No Motivation? When It’s time to Be Concerned
By: Jennifer Boyer
We all lose steam now and then.
But when does having no motivation go from a mental time-out, to a serious issue that needs your attention?
What is low motivation?
Motivation is when you feel driven to do things. In a very basic way, we are motivated to get out of bed. But we are also motivated to go to work, to see our friends, and to have goals.
Low motivation means we feel uninterested in doing things. We start to cancel social events, perhaps call in sick to work when we aren’t, don’t make that gym class.
No motivation happens when we just don’t want to do anything. We avoid our friends, stop going to the gym at all, go to work only if we have to, and possibly start to self-sabotage. We mess up the work presentation, end relationships, miss important meetings.
When having no motivation is normal
Lounging around the house in a tracksuit is actually normal behaviour post a big life change like a redundancy, breakup, or bereavement. It’s as if our mind needs a timeout to recuperate.
It’s also normal during teenage years. The teenage brain and body are in flux during adolescence, and it and it can mean teenagers can feel spaced out, moody, and uninterested in such things as thinking about their future or cleaning their rooms.
Low motivation often happens when we agree to do something we don’t like, or don’t say no when we want to.
If you took on a project at work you hate, or you agreed to plan a friend’s wedding but really didn’t want to, low motivation is your mind’s way of protesting. Your energy often returns when you get honest and ask for help, or quit the project.
By: Kevin Hutchinson
And finally, having no motivation can also be a symptom of a physical health condition. This includes chronic fatigue syndrome, hyperthyroidism, epilepsy, and brain tumours.
When low motivation is a GOOD thing
Low motivation can be a wakeup call. If you listen to what it’s trying to tell you, it can mean you make decisions that leave you in a better place.
For example, if you suddenly find you have lost all motivation at work, it could be a sign that you need to take a good look at whether you are living from your own values, what your career goals really are, and how you can reach them.
Going for a few sessions with a coach or counsellor might mean your life turns around in a way you could never have imagined before.
When low motivation is a mental health concern
So when does low motivation go from a normal stage you are going through, to a mental health issue? When it has gone on for too long, and when it is jeopardising your day-to-day living.
Look for things like the following:
- it’s gone on for six weeks or more
- it is worsening or unchanged
- you are losing interest in talking to friends and family
- your low motivation is accompanied by increasingly negative thinking
- you are having suicidal thoughts
- you aren’t sure anymore why you lack motivation (or there was no trigger).
Mental health issues and disorders connected to low motivation
If you are trying every tip you can find on the internet about getting motivated but it’s just not working, it could be you have an underlying mental health issue or mental disorder that needs attention.
By: Amy
Depression is the most common mental health issue that has low motivation as a symptom. The onset of low motivation is for many long-term depression sufferers a sign they are falling into another cycle.
[Read our comprehensive Guide to Depression for more on its symptoms.]
Other mental health issues that involve low motivation include:
What do I do if it’s a loved one with low motivation?
If your loved one is diagnosed with any of the mental health issues above, trying to push them to do things might be counterproductive.
Work to accept them as they are, and do not call them lazy. They are not. They are currently unwell, and need your patience.
Some encouragement is of course fine, but if they say no, do not make them feel guilty or flawed. They are likely doing the best they can, and what seems to you like just a bit of cajoling might feel to him or her, in their sensitive state, like a lot of pressure. Focus on small steps, keep your eye on the future, and try to remain as positive as possible.
If your loved one does not have the support they need, approach any suggestion they seek it with care (read our article on “Telling a Loved One They Need Counselling” for good advice here).
And if it’s me who has no motivation?
If your low motivation has an obvious trigger like a life change or career issue, self help can be a good start. If your low motivation feels unmanageable, or has been going on for longer than you are comfortable with, consider talking to a coach or counsellor.
If your low motivation has been going on for months or even years, if you struggle in all areas of life because of it, if you don’t understand what causes it but can’t seem to push past it, or if you suspect you have one of the mental health disorders above, it is essential to seek support.
Talk to your GP or book a counsellor or psychotherapist privately.
Harley Therapy is here to help if you have no motivation lately. We connect you to registered, experienced counsellors and psychotherapists both in central London, across the UK, and now globally via Skype.
Have a question about having no motivation? Or want to share your thoughts on motivation with other readers? Use our public comment box below.
I have 17 interest and 10 things I need to do but I don’t seem to have to energy to do them?
Hi Richard, the article addresses several reasons for why this might be, such as depression or just choosing things that aren’t aligned with your actual personal values but are instead things you think you ‘should’ do.
Dad passed away last September I’m tired no motivation interest is little to none in everything no interest in appearance stress very easily sleep most of day just live for bed what’s wrong with me
Rosemary, have you read about the process of grief and bereavement? It’s actually normal to go through months of highs and lows when we lose someone we love. You might find our articles useful – http://bit.ly/bereavementgrief and http://bit.ly/griefmyths. Seeing as it’s being going on since September, it does also sound like your grief as turned into a bout of depression – again, not uncommon. Have you considered some grief counselling? It can be such a huge relief to talk to someone who ‘gets it’ but also isn’t invested in the situation. You can say anything without fear of upsetting someone!
Ever since I moved again I’ve lost most to all motivation. I can’t get up for school (or when I do I rarely go). My grades are suffering tremendously. I can’t fall asleep at night. My anxiety is through the roof to where I feel I might throw up. I just want to get better.
Hi Skyla, we are imagining you are a teenager. Look, it’s tough being a teenager. Especially when the brain is still growing and the sleep patterns of a teenage brain have been shown by research to not at all match a schedule of getting up at 7am! So many teens find it hard to get up in the morning as it goes against their growing/changing brain’s natural sleep cycle. So that’s one thing. But it also sounds like the move has been really tough on you. If you feel sick to your stomach then you have serious anxiety and it needs addressing. Do you have anyone to talk to about this? If not, would you feel comfortable talking to your school’s counsellor? Or would you be able to ask your parents to help you see a counsellor? We have an article on how to approach that here http://bit.ly/talktoparents
For years throughout school and even now when it comes to initiating a task for anything around being productive, I just cant bring myself to start it. Even thinking about my future, thinking about going to college or a future goal/career, i just have no movivation to even think about it, let alone do research, and I still have no idea why. Its gotten to the point that i think something is wrong with me. I can stay in bed all day wasting the day away watching youtube. And if im asked to do something, i have to be told multiple times and still then ordered to do it qfter time has passed. (This isn’t ADHD/ADD as i was disproved of having it)
Hi Eden, we can’t diagnose you over the internet and certainly not over a comment box. Diagnosis requires working one on one with a practitioner who can get to know you, and we’d advise you seek some counselling sessions to get to the bottom of this. It could, for example, be depression. And also do get a full medical checkup as there are physical things that can cause low motivation and low energy, from something complex like hormonal imbalances to more obvious things like a bad diet full of junk food – research is increasingly connecting gut and mental health, so you might want to start with self-care, ie, a healthy diet and exercise.
In the last 4 yrs ive had 3 separations/divorce a hysterectomy and 4 bereavements all while also trying to support a family member with alcohol problems and have elderly parents. Im struggling with being thrown into benefit system due to divorce and now can hardly drag myself out of bed.
Trish, it sounds very much like depression. Hardly surprising given all that you’ve been dealing with. Could you talk to your GP and get on a waiting list for some free therapy? They might quite quickly get you some self-guided online therapy even, depending where you live.
I’m only 15 but on and off for years I’ve been unable to get motivated to do things I want and need to do.
For example, I love writing. I have frequent ideas I would love to actually write out but I just can’t get myself to write. I want to do it, I have an idea, I don’t have writer’s block, but I still just can’t do it.
Another, arguably more concerning example, is I can’t do chores. It’s not that I loathe doing them or anything, I actually want to so I can help out my mom, but again, I just can’t get myself to do it.
The longest period of time I can remember in the past two years that I’ve had motivation for was about two weeks. During those two years, I’ve had periods of going without motivation for over double that and sometimes even months at a time.
It’s seriously affecting my life and isn’t getting any better. In fact, it’s kind of getting worse. I’ve talked to counsellors about it before but all the advice they can give is something akin to “just do it.” It’s of absolutely no use to me since when I try to push myself to do something during a period of no motivation I start to feel like a physical force is holding me back. It’s almost as if gravity increases tenfold and any attempt I make to do what I want to do only makes it harder to get up to do said thing.
Sorry this is so long, but I’ve been desperate for help for awhile and I just typed out what I felt.
Hi Cam, what sort of counsellors where those?? A properly trained counsellor or one with any training at all would NEVER say ‘just do it’. In fact a counsellor doesn’t give ‘advice’ at all. They simply listen and ask good questions. So perhaps that was just a career guidance person or church person? You are 15. There is some normalcy to feeling lethargic and not wanting to do something as a teen. Your brain is still actually growing and you are under the influence of a lot of chemicals and hormones. So if this has been an issue since you hit puberty, might be partially related. It’s also been found that the teenager brain is not suited to getting up at 8am, hence a lot of teens are tired all the time. If school was changed to 11 to 6, it would probably match the circadian rhythms of a teenage brain much better! Otherwise, if you have any family struggles, past traumas, or any additional signs like negative thoughts and low self-esteem, you might have mild depression, which would be worth talking to a REAL counsellor or psychotherapist about.
I’m 21 I dropped out of high school and don’t yet have a GED. I have no motivation to even get a job… am I depressed or is it something else?
Hi Catie, we can’t say over the internet and not knowing you for starters, but definitely not with that little info. It could be many things. We’d advise you get a full medical checkup to rule out a physical cause, and then book a session with a counsellor to talk about it.