For three years in my life, I lacked the energy to keep myself happy and motivated. I spent my days in bed; jobless and friendless. My only companions were the fumes of my cigarettes and that spider on my bathroom wall.
I didn’t have the energy in me to get it together; I never woke up early to seize the day. I never had the energy to do the dishes, which were growing living things during that time.
I never had the energy to cook a wholesome meal, I rarely had something to eat because I suffered from appetite loss. I was greatly suffering from burnout from my previous job and couldn’t summon the energy to get back on my feet.
I envied those go-getters and wanted to become more like them; I envied anyone who radiates happiness because I couldn’t find it in my soul to be happy again. I wanted to feel motivated but never had the energy and always lost momentum.
So how to keep yourself happy and motivated during times of difficulty? How do you keep yourself happy and motivated at any given time?
1- Attitude For Gratitude
A happy person is a grateful one. Realizing your blessings will only make room for more blessings to come.
Start your morning by listing three things you’re grateful for today. Even if your world seems to be a dark one right now, there has to be something you are grateful for. It could be as simple as the ability to read these words, the ability to feel beams of sunshine on your skin, and the ability to taste the bittersweet cup of coffee.
End your day by also listing three things you’re grateful for today. You will sleep with gratitude in your heart and it will make you feel fresh the next morning.
2- Put Yourself First
Putting yourself first means that you know when to say “no” to others when you don’t want to. Putting yourself first means realizing your physical limits and knowing when to give your body time to rest. Putting yourself first is when you work to pave a way for YOUR dreams.
Make yourself a priority and don’t wait for others to make you a priority, you owe that to yourself. Take yourself out on a date, pamper yourself with a professional massage and just be there for yourself.
3- Practice Forgiveness
Forgiveness is your key to happiness. You can never find it in your heart to be happy if it’s full of resentment and hatred-even for those who have wronged you.
Just like love, hate is also energy; it’s destructive energy that can consume your soul. If your soul is drained by this massive energy, it will never have the power to be motivated because all this energy is pointed out towards this hate.
Don’t wait for others to apologize to you; this can be extremely painful because you actually need this person to say that they’re sorry for the things they’ve done. Find it in your heart to forgive them, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you do!
4- Establish Healthier Habits
Motivation comes every now and then; it’s not always present, so you have to constantly feed it. Feeding your motivation requires building healthier habits.
You will never have enough motivation to achieve your dreams if you lack the physical energy to do so. For instance, if all you eat is fast food and you rarely move, your body won’t allow you to be motivated because motivation requires energy!
Another example is when you binge on a Netflix show and suddenly realize that it’s 4 AM and cancel that alarm you’ve set for tomorrow’s morning. By doing this, you’ve killed your momentum of motivation. Instead of waking up and working on your goals, you’re unable to wake up because you stayed up really late.
5- Clean Your Space
Motivation is energy, and energy does NOT flow in messy and untidy places. Dedicate the time to clean your surroundings; your mind will feel at ease. Moreover, cleaning creates this momentum that motivates you to get more things done.
Wash your sheets, don’t let your sink grow living things, deep clean your bathroom and fold your laundry. And please, clean that chair; yes, you know what we’re talking about!
It’s also worth mentioning that cleaning your space doesn’t only include the physical act of cleaning. It also includes the spiritual act of cleansing.
Get rid of bad energy by eliminating toxic people from your life. Stop watering relationships and friendships that are toxic for your soul; if they make you feel bad, let them go. Cleanse your circle.
6- Be Kind To Yourself
Being kind to yourself includes forgiving yourself for your mistakes. Being kind includes talking nicely to yourself; watch the words you use with yourself. Are you poisoning your soul with harmful thoughts and words?
The best way to overcome talking negatively to yourself is by affirmations. Always remind yourself that you’re beautiful, you’re kind, you’re worthy of love, you’re powerful, you’re happy and you’re motivated.
7- Embrace Change
Embrace change and accept it because it’s a normal part of life. Remember that change is inevitable and even necessary for our well-being.
Change is great because it allows you to experience new things and new feelings. Would you rather stay where you are your whole life? Or would you rather visit new places and get to fall in love with new cultures?
Would you rather know the same people and never experience the rush of meeting someone new? Or would you rather meet new people and make new friends?