Ask a Therapist - Getting Unstuck

A lot of times, the difficulty with motivation is that not only do we feel unmotivated, but we also judge ourselves and get down on ourselves for feeling unmotivated. And that can be a big barrier to shaking out of that lost feeling. (gentle upbeat music) Hi, I am Ryan. I'm a therapist with Headspace and welcome back to "Ask A Therapist." And our next question comes from Claudia. I hope I'm pronouncing your name correctly. And Claudia asks a question about seasonal affective disorder. The question is, "What should I do "when I feel completely unmotivated? "I struggle to work, go for a walk, watch a movie, "or do anything productive. "Staying in bed doesn't help. "I'm tired during the day, but can't sleep at night "or wake up early. "This doesn't happen every day, "but when it does, I feel lost. "Do you have any suggestions? "Is there a specific Headspace program I should try? "What's the best place to start?" Well, actually I'll start by sharing a specific Headspace program in the app. You can go in and search 'motivation.' Some of my favorite guided meditations that we offer are Motivation Run or Motivation Jog. And you don't have to jog, no one will will tell on you. You can walk, you can run, you can jog and they'll guide you through a really useful meditation to help you increase your motivation. But I share that because getting outta the house is gonna be one of the most important things in helping you to build that motivation. A lot of times, when we're stuck or lost, as your question suggests, one of the best things we can do is change our environment. That changes the sensory experiences that we're having. It also allows you to notice some different things about yourself. You're not just seeing the same four walls, you're not gonna be thinking the same thoughts. So experiencing the different environment, it's gonna help shake things up for you. And then when you're outside, you can be intentional about, "Okay, when I get back home, "I'm gonna start by making my bed "or I'm gonna take a shower." Or even if it's just, "I'm gonna lie down "and check in with myself and journal, "let my feelings be my feelings," that that needs to be okay sometimes too. A lot of times, the difficulty with motivation is that not only do we feel unmotivated, but we also judge ourselves and get down on ourselves for feeling unmotivated. And that can be a big barrier to shaking out of that lost feeling. And of course, during the winter, the weather can make it difficult to get outside the house, but even if you can just change your physical environment in any way possible, that's gonna be a benefit to you. So the difference between your bedroom and the shower is useful. The difference between your bedroom and the kitchen where there might be opportunities for you to...