Motivation in the Winter Months
It’s Winter. It’s dark when we wake up, and often dark before we get home. It can be harder to get out of bed as our bodies go into some kind of ‘hibernation’ state. And who are we to argue with nature? There’s a reason why hedgehogs, bats and bears hibernate for the winter months!
There’s no doubt that something does happen to our body in these darker months. You have to dig deeper for motivation, which in itself can be exhausting. Telling myself alone ‘You must be more motivated’ just isn’t cutting it! In fact, I can tell myself this until I’m blue in the face – the motivation doesn’t come – and then I end up feeling frustrated!
But Mind and Body work together … and a thought in our head can spark a reaction in our body.
Situation: Failure to find my motivation.
Thought: I think I have failed.
Emotion: I feel frustrated, and possibly angry with myself.
Behaviour: Despondent, useless, short tempered.
The above shows us how a negative thought, stemmed from a situation, doesn’t serve us very well.
So what can help us find our motivation? A situation that has a more pleasing Situation – Thought – Emotion – Behaviour outcome? I’ve given this some thought, and there is one STAND OUT thing that helps me each day. And it’s a kinder way to find that ‘hibernating motivation’ rather than to just out-rightly ask for it and then expect it to come.
Gratitudes
The one gift that recovering from depression has given me, is Gratitude, and I am thankful for this every day. Every morning as I drink my morning coffee, I aim to remind myself of all the small things that I am grateful for:
- I am grateful for my morning coffee
- I am grateful that I can hear the birds singing in the morning
- I am grateful for hot water in my home
- I am grateful that I can keep warm
- I am grateful for nice food
- I am grateful for nature
- I am grateful for daily sunsets
- I am grateful for people who are kind
- I am grateful for humour and laughter
- I am grateful for my friends and family
- I am grateful to have discovered a love of writing
I am grateful for all of the above and it sustains my confidence, motivation and happiness. If I’m having an ‘off’ day, as we all do, I can look back at the above to remind me. I can also accept that some bad days are just going to be rubbish! It’s not just a cliche – tomorrow can be a new day.
Gratitude should come from within. We need to create our own thoughts and feeling of gratitude. It’s not for other people to say to us ‘You have so much to be grateful for’ How many times has someone said this to you? Does it ever help? I’ve heard these sorts of comments made:.
‘ At least you don’t have to work’ to a woman who is struggling to find her identity.
‘ At least you have a roof above your head’ to someone who lives in a pokey overcrowded flat.
‘ At least you have children’ to a woman who has a difficult time with her autistic child.
It doesn’t help to be told that you ‘should be grateful…’
But it is a wonderful thing to be able to tell yourself ‘I am grateful …’
I can see and feel what gratitude does for my happiness and wellbeing each day. And it’s a kinder way to find my motivation.
Remember that mind and body always work together. My situation is the same and I am 'failing to find my motivation' But I want to change my Thought, and I now chose to do this by thinking of the things that I Am Grateful for.
New Outcome
Situation: Failure to find my motivation.
New Thought: I think of my gratitudes. What am I grateful for?
New Emotion: Happy, fulfilled, sense of achievement
New Behaviour: Good mood, motivated,
I am happy to see that listing my gratitude’s each morning is a positive way to reach a new outcome which can help me find my motivation on a winters day. I wrote this article because I was looking for a way to wake up my own hibernating motivation. I hope this exercise is able to help others too.