The Search For Motivation
A user’s guide to staying motivated and sane during a global pandemic.
Are you feeling restless from being restricted to a confined space for a long time? Are you feeling lost?
If you are still able to work from home with much ease and comfort, consider yourself to be extremely lucky given how the world is suffering due to the global pandemic. Nonetheless, accepting and navigating this new normal doesn’t come without its challenges.
While it was easy to romanticise working from home at first, whether it was staying home with our pets, catching up on additional sleep, and sharing workspaces with loved ones. Soon after, unforeseen pressures begin to bubble up to the surface.
Working from home during a lockdown means colleagues know we are accessible 24/7, which also means work comes in during odd hours and weekends. It’s easy for leads to imagine that people would be on Netflix all day, which might make some of us feel the need to display productivity more than focusing on the act of being productive itself.
In practice, by and large, our productivity levels have remained the same. Based on the research we had conducted previously, in fact, most of us actually felt that our levels of productivity have increased.
Why then, are so many of us feeling burnt out? Being productive doesn’t necessarily correlate with motivation. And let’s face it, 2 months of quarantine have contributed to lower morale levels in many.
While it’s understandable to struggle with finding joy in what you do right now, here are some ways you can slowly regain that one step at a time.
First things first, practise kindness and self-compassion. For a lot of us, this doesn’t come naturally.
Stressed, worried, and anxious about everything that’s happening? Feeling guilty for even feeling these emotions because you’re in a privileged position? Don’t be. You have every right to feel. Acknowledge it. Respect it. Breathe. But don’t wallow in it for too long.
Remember that these are unprecedented times. You’re doing the best with the tools you have and that there will be things that happen beyond your control.
Choose to focus on the things that you can control, and make a conscious effort not to indulge in overthinking.
“The human mind is automatically attracted to the worst possible case, often very inaccurately,” says Martin Seligman, founder of the field of Positive Psychology.
The only way out of this is mindfulness. If you find yourself being too hard on yourself, or overthinking unnecessarily, remember to stop your thoughts in their tracks and ask: Do these thoughts benefit me? Have I done my (realistic) best? At the end of the day, if you feel like you have done your best under the circumstances, then that is more than enough.
It’s okay to share your feelings too — more likely than not, people are just as confused as you are. Sharing your feelings with someone you trust helps you relieve some of that stress, and may bring you a little closer. Remember that you’re not alone in this.
But don’t stop there — take care of your mind but don’t neglect your body. As mentioned, focus on the things you can do. Some thought starters:
- Take time to indulge in a little skincare routine (less makeup and pollutants for maximum skincare efficacy)
- Get creative and experiment with cooking (try healthy ingredients)
- Take a break from the sedentary lifestyle and jump on a 30-day shred challenge on YouTube
- A glass or two of red wine is fine to wind down the day (it’s filled with antioxidants!), but be careful not to grow too dependent on it.
Self-motivation begins with self-awareness.
Ask yourself: what drives you?
This will take a little bit of self-exploration of your intrinsic motivators. But once you have this figured out, it’s easy to apply day-to-day.
For example, it’s growth and a sense of achievement for some. For others, it could be creativity, problem-solving, advancement, economic gain, or fame. Whatever it is, be honest with yourself and try to dig deep.
Once you’ve figured this out, all you need to do is apply it to every task — think of how it benefits you and your goals. Going back to our example, if we’re tasked with “completing a research report”, try to think of it as a “learning opportunity so we can master our craft”, which if done well, will fill us with a sense of accomplishment.
Here’s a handy formula to frame your thoughts:
This task enables me to ‘personal motivator 1’ and ‘personal motivator 2’ which brings me one step closer to my personal goal.
“There is liberation in this suspension of more or less everything” Justin EH Smith, Professor of history and philosophy at the University of Paris.
Where there is disruption, there is an opportunity. This pandemic has brought us an undeniably golden opportunity to slow down, reprioritise, and tap into a skill or hobby we’ve always mused upon but never acted on.
By now, many of us will have settled into something resembling a “pandemic daily routine”, which takes care of work, chores, kids, and other responsibilities. Without the need to commute and have activities outside your household, using those additional pockets of time to build a skill or tap into a hobby will make you feel more fulfilled and motivated. And this renewed sense of excitement may also bleed into other areas of your life, improving your overall psyche when approaching other commitments.
Below is a list of some resources you can explore to get you started:
- Coursera (courses from world-class universities and companies): https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=free
- Udemy (courses from world-class universities and companies): https://www.udemy.com/courses/free/
- Skillshare (art and design courses): https://www.skillshare.com/
- AloMoves (yoga, meditation, fitness): https://www.alomoves.com/
We’re all navigating the same storm, but on
different boats.
Do what’s best for you, as everyone is dealing with this situation differently. If for you that means upskilling and finally learning how to code, great! If picking up a new skill isn’t for you, then focus on doing your best at your existing commitments and be sure to make the most of your rest time in between. Remember, self-compassion and awareness is key to a healthy mindset, whether it’s a pandemic or not. We hope some of our tips can help you gain back that spark. Take care and stay safe wherever you are!
Missed the Zoom session with us? Catch up here. Live a comment if you do have any questions or simply show some love!
This article is brought to you by the Aleph’s Research squad (Avis Lum, Hafiz and Sophia Himawan.)
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