When Every Day Feels Meh: Making Sense of Constant Unmotivation

Do you wake up in the morning refreshed? Or do you wake up already feeling defeated by your long to-do list? If it’s the latter, you’re not alone. Constant headlines reveal that more adults than ever are <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/09/30/the-state-of-mental-health-in-america-where-are-we" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">struggling with mental health issues</a>, <a href="https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/22112-exhausted-nation-americans-more-tired-than-ever-survey-finds" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">feeling exhausted</a>, or are <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">struggling to stay motivated at work</a>. In 2020 a journalist coined a phrase that perfectly sums up these feelings: if you’re “tired of feeling like everything is a disaster,” Monika Bauerlein believes you’re part of the “<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/media/2021/11/are-you-part-of-the-exhausted-majority/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">exhausted majority</a>.” Even knowing what to call your lack of motivation, depending on how much it’s interfering with your activities of daily living, can be complex. You may be feeling <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-apathy" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">apathy</a> — lacking the desire to do things when you “just don’t care much about what’s going on around you” — or you could even be experiencing something more intense, called <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-apathy" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">avolition</a> — “a total lack of motivation that makes it hard to get anything done.” Although apathy and avolition can be actual clinical diagnoses and may be signs of mental or physiological challenges, experiencing those sensations even briefly can be very unsettling. More short-term periods of failing to complete every task you need or want to during the day is often attributed to laziness, pure and simple. But as can be seen by the wide variety of surveys and studies referenced above, a lack of motivation can be caused by numerous issues. <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/why-am-i-always-tired-1067496" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Not getting enough high-quality sleep</a> can be a factor. Simply feeling “down” or being in a “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-mental-health/202309/you-arent-lazy-exploring-a-lack-of-motivation" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">low mood</a>” can make it harder to focus on tasks. <a href="https://www.imaginated.com/blog/how-to-regain-motivation-after-burnout/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Feeling burnt out</a> by your work or in personal relationships can also be a factor. Surprisingly, your own high expectations for your output and<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-mental-health/202309/you-arent-lazy-exploring-a-lack-of-motivation" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"> your perfectionism</a> can also contribute to decreased motivation. <a href="https://medium.com/personal-growth/when-every-day-feels-meh-making-sense-of-constant-unmotivation-8f11cb599ace">Click Here</a>