How to Motivate Yourself When You're Exhausted

The demands of motherhood can leave you feeling exhausted and unmotivated. However, it's essential to stay motivated and focused on your goals, whether it's related to your career, personal life, or health and wellness.

Staying motivated and goal-focused is essential because it allows us to achieve our desired outcomes and fulfill our potential. When we set and work towards goals, we are more likely to take action, overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve success.

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Motivation is what drives us to take action and pursue our goals, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. Without motivation, we may struggle to stay focused or engaged in our work, and may ultimately give up on our goals altogether. By staying motivated, we can maintain our focus, energy, and enthusiasm, which can help us achieve our desired outcomes.

Goal focus is also essential because it allows us to prioritize our efforts and resources toward achieving our desired outcomes. When we set clear goals, we can create a roadmap for success and work towards each milestone along the way. This can help us make progress toward our desired outcomes, even when faced with distractions or competing priorities.

In addition, staying motivated and goal-focused can help boost our self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. As we make progress towards our goals, we can feel a sense of pride and confidence in our abilities, which can motivate us to continue working towards even greater success.

Ultimately, staying motivated and goal-focused is essential for achieving success and fulfilling our potential in all areas of our lives. By setting clear goals, staying motivated, and persisting in the face of challenges, we can create a life that is fulfilling, rewarding, and full of purpose.

In this article, we will discuss six strategies (and their benefits) that, as exhausted moms, we can use to stay motivated and achieve our goals.

Start with Small, Achievable Goals

When you're feeling tired and unmotivated, it can be helpful to break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones. This can help you build momentum and feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each task.

Breaking down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones can help you build momentum and feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each task. This can help you feel more motivated and confident as you move forward.

Additionally, setting small goals can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed by the bigger picture. It's easier to focus on one small task at a time, rather than trying to tackle everything at once. By achieving each small goal, you'll also be making progress toward your larger goals, which can help you stay motivated and on track.

Finally, starting with small goals can help you build a habit of success. When you consistently achieve small goals, you'll begin to see yourself as someone who is capable of achieving larger goals as well. This can help boost your confidence and motivation over time.

Reward Yourself

Treat yourself to something you enjoy after completing a task or reaching a goal. This can be something as simple as taking a relaxing bath or watching your favorite show.

When you're feeling tired and unmotivated, it can be helpful to have a reward system in place to help you stay motivated. By treating yourself to something you enjoy after completing a task or reaching a goal, you're giving yourself an extra incentive to get things done.

Here are some ideas for rewards you can give yourself:

1. Take a break: Sometimes the best reward is simply taking a break. Give yourself permission to take a few minutes to relax, stretch, or take a quick walk outside.

2. Enjoy a treat: Treat yourself to something you enjoy, like a favorite snack or a piece of chocolate. Some of my favourite ones can be found here: 5 Foods to Start Eating Today To Boost Your Energy!

3. Indulge in a hobby: Use your reward time to indulge in a favorite hobby, such as reading, knitting, or playing an instrument.

4. Spend time with loved ones: Reward yourself by spending time with family or friends, whether it's having a chat on the phone, meeting for coffee, or going for a walk together.

5. Watch your favorite show: Allow yourself to watch an episode of your favorite TV show or movie.

6. Splurge on a purchase: If there's something you've been wanting to buy, use your reward time to make the purchase.

Remember that the reward should be something that feels meaningful and motivating to you. By giving yourself a little boost of positive reinforcement, you'll be more likely to stay motivated and focused on your goals.

Find an Accountability Partner

Find someone who can help hold you accountable for completing tasks or reaching your goals. This can be a friend, family member, or even a coach.

Prioritize Self-Care

Taking care of yourself is essential for staying motivated. This requires you to Develop a Positive Mindset for Self-Care. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and finding time for exercise or relaxation.

Self-care is an essential part of maintaining your physical and mental health, especially for tired moms who are juggling multiple responsibilities. Practicing self-care means taking time to prioritize your own needs and well-being, whether that's through rest, relaxation, or engaging in activities that bring you joy.

Here are some self-care strategies that you can try:

1. Get enough sleep: Sleep is essential for restoring your energy and helping you feel refreshed. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and try to establish a consistent sleep routine to help regulate your body's natural sleep-wake cycle. If you're struggling to feel alert in the mornings and just dragging your feet all day - check out this recent article: Why Am I Waking Up Tired? And What To Do About It!

2. Take breaks: Taking breaks throughout the day can help you recharge and refocus. Take a few minutes to stretch, meditate, or simply breathe deeply and clear your mind.

3. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness practices like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises can help reduce stress and increase feelings of calm and relaxation.

4. Engage in physical activity: Exercise is a powerful mood booster and can help increase energy levels. Even if you only have a few minutes, try to incorporate some movement into your day, whether that's a brisk walk, a yoga session, or some light stretching.

5. Connect with loved ones: Spending time with loved ones can be a great way to boost your mood and reduce stress. Even if you can't see them in person, try to make time for regular phone calls, video chats, or text conversations.

6. Take time out for yourself: Whether it's reading a book, taking a bubble bath, or cooking a favorite meal, make time to engage in activities that bring you joy and help you relax. In fact, head over to this article to learn The Importance of Taking Time Out to Be By Yourself & the 5 Things I Did That Took Me From Burnt Out to on Fire!

Remember that self-care is not selfish or indulgent. It's essential for maintaining your health and well-being, and it can help you feel more energized, focused, and motivated as you tackle your daily responsibilities as a mom.

Break Up Your Routine

Breaking up your routine can be a powerful way to boost motivation, particularly from a psychological and hormonal standpoint. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter hormone that plays a key role in motivation and reward. When we experience something rewarding, our brains release dopamine, which helps reinforce that behavior and makes us more likely to repeat it in the future.

However, when we do the same thing over and over again, our brains can become habituated to the experience, and the release of dopamine may decrease. This can lead to a lack of motivation and a feeling of boredom or disinterest.

Breaking up your routine can help counteract this effect by providing new and novel experiences that can stimulate the release of dopamine and increase motivation. By trying new things or mixing up your daily routine, you can keep your brain engaged and interested, which can help boost motivation over the long term.

Here are some ways you can break up your routine:

1. Try a new activity: Whether it's a new workout class, a cooking class, or a new hobby, trying something new can help provide a fresh perspective and stimulate the release of dopamine.

2. Switch up your environment: Changing your physical environment can help provide a new and stimulating experience. This can be as simple as taking a different route to work or rearranging your furniture at home.

3. Meet new people: Meeting new people can provide a new and stimulating social experience, which can also help stimulate the release of dopamine. Try attending a networking event or joining a new social group.

4. Take a break: Taking a break from your routine can help provide a mental reset and give you a chance to recharge. This can be as simple as taking a day off work or going on a weekend getaway.

Remember that breaking up your routine doesn't have to be a major overhaul. Even small changes can help provide a new and stimulating experience that can boost motivation and help you stay energized and focused as a tired mom.

Practice Gratitude

Take time each day to reflect on what you're grateful for. Focusing on the positive can help boost your mood and motivation.

When we focus on what we're grateful for, we're directing our attention toward positive aspects of our lives. This can help shift our mindset from a negative, problem-focused perspective to a more positive, solution-focused one. By focusing on what we're grateful for, we're more likely to see opportunities instead of obstacles, and this can help boost our motivation to take action toward our goals.

Furthermore, gratitude has been shown to improve our overall sense of well-being, including our mood and energy levels. When we're feeling better emotionally, we're more likely to feel motivated to take on challenges and pursue our goals.

Here are some ways to practice gratitude and boost motivation:

1. Keep a gratitude journal: Each day, write down three things you're grateful for. This can help train your brain to focus on the positive aspects of your life and improve your overall sense of well-being.

2. Express gratitude to others: Take time to thank the people in your life who have made a positive impact on you. This can help strengthen your relationships and increase feelings of social connection, which can also improve motivation.

3. Practice mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness, such as through meditation or deep breathing exercises, can help you stay present and focused on the positive aspects of your life. This can help reduce stress and increase feelings of calm and gratitude.

4. Look for the silver lining: When faced with challenges or setbacks, try to focus on the positive aspects of the situation. Look for opportunities to learn and grow, and focus on what you can control instead of what you can't.

By practicing gratitude, you can improve your overall sense of well-being and boost your motivation to pursue your goals.