How to Maintain Your Motivation While Depressed

Updated on 10/10/23

Depression can zap your energy and drive, making even the simplest tasks feel impossible. Learning how to get motivated when depressed can be a difficult journey — but it’s not impossible. With understanding, patience, and the coping tools you’ll learn here, you can overcome the lack of motivation depression is causing.

Mental health and motivation are integral to leading a full and rewarding life. They can affect interpersonal relationships, how you achieve professional and personal goals, and your ability to feel accomplished across all areas of your life.

Keep reading to learn why motivation can be so challenging while depressed and discover additional ways to manage all of the symptoms of depression.

Why Does Depression Cause a Lack of Motivation?

Before learning how to get motivated when depressed, you must first understand why depression can cause a lack of motivation in some people in the first place. 

Depression can be like a heavy fog. It can drain your enthusiasm and leave you feeling listless and without energy. A critical factor in understanding the link between depressive symptoms and low motivation is understanding how our brains are wired. 

Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are essential in maintaining a healthy and balanced approach to life. When there’s an imbalance, common in people with depression, symptoms like fatigue, loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, and difficulty concentrating can start to dominate your life, ultimately affecting your ability to feel motivated. 

8 Ways to Find Motivation When Depressed

While depression motivation struggles are common, several effective strategies can help.

1. Start small

If you’re struggling with low mood and lack of energy due to depression, try setting small initial goals. Finding success in manageable goals can offer a much-needed kickstart to boost motivation in other areas of your life. 

Remember that small goals are key here — they’ll allow you to experience the joy of accomplishment while preventing you from feeling overwhelmed by more significant projects. If you feel a depressive episode coming on, start with just a simple daily task or small goal to spark your internal motivation.

2. Create a routine you like

Human nature thrives on routine and stability. Limiting chaos is crucial if you’re trying to manage your depression symptoms. Incorporate activities you enjoy into your daily routine, so the essential chores that must get done don’t overwhelm you. 

When you balance things you like with things you must do, your chances of staying on track greatly increase. A well-planned daily schedule enhances emotional health by giving you control over time management and ensuring you complete necessary everyday tasks.

“If you’re ambivalent about starting something new, think about what is authentic. Challenging yourself, exploring something new, and taking small steps towards a new goal is great, but if it feels unnatural or too out of the box, you’ll be less inclined to repeat. I always encourage taking on 1-2 things that are amenable to your existing environment and routine that can help you feel successful rather than overwhelming yourself with too much too soon. Otherwise, it can be easy to sabotage efforts with negative self-talk.”

– Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Keohan, LCSW-C, LICSW, LCSW

3. Break tasks into steps 

People living with depression often find that large objectives can be incredibly daunting. This can be even more true if they involve complex scenarios or revisiting sad topics during depressive episodes. Breaking down large tasks into small steps makes things much more approachable. It can reduce stress and increase productivity and motivation since progress seems more achievable than overwhelming.

4. Practice self-compassion

Feeling unmotivated or unable to complete tasks due to depression can lead some people down a path of harsh self-criticism. Maintaining positive emotional health means practicing self-kindness and understanding that setbacks are a normal part of everyone’s journey. Reframe your thought process to see challenges as opportunities rather than personal failures.

People who practice self-compassion generally experience lower levels of depression and anxiety, according to studies. It’s a mindset shift that helps you feel motivated by reducing your negative perceptions that are characteristic of depression. 

5. Engage in physical activity

Regular exercise and an active lifestyle can boost motivation and improve overall mental health, especially during a depressive episode. Even simple everyday activities, like walking or doing yoga, can trigger endorphin release, the brain’s natural mood enhancer. A more positive mood will boost your motivation and, ultimately, give you a sense of accomplishment as you complete daily tasks.

Ways to get active:

• Do yoga
• Go for a walk
• Dance
• Take a bike ride

6. Lean on supportive relationships

Maintaining supportive relationships and social connections is imperative in managing feelings of depression. Surround yourself with positive people who encourage and motivate you to see a new perspective on life. There’s a strong correlation between having quality social support networks and improving depressive symptoms. If you are feeling up for it, talk to a loved one about your depressive thoughts and low motivation. They may be able to provide you with the encouragement you need to seek professional help.

7. Limit the negativity in your life

Negativity can be a huge barrier to motivation. Unhealthy thought processes or external influences — like pessimistic people — can worsen even moderate depression. By identifying these elements in your life, you can reduce how severely they impact your emotional health. 

“When mood takes a dip, so too does our motivation. This is where self-efficacy becomes important. We have to believe we can be successful in acquiring progress. Everything from cultivating space, enlisting supportive people in your life, and creating space for affirmations can make a huge impact on your susceptibility to say “yes, I can do this” versus feeling influenced by those automatic negative thoughts or ANTS that can so easily be self-defeating.”

– Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Keohan, LCSW-C, LICSW, LCSW 

8. Work on building motivation with a therapist

Consulting a therapist might be the best course of action if you’ve tried all the suggestions and still feel lost, like your depression is getting worse, and you’re unable to motivate yourself. When coupled with other self-help tools, therapy can help you overcome the lack of motivation depression causes.

During therapy for depression, various approaches can be used to address your individual needs and circumstances. For example:

• Breaking down tasks: If managing large tasks is a trigger, a therapist might help you learn how to break things down into smaller, more manageable goals.
• Toxic relationships: If toxic relationships add to your depression, therapy can be a great place to practice setting and enforcing boundaries. Boundaries can help you distance yourself from unhealthy people and relationships that impact your ability to remain motivated.
• Negative thought and behavior patterns: If you have a habit of engaging in unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, a therapist can help you identify them so you can change.

Manage Symptoms of Depression with Talkspace

Talkspace can connect you to a licensed therapist who can help you learn how to get motivated when depressed. Our online platform makes therapy easy and flexible through text messages, voice notes, or video calls. Making therapy as accessible as possible makes it easier to get help if you’re struggling with motivation.

The journey through depression is rarely easy, but with the right tools, you can find light at the end of the tunnel. Talkspace is here to support you as you work to find motivation and overcome your depression. Reach out to Talkspace today to get a formal depression diagnosis and treatment plan.