Fighting lethargy? Here are 5 ways to charge up on motivation

One common challenge that Depression and Bipolar Disorder afflicted (when in low mood) have to face is a drastic lack of motivation. Why just the mentally ill, many people face this problem at some time or the other. "I am unable to do anything...each task is such an effort for me" lamented a Bipolar Peer Support Group member to me. I can empathise with her because I have been there too.

Motivation is the desire to do things. It's the key difference between waking up in the morning with enthusiasm to go to the gym and doing nothing all day. It's the driver in setting and attaining goals. The good news is that you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. For that you need to define your priorities and outlive the initial struggle. As Zig Ziglar said, 'Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there.' Therefore getting started is as important as is being consistent. I too have struggled for stretches lasting years fighting lack of motivation. There's no medicine for that though. In addition to sessions with a Psychologist, you must put into practice the tips shared with you by him/her.

So here's a simple manual for those wanting to break free from the depressing world of procrastination, lethargy and resultant guilt.

1) Exercise
There's so much research that backs the mind-body connect! The issue is, what are we doing about it? A slack body - slack mind is a sure shot motivation killer. The antidote for this? Good old exercise. That's the catch- you have to work out for yourself, you can't lean on anyone's shoulder for that. Each one's capacity to exercise varies, as it depends on a person's age, overall health and fitness levels. A 15 minute walk hasn't killed anybody, has it? Just the other day, a bipolar affected pleaded with me, "But how can I go for a walk when I do not have the energy?" Just as energy begets energy, inactivity breeds more lethargy. Therefore, no gain without a little pain. I said to her, "Can't you step out to a nearby park for just 10 minutes initially? Maybe for a stroll in the evening? Enjoy watching nature and people around you. You can increase your commitment as your energy levels shoot up. Then watch your confidence grow!"

2) The Chemical Reaction
Once you begin to exercise regularly, be it walking, jogging or swimming, it contributes to your overall physical and mental fitness. A very pleasant side effect of a 30 minute workout a day is what it does to our brains. When you exercise, the body releases a chemical known as Endorphins, also known as the feel good chemical. This helps relieve stress, anxiety and depression on one hand and boosts self esteem on the other. Don't you think with such a weapon you'd have less reason to feel lethargic? Plus of course the benefits of better physical health which translates into more energy to get things done.

3) Goals
After kick starting your drive towards an active life, the next essential element is direction. When I was off-track due to depression, later on, I wandered aimlessly for a long time. A mentor gifted me a magic mantra- "Set yourself goals", said he. "It doesn't matter whether these goals are small or big." That was a huge catalyst for me and was just what the doctor ordered! Much later, when I was writing my book, I found I had lost steam midway. I had little confidence in myself. "Am I really author material?" My insightful mentor, Jennifer Sertl who generously shepherded me during that challenging period, made it simple for me, "Break it down to writing 500 words a day. Shift focus to this doable everyday task." My desktop background had a large wallpaper then which went, '500 WORDS A DAY'. Before I knew it, my book was done! As an aside, at a seminar by a renowned trainer, we were asked "How do you eat an elephant?" Prompt came my reply, "Bit by bit". Isn't it strange how we miss out on the basics in real life situations?

4) Vision
While goals can be short term or long term, they must ideally be part of a long term vision you have for yourself. To illustrate, I had a simple vision statement when I struggled in my darkest days. "Although I am in the pits now, this is not where I am going to be. I am created to be happy and live a full life, that's where I'll be." I even visualised my future self in an 'ideal scenario'. What happened then was that defining goals to fit into my vision became simpler. So, I took to counseling, loads of learning, yoga, meditation and my efforts got the impetus of a common, important purpose. I had a new direction which pulled me forward.

5) Rewards
The human mind is greedy for acknowledgement and appreciation- we are designed that way! That's why awards and rewards motivate us so much, as does social recognition. How can we do this without banking on others to step in? Small things count. My psychologist shared an invaluable tip when I was depressed. I was told to jot down all the positives of each day at bedtime. For good measure, I could add a bright smiley next to every task accomplished. Firstly, this reassured me that I was up to something good and secondly, it brought in a feel good factor before sleep time. On a larger scale, I learnt to reward myself on accomplishment of larger goals, such as completing my book. Also, I learnt to be less harsh on myself. If I faltered on one day, there was always the next day do recover lost pace.

Incorporating all these tips might just be the road map you need to get motivated. What are we waiting for then?

Vijay Nallawala is an author, storytelling & personal branding coach and mental wellness catalyst