How to Get Motivated When You’re Stuck in a Slump

We all go through stretches where motivation disappears. Right now, I’m in one myself, which is why I wanted to talk about it, with a little context.

One of my main income streams is marketing consulting, but at the moment, my client load is light. It wasn’t intentional, but I embraced the timing since I was feeling pretty drained. Because I work for myself and juggle multiple projects: a podcast, an Amazon business, and my career coaching practice. You’d think I’d be using this slow period to get ahead.

I could be recording podcast episodes, promoting my coaching services, or hunting for new products to sell on Amazon. Instead? None of that. I’m not dropping the ball on responsibilities, but I’m also not using this extra time in any sort of “productive” way.

With wide open days, I could be catching up on neglected tasks, cleaning out my closet, enjoying the summer, going to the gym, or checking out a museum exhibit. Anything, really. Instead, I’m glued to the couch, deep into Suits and random documentaries, cleaning my apartment (again), and putzing around.

Whether it’s the gym, a side hustle, or that big project you’ve been avoiding, slumps happen to everyone. They just show up differently for each of us.

What they have in common are signs: procrastinating on even small tasks, low energy, no enthusiasm for things you used to enjoy, sometimes even skipping commitments or showing up late. I’ve hit that point where I’m tired of being bored. It makes no sense. I have plenty to do, but I’m still choosing not to do it.

So I started asking myself: why do we lose the drive to do anything, even when we know we “should”? Here’s what I came up with.

Why You Might Feel Unmotivated

Burnout

This is my culprit. Burnout is that full-body exhaustion, mental, physical, and emotional, that comes from long stretches of stress. It leaves you too drained to muster motivation for anything, no matter how much free time you have.

Stress

Stress is normal in small doses, but when it’s constant, it wears you down. Chronic stress leads to anxiety, fatigue, and depression, which can make even basic tasks feel impossible.

Boredom

Sometimes it’s not stress, it’s the opposite. When life feels repetitive or meaningless, it’s hard to care. Without something stimulating to sink your teeth into, motivation drops fast.

Overwhelm

Too much on your plate, whether it’s work, personal stuff, or both, can make everything feel impossible to start. You end up stuck in place because it all feels like too much.

Lack of Clear Goals

When you’re not sure what you’re working toward, it’s hard to find the energy to work on…anything. Clear goals create direction. Without them, you spin your wheels.

How to Kickstart Motivation

There’s no one-size-fits-all trick. These are a few approaches worth experimenting with:

1. Pretend you’re motivated.

Act like the version of you who’s in the zone. Put on real clothes. Move around. Start doing the things you’d do if motivation were there. Action often comes before motivation, not the other way around.

2. Argue the opposite.

When you catch yourself thinking, “I don’t have time” or “I’ll probably fail,” flip it. Make a case for why you actually can succeed or why starting now is worth it. Sometimes all you need is to poke holes in your own excuses.

3. Practice self-compassion.

Beating yourself up doesn’t work. Research shows that speaking to yourself with kindness helps you bounce back faster. Think about how you’d talk to a close friend in the same situation, and talk to yourself that way.

4. Use the Ten Minute Rule.

Give yourself permission to do just ten minutes of whatever it is you’ve been avoiding. After ten minutes, you can quit guilt-free. Nine times out of ten, you’ll keep going once you’ve started.

5. Reward yourself.

Set small rewards for yourself, whether that’s a coffee break, time with a friend, or an episode of your favorite show, after hitting a milestone. Experiment with small, frequent rewards vs. bigger rewards to see what keeps you moving.

The key is to try a few approaches until you find what works. Some days you’ll need a reward to get moving, other days it’s the ten-minute trick. The important thing is to start small and not expect a switch to flip overnight.

Motivation isn’t a permanent state; it comes and goes. When it’s gone, these strategies can help you coax it back.