Motivation at an all time low

[Maui757]

Hi All,

Lately I've really been struggling with my motivation at work and at home. I've just been feeling so low, I feel like there's no point in trying to feel better because I always end up back where I am. I also feel like no matter how hard I try, I'm never actually improving my mental health. I compare myself to where I was a couple of years ago and find that while some things are better, there a new things that are worse. It's like a constant battle, and I guess my motivation has just dropped off from failure after failure (or what I perceive as failures).

The worst part is I know that I'm not technically failing, I know I'm doing the best I can do at this moment in time. But I don't believe it, which is kind of weird. How can I think one thing but believe another? Which one is right? Normally the gut feeling is right, but I can't tell which one is the gut feeling and which one is the head talking.

It's really affecting my work and my life in general. My work productivity is in the drain, and my workplace is aware of my mental health but it just makes me feel worse because I imagine my boss sitting there thinking "here we go again, she's in a ditch. Lets see how long it takes her to pull herself out this time." and I hate that. I hate people watching me struggle. I hate that I wake up less motivated each day to go to work, and start rocking up to work later rather than earlier.

And my relationships are suffering. My partner is pushed to his limit, my friends are getting annoyed at me because I never want to go out or catch up, and I just disappear randomly or cancel plans last minute. It's just a real struggle, and I know I should go and see my psych again but it costs so much money. I should exercise more and eat healthier, meditate, make plans, go out, force myself to be social, but it doesn't seem to make a difference 😞

Maui

[Nurse_Jenn]

Hi Maui,

Great to see you reaching out for support during this low motivation period. It sounds like you are riding the waves and are at a low point right now. I am very sorry to hear you are struggling.

I see that your frustration and motivation are impacting many areas of your life. This is really hard especially when getting the support you need can be expensive. I wonder if you have tried some free options to even give you a boost in the right direction? There are a few that I know of that can really help if you are feeling up for and might be worth considering if you are not wanting to return to psychology sessions.

One option could be to try and use a free online support program that is available for people over 18 called Mindspot. You can use Mindspot from your own home and it uses both online and over the phone support. You can read about Mindspot but going to this website. https://mindspot.org.au

Another option that you can have a look at is a Developed by Beyond Blue program called NewAccess. It is a free program and supports people with worry and low mood. It is limited to some areas across Australia. You can read about whether it is available in your area by going to this page https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess

Your last statement of feeling the pressure to eat healthier, meditate, make plans go out, be social... - that is a lot to accomplish all at once. You could break down these goals into more bite size pieces and perhaps prioritise them in the order of importance and pick one to start with. This way things might not seem as overwhelming. Sometimes when you focus on one goal, other things might improve along side of this without so much work. Sometimes people have really big goals and a lot of them and this creates a big feeling of stress, so much that nothing gets achieved.

These are just a few suggestions but I am sure you will find others on the forum and from other members. You are in a safe place to discuss everything that you are going through. I hope to hear how you get along during this 'hard part'. Be kind to yourself. You are here and reaching out which is a great step in the right direction.

Wishing you the best possible outcome,

Nurse Jenn