Self-Motivation might be the only thing we have these days, as this pandemic rages into its second calendar year and many of us have been self-isolating for ten+ months. Maybe you’re like me, and viewed the first few months of the pandemic as an exhilarating challenge – Let’s see how this goes to teach two kids and work from home! Look at all the artists doing fun craft-from-home videos! A short-lived period where my second-grader made a lesson plan for my preschooler was a big win!
Now we’re more than over it.
So let’s talk about how to keep your motivation up when there aren’t a lot of external rewards for doing the things.
1) Make your list: Write down a reasonable amount of things you want/need to get done just today. Reasonable is the key! For me, about 8 things is reasonable – and that includes the zoom meetings, errands, even small tasks like “figure out how to renew a driver’s license in a pandemic.” It also includes the small steps in what might be a big task, like a work project. Write down the pieces that you absolutely think you can accomplish in the one day.
2) Set yourself a reward: Our brains don’t want to work for nothing – that reward pathway is there for a reason! Make sure you have something to look forward to after you finish those tasks. It could be a fun activity, a walk, a meal or dessert, or a phone call with a friend. If there are some big or dreaded tasks on your list, make sure you plan a small reward after you complete that – maybe just a break to stretch your legs, a snack, or some music or movement.
3) Give yourself credit: At the end of the day, whether you got everything done or not, recap to yourself and feel some gratitude for what you were able to get done. Focus on what you did well. Think ahead to tomorrow and how you might adjust your expectations of yourself. Practice some self-compassion around anything that didn’t go well – you did your best. You’ll try again tomorrow.
4) Connect: If you don’t live with others, put some thought into how connected you feel to others. This is a really isolating time, and if you don’t have built-in interactions throughout your day, you might have to plan them out. If a phone call, text exchange, or video chat is not your favorite, put it on your list of tasks and the reward yourself when you do it! While we might be feeling resentful that we’re not able to connect with others spontaneously or the way we would prefer, we will benefit if we push through and do the connecting anyway – ideal or not.
Here are the key pieces to staying motivated during hard times:
- Time-limited – one day at a time, one task at a time so we don’t get overwhelmed.
- Realistic – lower your expectations to what you are capable of doing during a global pandemic, not your usual high standards.
- Reward-oriented – don’t expect yourself to work for little or no rewards! Figure out how you like to celebrate your wins and do it more often for yourself.
- Connected – recognizing we need that social interaction, however we can get it.
I hope you will write your own suggestions for keeping your motivation up in the comments so we can help each other out!
