We all get into a funk sometimes, and no matter how determined or positive you are it can be hard to stay motivated. The fact is you can’t expect to be on form and to feel one hundred percent motivated one hundred percent of the time. The best thing you can do is be ready with the right tools and strategies to help you get back on track, and to make sure your unproductive frame of mind doesn’t seriously affect your work or your day. 

So how can you stay motivated when you’re not in the mood? 

The following strategies will help you get back in the right mindset, feeling motivated and ready to take on the day the next time you wake up feeling a little off. 

1.Listen to a podcast 

I love listening to a good podcast, and since I also host one you can’t blame me for being a little biased. But if you’ve been trying to figure out how to stay motivated or how to get into a positive and productive frame of mind, listening to a podcast can really help. Whether it’s about people sharing success stories, something informative or something funny, listening to a podcast can inspire you and before you know it you’ll be bak on form. 

All this while you’re driving, on the train or walking to wherever you need to go. So you can easily fit it into your morning routine before work. 

If you haven’t already done it, subscribe to the She Owns Success Podcast in iTunes and hear amazing women sharing their stories about how they started their businesses. 

2. Watch an inspiring video

Another great way to get inspired and stay motivated is by watching video. Now, I know what you’re thinking; what if you get sucked into an uncontrollable marathon on Youtube? What if you can’t stop? I know, that risk is very real, but it’s one you will have to take. And if you do get sucked into a youtube rabbit hole, at least you’ll be focusing on something positive.

3. Have a dance 

Have you ever found yourself getting into a piece of music so  much that you just had to get up and have a dance? How did you feel? Yep, amazing! The benefits of dancing include reduced tension, less stress, more energy, calming and so much more. According to research, dancing is a great activity for protecting your brain long term from dementia and has even been shown to cause a decrease in fatigue in those experiencing symptoms of depression. 

Need more reasons to hit the dance floor? … I didn’t think so. So start strutting your stuff! 

4. Go for a run

Firstly, let me say that all exercise is great for you and will definitely help you to stay motivated and focused every day. You just need to pick any activity that suits you. So if you’re not a fan of running, there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you’ve found your thing, dancing maybe? However, you might still want to read on as running does provide some great benefits.

Running is a great way to increase your fitness level, burn fat and lose weight, if this is your goal, but the psychological benefits are also huge and can’t be ignored. They include improved memory or capacity to learn and retain information, decreased symptoms of depression and reduced anxiety . Like dancing running has also been shown to protect the brain from ageing.

If that’s not enough for you, in my experience it also does wonders for your skin. 

Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to get some activity into your daily routine, it will definitely help you to keep motivated long term. 

5. Read a book 

So many books, not enough time. When it comes to reading, we often feel like we just don’t have the time to fit it in. If this is what you were thinking, then answer this-how many episodes of Game of Throws have you watched? Exactly, you can replace Game of Thrones with anything you want, Greys Anatomy, SATC, Friends … anything old school! But seriously, the fact is, we can always find the time for this, while still claiming we don’t have time to do things that will really help us move forwards towards achieving our long term goals.  

Sure, it’s nice to couch out from time to time, but for many of us, this has become a lifestyle and it’s not helping us is anyway. So, next time you feel a bit rubbish, before you start planning that box set binge, try losing yourself in a good book instead. 

6. Eat That Frog! Train yourself to complete the most important task first.

 According to the great book “Eat That Frog” by Brian Tracey, if you want to be more productive, and more successful you should tackle the most important and most challenging or “ugly” task on your to-do list first thing in the morning, before you do anything else.

By doing this you will become more effective and ultimately get more important things done. So, next time you have a long list to get through, ask yourself –  what is the biggest, most important and perhaps most daunting task on your list, then eat that frog.

 7. Break big tasks down into smaller chunks

You know you need to eat that frog and tackle the most challenging and important task, but what if you just can’t, what then? One of the things that can make you feel seriously overwhelmed and get in the way of your productivity is having too many large and seemingly unmanageable tasks on your to do list. 

When this happens, avoid getting overwhelmed by breaking down huge complex tasks into smaller more manageable and actionable chunks. This way, you’re less likely to get that feeling of dread when you think about what you need to get done for the day. 

By completing these smaller steps, you’l not only continue to move forwards and stay productive, you’ll also have the added bonus of feeling a sense of accomplishment with each item you complete. 

When you complete even small tasks, your body releases dopamine the neurotransmitter in your body responsible for managing your pleasure and reward systems, in other words, it makes you feel good, which makes you more motivated to complete another task. So the doing makes you want to do more, it’s a win, win! So stop wondering how to stay motivated and start taking action! 

8. Track & review your progress

When you’re in the thick of things it can be easy to forget just how far you’ve come. Simply keeping track of your progress and accomplishments along the way can give you motivation at a later time when you need it most. When things are not be going so well, or when you start being hard on yourself and thinking about all the things you haven’t yet done, this is the time to take out your journal of accomplishments and remind yourself how far you’ve really come. 

So, go grab yourself a fancy journal and start writing down those accomplishments. 

9. Get an accountability partner

If you’ve ever planned to do something on your own but changed your mind at the last minute, then you’ll understand the value of having and accountability partner. Whatever goal you’re trying to achieve an accountability partner will help you get there. 

Here are just a few ways an accountability partner will help you to stay motivated:

  • Helping you keep on track
  • Pushing you to go further than you might go on your own
  • Being honest with you when you need it, and reminding you of why you’re doing what you’re in the first place 

Frankly, the thought of having to let someone else know that you haven’t done what you were supposed to do is likely to get you fired up and motivated to complete anything. 

10. Remember your WHY

When you don’t know why you’re doing something it’s hard to stay motivated to do it. Make sure that everything you do moves you closer to your goals because when you can connect your daily actions, which might be small and sometimes not so fun, to achieving something you really want, then you will be more determined and able to push through and complete the task at hand, no matter what.