Feeling down or depressed?
Suffering from a severe lack of motivation?
Here is the ultimate guide to finding motivation in life & getting things done when dealing with depression and if you can’t get motivated to do anything.
In this lesson you will learn:
- The five main causes of depression
- Why you are okay even though it doesn’t feel that way
- How to address and transform your depression
- How to motivate yourself when depressed
- Simple steps you can take right now to move forward in life
Causes Of Depression
The most important thing you need to understand about the human body, mind, and spirit is that we need to be in “balance” and “harmony”.
When our lives are not in balance in some way, dis-eases such as depression act as symbols that are sending you a signal and saying, “Something is out of balance and you need to fix it”.
Depression is your friend because it is sending you a wake up call.
Here are the six main reasons why you may be depressed:
A. Not doing what you love in life
B. Chemical or hormonal imbalance
C. Emotional imbalance
D. Negative self-talk
E. Not enough exercise
F. Too much junk food
Lets address these one by one.
A. Not doing what you love in life
Excitement is literally your bodies translation of who you are and what you should be doing in life.
Way too many people are either living their life for someone else or have no idea who they are or what they want in life.
If you are not following your passion in some way (it could be a career or a simple hobby) and your life is dull or meaningless, over time, this can manifest into depression.
The soultion?
Take the time to discover who you are and find your passion or purpose in life.
Once your start taking action towards the things you find exciting, you will see that the “depressed you” fades away.
B. Chemical & hormonal imbalance
You could be suffering from some form of imbalance which usually either stems from dopamine, serotonin, hormonal, which may be directly connected to your adrenal glands.
You will need to take an honest assessment of yourself and ask yourself these two questions:
Have I been doing things in my life where I am releasing too much dopamine or seratonin?
Have I been doing things in life life where I have been stressing my adrenal glands?
For example, too much masturbation for men will release a lot of dopamine and endorphins. The same is true for certain drugs such as MDMA.
Human beings are creatures that are made of chemicals. We need to be in harmony if we want to remain in a state of contentment.
Too much of “something” that releases a lot of dopamine can bring on depression because you are not out of balance.
The same is true for things like caffeine. These “stimulants” push your adrenal glands so much that after a while, it is much harder to feel energized which can then make you feel “down” and trick you into feeling depressed.
You are not actually depressed. You just don’t feel as buzzed or “high” as you once did when you first started taking the stimulant because it can no longer effect you the way it once did. You built up a tolerance.
So be honest with yourself and find out if you are out of balance. The best thing to do is find a good endocrinologist in your area where they can run tests on your hormones.
One thing you should definitely check is your thyroid. Many people who suffer from depression have a thyroid issue as it is very difficult to get good iodine in our system.
And for men, you could be suffering from low testosterone.
C. Emotional imbalance
Life is an emotional rollercoaster with lots of ups and downs.
Learning how to address negative emotions in a healthy and constructive manner is crucial to your state of well-being.
If you become sad, angry, stressed, or anxiety-ridden often, this can bring on depression.
For example, if a week goes by and you have not resolved some sort of negative emotional issue, slowly but surely, this can turn into depression.
What can you do?
Be honest with yourself.
Is there some sort of unresolved issue you have not addressed?
Are there multiple issues you have not addressed?
Be honest with yourself, write them down, and face them.
Until you do, they will act as parasites in your subconscious mind creating the depression you are experiencing.
This is why talk therapy can be helpful because it provides a platform for you to get it out.
D. Negative self-talk
Do you always think negatively towards yourself?
Do you always focus on why things wont work out?
If you are a person who leans negatively towards yourself and life, then you have a little monkey in your subconscious mind that is on 24/7 filling your head with negative self-talk.
This little chatterbox is constantly filling your mind with why life does not work for you or why you are not good enough.
Why things won’t work out or why you are no good.
Self-love and confidence are one of the most healing free tools you have to overcome depression.
Once again, you need to be honest with yourself and ask these questions:
Do I really love myself?
Do I believe in my capabilities?
Do I believe I deserve good things to happen in my life?
Your beliefs create your reality.
If you believe you deserve good things, then good things will come.
But if you believe you don’t deserve them, then they wont.
“Whether you think you can or can’t, your’e right” – Henry Ford
Also, you need to take inventory of the people around you. Are the negative toxic people in your life?
If so, remove them immediately.
They are a parasite draining you of good energy and adding to your depression.
E. Not enough exercise
In this day and age, most people are living a sedentary lifestyle where they sit in front of a computer all day and barely move.
You need to rigorously exercise at least four days a week.
Meaning…you need to break a sweat!
Yes, walking is helpful.
But it’s important that you break a sweat.
Find your thing: swimming, running, yoga, pilates, weight lifting, high intensity interval training, aerobics, hiking, etc.
It is your responsibility to find your thing and break a sweat four days a week.
Exercise is the most powerful tool for transforming depression
F. Too much junk food
If you are eating fast food, drinking soda, or eating lots of sugar or processed foods, this will throw your chemicals out of balance.
These toxic foods drain your body of nutrients and your soul of life.
You need to eat real foods that are natural, clean, and simple.
Basically…fruits, vegetables, and protein.
If it is processed, loaded with sugar, and does not have an expiration date, then chances are its no good for you.
Does this mean you can’t have a donut every once in a while?
No.
But remember, we are talking about living a life in balance and harmony.
Most people don’t eat junk food once in a while. More like once a day and this will throw you out of balance.
If you eat healthy natural foods six days a week and have one cheat day a week, you will more than likely be fine (and if you are exercising four days a week).
But if you eat one junk food meal a day, over time that will throw off your “chemical balance” and could potentially bring on depression.
Can depression affect motivation?
When you are suffering from depression, yes it can cause problems with your motivation.
People who are suffering from depression usually feel a lack of energy, no drive, and some are suicidal.
When we don’t have a purpose or reason to want to do anything, then that in and of itself is the definition of lack of motivation.
Is lack of motivation a sign of depression?
No it is not.
Sometimes you can not be motivated to do something just because you are not interested in it, or you have not defined it as something that will bring you pleasure.
Simply put, you as a human being will always moves toward what you define as being more pleasurable and move away from what you define as being less painful.
So sometimes you may not be motivated to do something because you have defined it as something that will not bring you pleasure.
Learn more: What is motivation?
How to address and transform your depression
In the causes of motivation section above, we covered a lot of ground on what you can do. So if you have not done so, scroll to the top and read that section as we provide simple steps you can take.
However, here are some more simple steps:
- Have a purpose in life – We all need our lives to have meaning and a reason “why” we get out of bed each day.
- Follow your excitement – Live life for you and do the things you love.
- Don’t sleep in late – If you are sleeping more than eight hours this can definitely increase your depression
- Move your body – Make sure you are doing some form of exercise each day. One that ideally you break a sweat.
- Simplify your life – Many times when people become overwhelmed they can get stressed out and this can cause a form of depression.
- Remove negative or toxic people – If the people around you are toxic, then they can definitely be causing your depression. Get rid of them.
- Don’t isolate yourself – Surround yourself with positive people who will lift you up.
How do you motivate yourself when you are depressed?
The first thing you must do is focus on transforming your depression.
Otherwise it will be like pulling teeth.
You do not want to live your life depressed each day and then having to use “tactics” to motivate yourself.
So assuming you are tackling the root cause of your depression and need something you can use as an interim…
In the beginning, it will be tough.
You need to focus on one day at a time and create some momentum.
Remember the key here is to focus on defining the things you need to do as being more pleasurable and that by not doing them, it will bring you pain.
Before you fully heal your depression, the most important thing you must do is shift your state of being.
In a sense, you need to shock yourself so you can “snap out of it”.
Here are some things you can do:
A. Exercise (running, jumping jacks, dancing, spinning, aerobics, yoga, etc.)
B. Fill your mind with positive words (read motivational & inspirational quotes)
C. Take hot/cold showers where you switch the temperature every 30 seconds
D. Laughing (watch a good movie or just fake it)
E. Breath of Fire (watch the video below)
Motivation Quotes For Depression
Focus on what you want rather than what you don’t want.
STAYING POSITIVE does not mean that things will turn out okay. Rather it is knowing that YOU will be okay no matter how things turn out.
Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. ― Roy T. Bennett
Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you. – Mary Lou Retton
You are awesome.
You are loved.
You deserve the best.
You deserve everything you want.
I will always support you.
I want you to be happy.
– The Universe
Life only comes around once, so do whatever makes you happy, and be with whoever makes you smile.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. – Lucille Ball
Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in your life. ― Tony Robbins
With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose. – Dr. Wayne W Dyer
No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you’ll find the positive side of things. – Demi Lovato
Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you. – Ralph Harslon
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. – Harriet Beecher Stowe
No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself. ― Madonna
With every roadblock, a detour is built. With every ending, a new beginning is defined. Embracing a challenge makes life interesting, but overcoming it makes life meaningful. – Matthew E. Fryer
Every single day is an opportunity for you to start anew; I call this my ’24-hour Reset Button.’ Each new day stands alone and brings you another chance to move closer towards your goals, so make each day a Great Day! – Tamara Tilleman
RESOURCES
