5 Ways to Increase Your Motivation this Blue Monday

Today, the third Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. A combination of post Christmas blues, cold dark days, the arrival of unpaid credit card bills (after overspending at Christmas), are said to have contributed to the naming of this day.

Started in 2005, some say it was a PR stint started by a travel company and is not backed up by scientific evidence. A great way some would say to sell their holidays. Other companies are jumping on the back of Blue Monday and it is reported that MacDonalds are giving away free burgers until 25th January when you download their app; Whole Foods Supermarket is reportedly giving away a free lunch and Aldi, Boots, and others are Tweeting about #BlueMonday offers they are giving away.

Whether or not there is any substance to it being the most depressing day of the year, many people do find their motivation levels dip as we get further in to the month of January.

With the cold, dark mornings and reduced daylight typical of this time of year, it can be challenging to find the motivation to leap out of bed in the mornings. But unless you are in position to take the whole of January off and spend it in sunnier climes, you will need to find a way to get your motivation up if you’re suffering from the January blues.

Many of us are led by our emotions, and it is important that we develop our self awareness so that we recognise when unhelpful emotions are sapping our motivation. We are so much more than how we feel, and you CAN overcome any feelings of low motivation.

If you are feeling the blues this Blue Monday, here are 5 tips to help put the zing back in your life and increase your motivation.

1. Develop hope

‘Hope is… the belief that the future will be better than the present, coupled with the belief that you have the power to make it so’ Dr Shane Lopez

The Cambridge Dictionary defines hope as, to want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might.

To be hopeful requires thinking positively about the future and putting the effort in to make things happen. Dr Lopez said that when we think that our futures will be better than our present situations, we start working harder today and are more likely to be engaged in our work.  

Whilst you may come against obstacles and setbacks, how you think and feel will determine how you respond. It requires you not to be passive, but to make a choice that despite how you are feeling, you will take steps to move forward.

Hope is contagious so surround yourself with hopeful people and observe what strategies they have in place.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Think about who or what you are putting your faith in.

2. Set meaningful goals

Did you set goals or make New Year resolutions at the beginning of the month, but already you’ve abandoned them? If so, you are not alone. According to Stanford researchers, more than 40% of Americans who make New Year resolutions abandon them within just a few weeks. As the year goes on, that figure increases to 90%. 

Many times when people make New Years resolutions, or set goals, they are not intrinsically motivating. People who set intrinsically motivating goals are more likely to achieve them, so set goals that are meaningful. Think about your values and the things that really matter to you and align your goals with them.

3. Have a strategy to achieve your goals

It’s one thing to set goals, but if you don’t have a strategy to achieve them, you could end up wandering around aimlessly to get there. A bit like driving from London to Scotland. If you didn’t know the route, you wouldn’t set off without first planning your journey.  You would want to know how you are going to get there.

Identify what is needed to achieve your goals and breakdown what needs to be done into small steps. Big goals may seem overwhelming, but by breaking down what needs to be done in to smaller steps, you may find it easier to achieve.

And don’t just wait until you achieve your goals to reward yourself, reward yourself for your achievements along the way.

4. Anticipate set backs

When you are striving to achieve a goal, a set back or an obstacle has the propensity to throw you completely off track. Using the drive from London to Scotland analogy, when you put your destination postcode in the sat nav, it brings up a list of different routes you can take. As you’re driving, if there is a traffic delay en route, the sat nav will quickly identify the next best route and re-route itself. By identifying different ways in which to achieve your goals, if you do get a setback, take a different route.

Don’t just be mindful of potential external setbacks, be aware of the internal personal triggers that are likely to throw you off track. Put things in place to help you overcome them, or to minimise them from setting you back. People who visualise obstacles and how they will get around them, are more likely to achieve their goals.

5. Eliminate your energy drainers

When our energy levels are up, we perform better, and we function better. Energy drainers sap away our motivation, leaving us feeling drained. Keep a check on how you are emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, keeping yourself well developed in all four areas.

There may well be energy drainers that you have no control over, so rather than put too much focus on them so that they deplete your energy, look at what you can do to influence change. If you are unable to influence change, change how you respond to the situation.

If you’re suffering from the January blues, remember, you choose your mood, your mood doesn’t choose you.

How do you deal with the January blues? What else would you add to this? Please let me know in the comments below.

If your motivation levels are so low that you are experiencing depression, or you are unable to shake off a low mood, please get professional help from. Organisations such as Samaritans have a confidential service, and may be able to help, or point you in the direction of someone who can. If you are outside the UK, find out whether there is a similar organisation in your area.

ABOUT ME:

I am The Coach for High Achieving Introverted Women, an Executive, Career, Business Coach, Writer, Speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice UK 2017 and 2018, and the founder of Abounding Solutions . With over 25 years coaching and leadership experience, I help women (with a particular emphasis on introverted women) to be great leaders.

I also help organisations develop the talent pipeline of female employees so that more women make it to senior management roles.

Are you a high achieving introverted woman who wants to thrive as a leader and learn how to deal with the challenges that introverted women face as leaders, and want to become your best possible self? If so, join my Facebook community for high achieving introverted women here.

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