How do you get past being unmotivated in life?
A bit of context, I lost my job last year (company went bankrupt) and decided to take a break from working. Between then and now there were a few major things that happened in life but overtime I’ve been noticing that I’ve just completely lost motivation in life.
Not in the I want to unalive myself kind of way but basically nothing in motivating me on a daily basis now. Not even the things I was once passionate about, not even gaming, not even Youtube videos. Also not even the constant need to pay bills/food whatnot (I still have savings).
Even when I tried watching YT videos or play games I enjoy, it usually lasts about an hour or less before that enjoyment dies out. Everyday is tiring and feels like just another day.
Does anyone have tips to get past this hurdle? Or is this something worth going to the psychologist for? I do also have anxiety but this feels nothing like it.
Netizens’ comments
- Ironically, the best thing for slumps is to complete something. Completing a task will give you the dopamine rush to get more done. So you might want to sit down, make a list of goals (money, family, social causes, dreams etc) and stick it on your wall.
In addition, watch your sleep cycle and make sure you eat breakfast every day, or else do something intentional and digital-free. If you have no motivation to exercise, make it a point to walk when you can.
Lastly, variety is important. Go to new places. Meet new people. Do new things. - Rather than a psychologist, maybe a therapist/counsellor to just work through the issues.
- Go traveling or backpacking. Hopefully, along the way, you will find out what you are missing out and can do
- I believe that there’s a reason for everything. Every failure is a stepping stone to success basically. So even if I fail, I just keep at it.
- I got let go for a mistake I did with regards to a client’s work 3 months ago, so my confidence was rock bottom. I was afraid of applying for jobs for the most part because I feared that the same thing might happen again. While I was jobless, I picked up digital art and used it as a medium to distract myself. Really recommend new things you can do or complete or talking to new people daily (the friends thread has a discord that multiple people join every night to chat and watch shows).
Only in the past 2 weeks did I start to recover after I came clean with my family and friends about what happened (I used to tell them I was let go because of company’s financial issues as I was embarrassed about my predicament). Being truthful and vulnerable to people I trust helped me to find motivation to move forward in life and I’ve recently started job hunting again. You can try passion projects or consider freelancing to prepare youself for when you find a new job.
Also, not sure for you but I compared myself to my peers a lot during this phase. Steering off social media was a big factor to help me get back on my feet.