Depression is one of the most common mood disorders impacting people in the United States. In fact, studies indicate that as much as 8% of U.S. adults have experienced at least one depressive episode in their lives. The knowledge that you’re not alone can provide some comfort, but navigating life with depression can still be extremely difficult. Each person experiences depression differently, but lack of motivation is one of the most common effects of depression. For people dealing with lack of motivation as one of their most predominant depression symptoms, daily tasks, even those that seem small or easy to accomplish, can feel impossible or overwhelming, but therapy can help you overcome lack of motivation related to depression.
Why Is it Difficult to Get Motivated When You’re Depressed?
Depression means low mood, but it also means feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. These feelings can make it really difficult to get motivated to complete tasks. When individuals feel hopeless, completing tasks can seem pointless, which makes it difficult to get started with a project let alone finish a task. Helplessness can make tasks seem insurmountable. Additionally, depression can lead to physical symptoms like exhaustion and body aches, which also diminish motivation.
What Steps Can People Take to Increase Motivation?
Increasing motivation when you’re dealing with depression symptoms is all about taking steps and being consistent.
- Think back to a time when you didn’t feel depressed. What activities did you engage in? Start participating in these again (and don’t wait until you feel like doing them).
- Doing small tasks like making your bed each day, showering, and eating meals at regular times can help to increase your ability and motivation to complete other tasks.
- Identify unhelpful habits that are keeping you stuck, and replace them with helpful habits that can break you out of the depressive rut.
- Some people benefit from inviting others to help them complete tasks. When working with another person, there’s someone else there to encourage you to keep going and provide an external source of motivation.
As much as you want to get motivated, remember that there are days when you may not be able to. Try to push yourself forward, but remember, it’s okay if you’re not successful every day or every time you make an attempt. Give yourself permission to keep trying.
Will Increased Motivation Improve Depression Symptoms?
There are many different therapy approaches that improve depression symptoms, including increasing motivation. Behavioral activation is one of the most beneficial solutions. Behavioral activation is the belief that our behaviors can activate emotional states, for better or for worse. When we feel depressed, we are more likely to engage in behaviors that keep us feeling depressed. You know when you’re feeling really sad, so you put on a playlist of your favorite sad songs? That behavior can keep us in a downward spiral. On the other hand, if we engage in the opposite behavior (for example, change the playlist to upbeat, happy songs), we may be able to improve our mood. Behavioral activation focuses on changing or eliminating unhelpful behaviors that keep us stuck, by incorporating more helpful behaviors that create an upward spiral. That’s just one example, but it’s amazing how much better you’ll feel and how much more motivation you’ll have when you make small changes in your behavior.
How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy is extremely beneficial for individuals who are experiencing depression symptoms like a lack of motivation. Using behavioral activation and other proven counseling approaches, the therapists at Cedar Counseling & Wellness can help you successfully manage the impact of depression on your daily life, so you can feel more satisfied and fulfilled. When you’re ready to get started working with us, simply take a few minutes to complete our online scheduling request form.
