of bad habits is to consciously form new, healthy ones.
4. KEEP THE COMPOUND EFFECT IN MIND
Before you even start planning, keep in mind that if you improve yourself only 1% per week or per day, at the end of the year, you will be amazed by the result. The biggest mistake people make is planning unreasonable things.
If you’ve always wanted to write a book, learn to paint or you’ve always wanted to have visible abs, you have to keep in mind that it cannot be done in a day or two. If you give yourself 2 or 3 weeks, it’s a more realistic goal, but if you give yourself a longer period such as a couple of months — then there will be significantly less room for failure, and chances that you will be disappointed are much lower if you set realistic goals and expectations.
So the first thing you need to do is — start small. Two minutes of deep breathing a day is a fantastic idea. Ten pages of that book you’ve always wanted to read are going to motivate you to read 10 more the next day. Two articles on websites such as dzhingarov.com instead of 20 minutes on TikTok is better for your mood. Fifteen minutes of stretching in the morning will prepare your body for the following day, and release the tension from the day before. The same goes for making your bed in the morning.
The whole point of this is the accumulation of small victories, that will boost your confidence and motivation and before you even notice, completely change the way you feel.
5. MOVE YOUR BODY
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People don’t realise that feeling good is very simple — our brain is a muscle just like every other muscle in our body, although it’s a bit more complex. When this muscle has enough oxygen, it works better and we feel better. If you feel like doing nothing because you feel bad, you might want to change your approach to the situation.
If someone could give you an instant solution that would allow you to feel better, be more productive and joyful, would you take it? Thanks to hormones in our body, we sleep, get hungry, laugh, cry, and do all the things we do. After you take a walk, dance to your favourite song, do yoga or lift weights, the happiness hormones are being released in your body, and you instantly feel much better than how you felt before you’ve started exercising.
Start with making a realistic plan, and try to stick to it. Two workout sessions a week are a great start and you can build your exercise routine gradually.
6. GET FRUSTRATED
Unlike the everyday frustration you experience at work or home, the key to success is getting out of your comfort zone, and that can only be done by frustration.
Try to intentionally frustrate yourself with things that are good for you and that will result in you becoming a better person. You will soon realise that intentional frustration is your best friend. It may seem like frustrating yourself with reading a book after a disastrous, frustrating day at work is ridiculous, but it is actually your choice to improve yourself, and you will benefit from your actions enormously. Finally, you will be able to differentiate what kind of frustration is worth it, and you’ll eliminate the one that isn’t. Good luck!
