Written by Jenn Hand, Holistic Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach, NBC-HWC
What do you do when you feel unmotivated to make health changes?
You know… those times when you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and completely uninterested in doing anything that you know you “should” do to be healthy?
(And we’ve all been there before at some point in this journey!)
Here are 4 things to do when you feel unmotivated to make health changes 🙂
1. Remember That “Force” Never Leads to Long-term Change.
When you feel completely unmotivated, “forcing yourself” to exercise, eat nutritious foods, meal plan, journal or meditate is not going to be productive.
That harsh discipline and force never end up achieving lifelong habit shifts.
So making yourself go to the gym every day won’t actually stick long term. Or forcing yourself to cook a meal every night when you feel exhausted and lazy may only last a day or two.
Willpower and discipline always run out! So we’ve got to create new habits from a different space (see #2)
2. Give Yourself Permission to Take a Break.
Sometimes what we need most is what we resist doing! (AKA giving ourselves a break 🙂 )
Letting go of to-do’s, checklists, and constant self-improvement for a few hours, a day, a week or a month allows you to come back and look at the same topic with fresh eyes.
When we feel unmotivated and completely overwhelmed, we aren’t in the right headspace to make a change. So give yourself some space around whatever it is you are “trying” to get motivated to do.
Go read a book, get outside, chat with a friend, lay on the couch…do anything that feels like a break!
3. Pick 1-2 Things to Focus On.
When you feel like you’re in a better place, revisit the changes you were wanting to get motivated to make.
Pick a few things to focus on. We’re aiming for small, tangible action steps here!
Think things like…
- cooking 1-2 nights a week (instead of 7)
- moving your body for 10 minutes each day (instead of making yourself go to the gym at least 5 days a week)
- taking time for yourself 5 min every morning (instead of trying to meditate every day for 20 min), etc.
You get the point 🙂 We want very specific things to focus on!
When we cut the list from 57 things to do to 2 things to do, we actually become more motivated to do them. And that momentum snowballs into other areas of life.
4. Replace “Motivated” With Inspired.
A little bonus tip…sometimes the word “motivation” sounds, well… annoying. It can be very diet-y and feel like rigid discipline.
Usually when I find myself saying “I’ve just gotta get motivated!” that’s my cue to switch the word to “inspired”.
How can I feel more inspired about WANTING to make change? How can I reignite that feeling of being inspired…as that naturally leads to easier shifts and changes than that harsh “force yourself to do it” kinda thing.
Your Turn…
Share in the comments below. I’d love to hear about a time when you felt “blah” and re-energized yourself into action 🙂
More Articles
⚪ How to Eat Healthy without Dieting ⚪ 7 Myths of Weight Loss ⚪ If You’re Not Dieting, How Will You Lose Weight? ⚪ How to Stop Emotional Eating, Even If You Struggle with Late-Night Eating
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Jenn Hand has been helping women like you become normal eaters since 2015.
She’s worked with thousands of women, helping them to balance their bodies, end bingeing, stop obsessing over food, and start feeling amazing again. As a board-certified health coach and holistic nutritionist, Jenn knows how to support you in making real positive changes that last.
Her articles have been published on Mind Body Green, Tiny Buddha, Thrive Global and other local and global media platforms. She’s the author of How to Be a Normal Eater and the creator of The Normal Eater’s Club program. Listen to Jenn’s advice and tips on the Cake Doesn’t Count Podcast, or read more of her articles for free on the Food Freedom Blog.
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