Low Motivation Tip - Get Yourself Moving

 A very simple thought for this week to help with low motivation, that is to get your body moving.

When you are a parent struggling with depression or anxiety as well as the responsibilities of parent life, regular work outs and exercising can be overwhelming. Something I have learnt to help challenge low motivation with depression is to take smaller bites.

Making the decision to exercise can be the first hurdle. This is really your first bite, challenging all the negative thoughts and insecurities that can hold you back from making a decision. 

The next bite is getting someone else on board to help you. Simply talking to someone about wanting to do some exercise or simple movement helps to shift the thoughts in your mind that can hold you back, your person is able to encourage you and potentially give some helpful suggestions. Bringing other people in on the journey means you can share what some of the challenging thoughts are and allows them to help you process and move forward.

Deciding on a reasonable and achievable exercise or movement activity is the next step. Something that you know you will love, doesn't suck all your energy but brings you joy. It doesn't have to be every day of the week, just start with one day and then build from there. It could be mowing the lawns, take up gardening, going for a walk, dancing to your favourite song, joining a parent and babies music and dance group, performing with the kids and the wiggles in your lounge. Be creative. We live in a world of technology and it isn't that hard to bring exercise and movement into your home so take advantage of YouTube and Facebook and discover what will work for you and your family.

Get yourself moving, get your blood flowing, fill those lungs with fresh air, find some joy and laughter and make the choice to beat low motivation and don't forget to encourage yourself! You can do it, maybe take the lead from the kiddies for this one and allow some of their energy to rub off on you...nothing quiet like a good game of crack the egg on the trampoline!