Getting Motivated When You Are Suffering From Depression

I have written on many occasions about how I have suffered from depression during my life. Although I now feel good about myself, it doesn’t mean that I am not very aware that depression can take control of your life without warning.

If you have never suffered from depression I guess it can be very difficult to understand how much of a disability it can be. It leaves you with no energy and feeling not very motivated to do anything in life. It’s not a case of simply pulling yourself together and getting your act together. It’s deeper and much more complexed than that, and this can leave you feeling lethargic and having absolutely no motivation.

One of the biggest memories I have when my depression was at its worse was the lack of motivation I had. Sadly unlike today there was no internet to help or find possible solutions to your lack of motivation. Times have moved on and there are people like BetterHelp that can help you online with motivation and offer you a counselling session online all from the comfort of your own home.

Lack of motivation is something that we will all suffer from at different times, but in my case it was highlighted when I was suffering from depression. I remember well not wanting or being interested in getting out of bed or going to work, or taking part in my favourite hobbies. I simply couldn’t be bothered. It was actually all too much effort to live an active life.

What I think changed though was my depression which I was on medication for. It could also be helped by being more motivated in my life. This is of course only something I could change, and change it must. Living this way was simply unhealthy.

I decided the best way to re-motivate was to change my lifestyle, infact give it a complete overhaul.

1. Healthy Eating

One of the things that I definitely let slip was eating properly. So the first thing I did was start eating three meals a day and more importantly healthy food with all the right vitamins to give myself energy and this initially made quite a difference with my motivation.

2. Hobbies

Another thing I had let slide was my hobbies and most importantly I stopped playing football. I decided I needed to get back on the football field and I started playing football again for a couple of reasons. One to get healthy and the other for social interaction, both of which definitely motivated me.

3. My Job

One of the biggest problems I had during my bouts of depression was what I did for a living. I simply didn’t enjoy my job. It always left me totally demotivated, and that was before I even got to work. So I made the massive life changing decision to change my job, and the truth is I never looked back.

The three changes that I made to my lifestyle finally helped me to get my life on track and motivated me to lead a more purposeful life and help me out of my depression.

Do you have any ways that help you get motivated or do you always feel unmotivated? I would love to hear.