If You Have Zero Motivation To Work Today, These 6 Expert Tricks Are Like Instant Coffee For Your Brain
Karola G | UnsplashHave you ever struggled to get something done even though you know exactly what you should be doing? You're not alone, and unlike many would like you to believe, it has little to do with laziness. "Procrastination is often related to anxiety and a failure mentality," explains psychologist Dr. Sharon Saline. Fortunately, there are ways to combat those moments when you feel zero motivation to do anything. (We've all been there.)
Colby Kultgen is an influencer who focuses on helping people reach their full potential. He offers these tips and techniques for streamlining productivity and creating healthy habits, and also recently shared recommendations on how to get work done when you have no motivation, specifically geared towards procrastinators.
If you have no motivation to work today, these expert tricks are like instant coffee for your brain:
1. Set a timer for 5 minutes
Kultgen calls this trick “The five-minute rule.” He advises people to set a timer for five minutes and then start the task that they’ve been avoiding. After five minutes are up, you can stop working on the task, if you want, or you can keep going.
Amy Bracht, a career coach, explained that these small wins trigger dopamine, which gives you "a boost of energy and mood" that makes you want to keep going. You have to start where you stand. Often, the hardest part of getting something done is just starting it. So, as Kultgen sees it, “90% of the time, the momentum of starting is enough to keep you going.”
Kultgen believes that “excessive learning becomes procrastination.” He claimed that growth comes from learning, then applying your new skills, instead of just learning for hours on end. For each hour you’ve spent studying, spend one hour applying what you’ve learned.
"When your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based), they leave little room for doubt. You create motivation through clarity," mind and body coach Jennie Friedman confirms. When your plan is as specific as possible, the less likely you are to mindlessly circle the same pieces of information with zero movement.
2. Take action first, and motivation will follow
Many people hold the belief that we have to feel motivated before we act, but Kultgen believes the opposite to be true. While we’re taught that motivation leads to action, it’s actually action that creates a sense of motivation.
Kultgen recommends taking small steps toward action, which motivates you and ultimately leads to more action. For example, if we set out to clean a small corner of a room, once we see the progress we’ve made, we’re likely to keep cleaning. Taking bite-sized chunks out of larger tasks helps us complete those big tasks in the long run.
3. If you have no motivation, apply the 2-minute rule
“If something takes less than two minutes, do it now,” Kultgen said. “Don’t let some mundane task gnaw at the back of your mind for weeks.”
Often, procrastination is the result of our avoidant anxiety. We put off doing things that feel overwhelming, which just makes us more anxious and avoidant. If we can summon our inner administrative bravery and just do the thing, we’ll feel so much better afterward.
4. Eat the frog
Wesley Tingey / Unsplash+
When presented with a to-do list for the day, 'eating the frog' means doing the hardest task first, even if you don’t want to. By starting with the hardest part, the rest of your tasks will seem easy by comparison. As Kultgen says, “Get that weight off.”
Professional organizer Diane Quintana concurs: "Do your hardest, most challenging work when you know you are at your best." If that's not in the morning like it is for most people, don't force yourself to be your best in the morning. Maybe your best self happens late at night, or post-afternoon coffee run; that's okay, too. Eat the frog when you're at 100 percent, whatever time that is.
5. If you have no motivation, put your phone away
Checking your Instagram feed over and over is just another way to procrastinate, and the constant input can make you feel bad about yourself, creating a negative feedback loop. So, remove the digital clutter to amp up your focus.
Kultgen recommends putting your phone in airplane mode. He also recommends using an app blocker like Brick and only keeping tabs open that are relevant to what you’re doing. Another surefire way to stop the distractions is to leave your phone in a separate room, so you’re not tempted to pick it up at all.
6. Tidy things up so your workspace feels inviting
Before you get down to business, make sure your workspace is cleared off. A cluttered desk can mean a cluttered mind. Having a blank space to work in leaves your brain in tip-top shape to stay completely focused on the task at hand.
Giving ourselves grace when we have zero motivation and have a hard time focusing is a valuable part of being gentle with ourselves, but sometimes, you’ve just got to get your work done.
Breaking things down into manageable tasks helps combat feeling overwhelmed. So, give yourself a round of applause for starting — you’ve already done the hardest part.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
