How to Push Forward When You Feel Overwhelmed & Unmotivated

Do you ever feel stuck? Do you feel so overwhelmed with emotions and tasks that you end up freezing and doing nothing?

This happens to me, in fact it happened when I was working on writing this post. I felt so overwhelmed about not knowing where to start or what to write that I just stopped. I came close to not writing this post. I wanted to close up my computer, go to bed and just give in. Although sometimes giving in (not to be confused with giving up) for the night is what I need to give my batteries time to recharge, in this case I knew that if I missed a post, I would end up feeling worse about myself.

So what do you do when you feel so overwhelmed that you literally feel stuck and frozen?

I don’t have the answers but what I can share is what worked for me.

Remember Why You Started

I don’t blog just simply as something to fill my time (though it does fill many, many hours). I blog as a creative outlet. It is a way for me to connect with other people with similar interests. It is a way for me to share information and inspiring posts in hopes that they will help readers in some way shape or form. I have come to take great pride in my blog. I have created goals and expectations for myself and I know that if I skip a post, I will feel poorly about myself, and that is not helpful.

Rationally Consider What Would Happen If You Don’t Follow Through

If I didn’t write a post would it be the end of the world? Would my whole blog come crumbling down? Would I be receiving angry messages from readers because I skipped a post? I highly doubt this would be the case.

That being said, I needed to consider the impact not sticking to my schedule would have on me personally. I knew I would feel poorly about myself if I missed a post. I also thought, well if I skip this post then what will stop me from doing the same thing again next week.

Though skipping this post would not be a complete disaster, I realized it wasn’t right for me (at least not right now). So that was that, I decided I would write the post… now all I needed was some inspiration. I didn’t want to simply write a post, I wanted to write something that would be worthwhile for my readers.

Look for Inspiration

I hopped on over to Pinterest. When I feel unmotivated I often find myself on Pinterest mindlessly scrolling through the posts… procrastination at its finest. But this time I looked for something different. Instead of overloading my brain with more information (pins about all sorts of topics), I decided to search for feeling overwhelmed quotes. It is amazing how a few simple words can help you to feel understood, connected and unburdened.

Feeling Overwhelmed Quotes That Helped Me:

“It always feels impossible until it’s done.” –Nelson Mandela

 

“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never the goal.” –Unknown

 

“The best way to get things done is to simply begin.” –Unknown

 

“If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.” –Unknown

How to Push Forward When You Feel Overwhelmed & Unmotivated

1. Consider why you feel this way:

Are you overtired? Are you stressed about everything else and this project feels more challenging than usual? Are you uninspired? Are you no longer interested in the topic/project/goal? Once you understand why you are feeling this way, it will be easier to try and move forward.

2. Think about the pros and cons of giving up, giving in, or pushing forward:

Like I said before, sometimes you need to take a break to recharge. Or maybe after you give it some more thought you will decide that this particular stressor is no longer something that is worth your energy. Or maybe you will feel determined and decide to push through. None of these options are bad, you have to do what works best for you at that particular time in your life.

3. Find your inspiration:

What inspires you? What drives you? What helps you to push forward? Do you need something heartfelt? Something funny? Something witty? Do you need to spend some time with nature? Do you need to take some time for yourself? Whatever it is, do whatever it is you need to do to help you reconnect, find your inspiration and help drive you forward.

4. Start small:

I didn’t start this post with the end goal in mind. Instead I just started writing about how I was feeling. Maybe it would turn into something I could use, maybe it wouldn’t but I knew that if I didn’t start, I would not be able to move forward. One of my favourite quotes is:

“The secret to getting ahead is getting started” –Unknown.

Another quote I love was posted in my grade 7 classroom and has stuck with me ever since. The quote reads:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you are right.” –Henry Ford.

This has always been so inspirational. If I thought there was no way I could get started on this post then I would have never started and I would have been right. But if I at least got started and gave it a try then maybe, just maybe I could be successful. To me starting was worth the risk of potentially failing.

5. Keep moving forward:

You started, that was half the battle. Don’t give up now, keep pushing forward, you can do this!

“I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday.” – Unknown

6. Believe in yourself:

You are a smart, successful, capable person. You can do this, whatever this may be. You may have to start at #1 and move through the numbers above on multiple occasions and that’s ok. Do what you need to do to get yourself the results you want.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” –Kathryn Stockett

Remember: No matter how big or small the goal is, you can do this. Don’t give up, believe in yourself and push forward.

What helps you when you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed and unmotivated? Do you have a favourite feeling overwhelmed quote that helps you to get started when you are feeling stuck?