How I Muster Up Motivation On The Days I Have None

September 11, 2025
by Katelyn

Life Hacks School/Life Balance

There are mornings when I just wake up on the wrong side of my bed. Brushing my teeth feels like I’m running a marathon, and my to-do list glares at me menacingly like a villain. These are the days that I feel like my motivation somehow took an unexpected vacation, and I am left trying to drag myself through the day. While I desperately want to curl up in my warm, cozy blankets and have them ward away responsibilities, I do my best to fight back.

This is especially true now that I am in my second year of the E-OTD program. I juggle many roles and responsibilities, from being a Student Ambassador, serving as president of Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE), working at the HSC gym, to making time to network. On paper, it looks like a lot.

I used to think that my lack of motivation on some days meant I was lazy and unproductive. But over time, I’ve learned that motivation isn’t meant to be constant. It’s not a random magical spark that appears daily. Rather, it’s something that is to be created, nurtured, and sometimes borrowed.

Here are some tips I have learned to help me get motivated:

• Start Small - When I think back to when I was working to understand motivation, I find some of these “small tasks” embarrassing and can’t help but laugh. Some of my personal favorites were “just sit in the chair,” “just put on your socks,” or “just turn on the computer.” While they felt like embarrassingly small tasks, they helped me kickstart my engine. Sure, my engine would sputter, stall, and maybe end up with me back on my bed (or sometimes on the floor), but all I needed was that one good crank to get momentum again.
• Enhance Your Environment - Once kick-started, I’d continue my momentum forward by changing my environment to be engaging. For me, that looked like lighting a candle, putting on some calming music (looking back, upbeat music worked better to keep me awake), or moving around the house.
• Reward Yourself - After I’ve set myself up for success, I’d reward myself. This is where it can get a little dicey. Rewards encouraged motivation, but the wrong ones could kill it. I discovered the perfect reward for me was chocolate or something sweet. If I tried a show, my phone, or other forms of screentime, I’d slip down a never-ending rabbit hole of doomscrolling. So remember: reward yourself early on, and find out what reward works best for you and your motivation!
• Borrow Energy From a Friend - Sometimes, all of these tips won’t work. That’s okay! It’s okay to ask for help. Some days, I simply don’t have the energy to generate motivation all on my own. On these days, I call my boyfriend or chat with a friend. Borrowing their energy, even for just a quick moment, to jumpstart my day when my own spark was missing worked like a charm.
• Reframe Your Thinking - In my opinion, this was the hardest part of finding motivation and meaning. It’s easy to think “just get this done” or “get this finished so I can do something else.” Instead, reframe it as “I’m building the skills for the work I want to do.” As an Ambassador, I remind myself that every tabling event or conversation helps me represent the program I believe in. As PTE president, I see each meeting as a chance to foster and lead the community. At the gym, I remind myself that supporting others’ health aligns with my own values. And networking provides me with leadership and professional development. Tying each of these responsibilities helps me transform the things just “in my calendar” into meaningful steps towards the kind, professional person I want to be.

It’s funny. Only now, as I write this blog, do I realize I employed Occupational Therapy (OT) tactics and thinking on myself. Breaking down into smaller steps, changing my environment, or even finding meaning in what I’m doing all mirror many core principles of OT. I guess in a way, I’ve become my own client.

Reflecting now, I realize this is why I love OT so much. OT isn’t just about the clinical settings; it’s about everyday life. Everyone has those days where motivation feels out of reach, but OT gives us the tools to adapt, create, and reconnect with what matters. I hope to continue to take the lessons I learn myself to my future clients.

So, if I caught you on a day that you feel like doing nothing, know that you aren’t lazy or broken. You’re just human. Start small, be kind to yourself, and remember that even the tiniest, most embarrassing step forward counts.

Ta-ta for now!

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