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The Connection Between Depression and Motivation
2021-11-23T22:58:40Z
Medically reviewed on by
Regional Medical Director Greater St. Louis
The Connection Between Depression and Motivation
You wake up in the morning already exhausted, thinking of the many tasks you have to accomplish that day. It’s so overwhelming, in fact, that you can’t seem to do anything at all but crawl back into bed. What you need is motivation, and that’s in short supply when you’re struggling with depression.
The relationship between depression and motivation is a vicious circle. When you’re depressed, it’s often difficult to fulfill your normal obligations. Then, falling behind on your obligations can make you feel even worse. It can be particularly frustrating to feel unmotivated when treating your depression with medication and talk therapy. That’s when TMS can be helpful in alleviating depression symptoms so that you can regain your motivation and momentum again.
Lack of Motivation and Depression: How They’re Linked
All areas of your life are affected when you’re not feeling motivated or driven. A straight-A student or productive employee may see their performance suffer because they can’t accomplish the simplest tasks. And it can be hard to communicate to coworkers or teachers the reason why you’re having a hard time. This may make you feel even more depressed.
Low motivation is detrimental personally as well as professionally. Relationships may deteriorate because you don’t have the energy to connect with others. That same low energy makes it hard to do basic self care, such as exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep, which can lead to mental and physical health issues.
Finally, too much stress can also wear you down. When the body produces excessive amounts of the cortisol hormone in response to stress, it can cause exhaustion. In turn, it can lower levels of dopamine and serotonin. And when you’re already feeling unmotivated, the stress from falling behind on tasks may intensify the lack of motivation. You simply lack the will to function. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling worthless or hopeless when you lose motivation. These feelings of failure may spiral, which is why it is critical to speak with your support team and seek professional treatment to help with your depression symptoms. There are also some things you can do to help boost your motivation that don’t require too much effort. Even a small step towards positive change can make a big difference.
How to Find Motivation When You’re Depressed
Increasing your motivation is like building muscle—you need to exercise it regularly to make it stronger. Here are some simple things to try:
- Interrupt negative thought patterns: Negative thoughts and self-talk are defeating. Beating yourself up about missing a deadline will only make you feel worse. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) allows you to examine the negative emotions and thoughts and replace them with more positive patterns. A therapist trained in CBT can teach you coping strategies and tools you can use when you find your thoughts turning towards a dark place.
- Make a routine: Keep it simple at first so that you aren’t overwhelmed—it’s daunting when there’s too much on your to-do list. Plus, when you’re too busy, you run the risk of toxic productivity, a byproduct of high-functioning depression that can keep you from focusing on your mental health.
- Invest in supportive relationships: Social contact with close friends or family may increase your motivation with their support and encouragement. They can also help hold you accountable if you need a gentle, loving push to get motivated.
- Take care of your physical needs: A massage or a day soaking up the beauty of the outdoors may be great, but if you can’t manage that, simplicity is key. Healthy food, a walk around the block, and seven to nine hours of sleep are great self-care habits to follow. They’ll provide an energy boost that may jump-start your motivation.
- Look for small pleasures: Do something that gives you pleasure, even if it’s just once a week for a short period of time. This can be a hobby, a sport, or socializing with friends. The good feelings this generates can ease symptoms of depression and lack of motivation.
- Create a reward system: When you find the motivation to accomplish a task or take care of yourself, reward yourself with a movie, a new outfit, or something else you’d like. This will reinforce your motivation to keep up with positive habits. You’ll also gain self-confidence as you dig deep to get motivated and achieve your goals.
Even though these strategies may sound easy, they can be daunting for someone in the midst of a depressive episode. Feelings of failure, hopelessness, or fatigue can seem insurmountable. That’s why it’s vital to find depression treatment that works for you, making symptoms more manageable so that you can work on regaining your motivation.
Medication and talk therapy such as CBT are first line treatments. TMS can be effective when you find those methods aren’t giving you the results you want. TMS is a non-invasive outpatient treatment for depression that can help alleviate symptoms, including lack of motivation. This is how TMS works: An electromagnetic coil is placed on the scalp, near the left temple. Gentle magnetic pulses are sent through the coil to the targeted areas of the brain. The pulses become electrical currents that activate the brain’s nerve cells to restore brain function and ease symptoms.
Treatment sessions are brief, between 18 and 45 minutes long, and you’ll remain comfortably seated the whole time. There are minimal side effects—mild headaches or scalp discomfort are the most common—and no downtime so you can drive yourself to and from treatment. A course of treatment usually includes TMS every weekday for four to six weeks, followed by some less-frequent treatments for a while. If you’re feeling motivated to make meaningful change in your life, schedule your free consultation to see if TMS is right for you.
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Starting any medical treatment for the first time can leave you with questions, especially if you’re looking forward to the benefits it may bring. It’s no different when you’re preparing for your nasal esketamine treatment. Your previous mental health treatments may have consisted solely of taking antidepressants at home or visiting a therapist’s office for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), so nasal esketamine is probably a new treatment experience for you. If you're wondering what it's like to start nasal esketamine and get ready for your first session, keep reading. Getting Started with the Nasal Esketamine Treatment As with any new treatment, you’ll first talk to your primary care provider or psychiatrist about whether nasal esketamine is a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can schedule your esketamine nasal spray consultation with a treatment center (such as Greenbrook) that has certification by the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). At Greenbrook's REMS-certified nasal esketamine treatment centers, our Greenbrook-affiliated psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners will review your medical history and also conduct our own assessment to help determine whether nasal esketamine treatment is right for you. Certain conditions, including blood vessel disease and a history of psychosis, may make treatment a risk for you. Make sure you discuss all previous and present conditions with your doctor or nasal esketamine provider before beginning treatment. If the medication is deemed a good fit, you’ll receive your prescription from the Greenbrook-affiliated provider. Your Greenbrook Care Team will put together a personalized care plan for the weeks and months to follow. Keep in mind that you will need to take a standard (oral) antidepressant along with your nasal esketamine treatment. There are two important regulations to note when it comes to preparing for treatment: Each treatment is followed by a mandatory two-hour observation period. This means you will need to plan to stay at the center for at least two hours following your self-administration of the esketamine nasal spray. You cannot drive during the rest of the day after treatment and must arrange for transportation. These regulations are mandatory. It may be helpful to sit down and plan out several weeks’ worth of transportation once you know your treatment schedule. In addition, if you’re wondering what to bring for the treatment, we recommend entertainment such as an audiobook or playlist of favorite songs and a pair of headphones. You may want them during the two-hour observation period. What to Expect During Nasal Esketamine Treatment On the day of treatment, you’ll need to stop eating any food two hours before your appointment and stop drinking all fluids 30 minutes before you come in. 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Do not drive or operate machinery of any kind until the day after treatment. Just take it easy, relax, and take care of yourself. If you’re unsure what activities you can do or should avoid during this time, talk to your Care Team for more information. While side effects tend to dissipate completely after a good night’s sleep, many nasal esketamine patients begin feeling relief from depression symptoms within hours of their treatment. Other Tips in Preparing for Your Nasal Esketamine Treatment At Greenbrook, we make every effort to schedule your treatment in the afternoons or whenever it is most convenient for you. We encourage you to see each treatment session as an opportunity to relax and take care of your mental health. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor or the Greenbrook Care Team. At Greenbrook, we’ll help you feel at ease when preparing for each treatment session. Schedule A Free Consultation To get started with nasal esketamine, schedule your free consultation today.
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