Mind and body

How to Get Your Motivation Back When You Feel Stuck

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Start by working out what kind of stuck you are. Losing interest in things you used to enjoy can be a sign of depression. Exhaustion and cynicism about your job fit what the World Health Organization calls burnout. And feeling pushed rather than drawn toward your work fits what motivation research describes as unmet basic needs. Hypnosis belongs only with the third, and even there it plays a supporting role.

Could it be depression?

Check this first. The NHS overview of depression lists symptoms ranging from lasting unhappiness and hopelessness to losing interest in things you used to enjoy, with physical signs such as constant tiredness, poor sleep and loss of appetite. It also notes that low mood during difficult times may improve after a short while rather than being a sign of depression.

If your lack of motivation does not lift and comes with several of those symptoms, see a GP or doctor before anything else. The NHS advises not to delay. In the United States, call or text 988 if you feel life is not worth living. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

Could it be burnout?

If the loss of motivation is centered on your job and comes with exhaustion and cynicism about it, it may fit what the World Health Organization classifies as burnout, an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress. The Wikipedia article on occupational burnout covers the definition. In that case the working conditions are part of what needs to change, which may mean a conversation with a manager, an occupational health service or a doctor.

What feeds motivation in the first place?

One answer comes from self-determination theory, developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan. The Wikipedia article on self-determination theory describes it as distinguishing intrinsic motivation, doing something because it is interesting and satisfying, from extrinsic motivation, doing it for an outside goal. Deci and Ryan proposed three basic psychological needs:

  • Autonomy: the sense that you choose your own actions.
  • Competence: working effectively and growing in capability.
  • Relatedness: strong connections with the people around you.

Several findings described in the article help explain why motivation drains away. Deci found that extrinsic rewards for something people already enjoyed undermined their interest in it. Rewards that feel controlling diminish internal motivation, while feedback that is informational can increase it. Negative feedback, in research by Vallerand and Reid, decreased intrinsic motivation, and research by Amabile and colleagues found that deadlines that restrict and control can reduce it as well.

Which need is running low?

Ask three questions about the area where you feel stuck:

  1. Autonomy: Do I have any say in what I do here, or how?
  2. Competence: Am I getting better at anything, and do I get feedback that tells me how?
  3. Relatedness: Who am I doing this with, and do they know what I am working on?

The answer points to the change worth trying: more choice, a skill to build or a person to work alongside, rather than more pressure on yourself to push through the same task.

Can hypnosis help restart motivation?

As a way of reconnecting with the reasons you chose the work, once you know which need is missing. In a session you can recall a time when the task felt like your own choice, picture the specific skill you want to build, or rehearse the conversation that would give you more say over how you work. It cannot supply a need your situation is not meeting. If the problem is depression or burnout, it is not the place to start.

A week of noticing

Each evening for a week, write one line for each need: one moment today when I chose what to do, one moment when I got better at something, one moment when I felt connected to someone. Leave a line blank if nothing happened. By the end of the week, the blank lines suggest where to start.

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.

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