Causes of Demotivation and Restlessness

Every year, a large number of people resolve to make a positive change in their life. You might wish to reduce weight, earn more money, recommit to your faith, or spend more time with your family.

However, only about 8% of them follow through on their resolutions. ^[1] You come across an impediment along the route that makes you feel restless and unmotivated.

It’s critical to understand that restlessness is a natural aspect of existence. Things do not always go as planned or as swiftly as you would like. There is a range of steps you can take to bounce back in life, depending on why you feel that way.

The seven most prevalent reasons for restlessness are listed below, along with some techniques to help you feel better.

1. Suppression of True Passion

In everyone’s head, there are two little voices. Your inner self has one voice, while your inner critic has the other.

Your inner self is the source of your creativity, self-assurance, and sense of direction. When you were younger, this permitted you to march to the beat of your own drum. You played because you wanted to. You went to sleep when you were ready to.

However, as you grew older, you were taught that following your passion made you selfish or reckless.

Your inner critic began to take over, telling you why it was best to play things safe. As a result of having to repress your desires in order to please others, you began to feel restless.

This internal conflict is draining. As a result, you must always be honest with yourself. Allow your intuition to guide you, and understand that you won’t be able to please everyone.

2. Battling on Too Many Fronts

They don’t mean everything at once when they say you can have whatever you desire. Because you set yourself up for failure, you may be restless and unmotivated.

You might, for example, find it difficult to cut back on your expenses while trying to eat healthier. After all, most people will agree that eating properly necessitates spending more money on raw foods. Because your objectives are diametrically opposed, you must prioritize them.

The same is true if your goal is to get a promotion and spend more time with your family. Promotions usually entail taking on extra projects while keeping your present workload.

Naturally, you will build efficiency as you become familiar with the new tasks, but you may need to work overtime on multiple occasions, too.

3. Negative Perspective About Life

Failure can make you feel like you need to reevaluate your life. As you deal with setbacks, consider the following questions:

Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing?
Should I have been more cautious?
Is this to say it’s not for me?

When you’re wondering if you’ve wasted the last few years following a far-fetched ambition, it’s natural to feel restless.

The issue with asking yourself, “What went wrong?” is that you’ll get a negative response.

Instead of focusing on all of the things that are wrong with the world, begin to focus on what is great in your life. Consider the following question: “What is one positive effect of attempting and failing?”

4. Lack of Confidence

You stopped believing you were good enough somewhere along this life’s journey, which caused you to become restless.

Consider something that makes you feel really confident as a quick treatment for this cure. It could be something as easy as riding a bike or acing a job interview.

Is it fair to say you haven’t always had faith in your interviewing abilities? What had changed since then?

What has changed is that you have had multiple employment offers throughout the years. The same principle applies to your belief in your ability to ride a bicycle.

When you achieve a goal, doubt fades away from your mind. You don’t need to spend three days practicing for a job interview or learning how to ride a bike. You have a high level of confidence because you have previously passed a range of interview questions^[2].

If you haven’t adequately prepared for the task at hand, you will lack confidence and feel restless.^[3]

5. Excessive Dependence on Others

Having to rely on others isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. “If you want to go fast, go alone,” says an African proverb. However, if you want to go far, you should travel together.”

When you work with others, you have a partner who holds you accountable and encourages you to keep going. The issue develops when you are overly reliant on others.

You forfeit control over areas of your life the more you rely on others.

It’s similar to those class projects when you had to work in groups. If you don’t enjoy procrastination, a partner who doesn’t look at the work until a week before the deadline will irritate you.

To stop feeling restless and keep others from siphoning your motivation, you need to collaborate with people who share your core values.

6. Experiencing Burnout

Burnout is no joke. It is usually the result of trying to do too much too quickly^[4]. You feel as if you have lost time; you want to make up for the last five years in a short time.

Someone who has gained 90 pounds in three years and now wants to lose it all in three months is a good example. Is that even possible? Most likely, but what kind of diet would someone need to follow to lose a pound a day?

Consider someone who has been wanting to establish a business for a few years. They’ve always found a reason to postpone the date, but now they’re feeling pressed for time.

They toil away at their day jobs and work on the business all night, averaging only an hour of sleep per night.

You may believe that things are finally moving in the right direction, but how long can you maintain this momentum?

When you ultimately burn out, you’ll get restless, especially when your profits begin to fade. As a result, you must have a realistic schedule for your objectives. Keep in mind that you’re forming a life-changing habit, which takes time.

Meanwhile, focus on your mental wellness by practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.

7. Being an Army of One

Whether you’re having trouble trusting others or trying to hide your flaws, isolating yourself is a formula for disaster.

The best among us have coaches and mentors for a reason. Getting an alternative perspective on things is important, especially if it comes from someone who has achieved the same goals you have.

When you isolate yourself, it’s all too easy for your vision to get skewed by your own prejudices. One of the many studies on diversity illustrates the improved returns generated by a diverse board vs one without diversity.^[5]

The ability to run an idea past someone else is sometimes all that’s missing. It’s not that you need them to come up with the idea, but discussing it out with others has its advantages.

Don’t put pressure on yourself. Your results may suffer as a result of your restlessness and overwhelm.

Final Thoughts

The first step toward feeling less restless and unmotivated is to pay attention and recognize that something did not go as planned.

Recognize that you need to make a change, whether you set an unrealistic deadline or you suffer an unexpected setback. This frees you from holding on to the past and helps you to move on.

Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness sap your motivation. Allowing yourself to make modifications as you gain new insights and knowledge can help you succeed.

Remember: if you change the activities that led to your past outcomes, your past will no longer govern your future.