When You're Lacking Direction or Motivation

Since my move from Eureka to Chico, I've been working on re-grounding myself. Moving is not only hard work but it can also bring up all sorts of intense feelings -- overwhelm, irritation, confusion, fear, anger, sadness.

You don't have to have just moved to experience these things, of course, and I think it's normal for all of us to go through periods of wondering what we're doing in life (or feeling a general sense of apathy or exhaustion).

The big questions come up:

What are my goals? How do I get from point A to point B?

What do I value most? What am I spending my time doing?

(And, my favorite...) What do I want?

Recently I've been relying on three practices to help me release tension and find clarity. If you're going through a hard time too, I'd encourage you to try these -- or discover your own practices for grounding!

What To Do If You're Feeling Apathetic, Unmotivated or Uncertain about Your Future

1. Connect with your body. Roll out your mat and make your yoga practice happen. Even if you're distracted or want nothing more than to sit on the couch all day, commit to your practice. Dedicate a little time each day to moving your body in a way that feels good. Getting started is the hardest part, so aim for just five minutes. If you're not a yoga person, you can try going for a walk, bike ride, or swim (or better yet, have a dance party in your living room!). The goal here is to get to a place where you connect with your body out of joy, not obligation.

2. Do your favorite thing. What do you love doing? This is something that, hands down, makes you feel great. It could be a creative activity, seeing a certain friend that always makes you smile, walking your dog, bouncing on a trampoline, going wine tasting, driving with the windows down, taking a night off from chores, treating yourself to something nice, who knows! You know yourself (or maybe it's time to get re-acquainted). What do you love? Do that thing. No excuses. Clear a space in your schedule, go out and do what you love, and give yourself permission to enjoy it.

3. Practice gratitude. This one always sounds cheesy, I know, but gratitude can be a powerful way to shift out of a crap mood. To practice gratitude, spend a few minutes sitting quietly outside, just noticing what's around you. Or make a list (write down five things you're grateful for). Or say "thank you" to someone you love. Or just take a moment (just one!) and say out loud, "I'm grateful for right now." Or, "I'm grateful to be here." Trust this gratitude, and let it be bigger than your fear, your lack of direction, or your feelings of apathy.

Cheers to getting grounded, finding new motivation, and letting go.

It will get better. :)

Photos by Jobi Otso.