7 Ways to Push Through When You Don't Want To
Can I get a virtual hand raise from any mama who has ever felt like she just couldn’t make it through the day? I had a day like this last week. You know the kind—where the sun had been hiding for days and the clouds felt like they were creeping in from the outside to put some kind of gray-ness over the mood in my home. The kids were arguing… again.. and I was just. So. Tired. The baby had puked in her crib so I had a baby to bathe and laundry to get done and I just did not want to do it. The toddler had found a blue marker, which she had lovingly colored on her mattress with, as well as her feet, hands and baby doll. I had lunches to pack and dinner to prep. I was just over it.
However, the actual problem in this situation was not the pukey baby or the toddler-turned-Smurf. It was my mindset. I was choosing to allow the overwhelm and negativity to take the spotlight in my mind. Over the years I have fallen into the pattern of holding onto negative thinking, even when it isn’t serving me. I have had to do a lot of mental work to catch myself when I am in a negative thinking cycle… and interrupt it, change it, and keep going. Mindset work takes a lot of intentionality and awareness. We will go deeper into mindset in future posts. Here, I have compiled a list of more acute, short-term ways to almost distract or trick yourself into moving through resistance and eventually accomplishing your dreams and goals. The deeper work will come. Just hang with me.
I bet all of you have things you consciously or subconsciously do when you are feeling this way—when you just gotta get it done. I wanted to offer the things that I do that you might could add to your repertoire.
How I push through, even when I don’t feel like it:
1. High vibration foods This topic is rather new to me, and seemed pretty woo-woo at first. However, I know that there are certain foods that when I consume them, I simply feel a little more energized. Think about this for yourself and your own body. What foods help you to do this? For me it is mainly citrus fruits—oranges, lemons, and limes. Peeling and eating an orange—the smell even helps! Adding lemon to my water.
2. Upbeat music Have you noticed how some songs can really help energize you, and others have you responding with more melancholy? Notice which ones do which for you so that when you need that jolt of energy, you can make an informed choice. I have a Spotify playlist with my high-energy songs so that they are ready to go when I need them!
3. Do 100 jumping jacks This one might sound silly, but there is something to be said for heart pumping activity and the resulting endorphins! I have even been known to do this in the bathroom at work. I just need to get my heart pumping and some blood flowing. This one can be especially helpful during that late afternoon lull.
4. Find a positive thought to hold This is a new concept that I was recently introduced to by my friend Kate. Perhaps the concept wasn’t new to me, but the language—“holding” a thought—was new. This language reminds me that I have a choice over my thoughts. At times I need to hold onto a thought… and other times I need to simply let it go. Sometimes I have to write out the thought and repeat it to myself over and over until I believe it. For me this has also looked like a Bible verse or a prayer that I played on repeat in my mind until my heart caught up.
5. Perform a highly motivating task This technique allows me to have a sense of accomplishment, which builds momentum for me to keep going. I am intentional in what task I choose, however. I consider which task I can perform that will have the greatest impact in the shortest amount of time. What is causing me some slight (or major) feeling of overwhelm? Typically, for me, this might look like taking 10 minutes to put toys away, or 20 minutes to sweep and mop the floor. Another thing I will do is load and run the dishwasher or start a load of laundry—this mainly helps me to “feel” like I am doing something but I can actually get other things while dishes or laundry are getting clean. Look at your physical space, check in with your thoughts, and choose the highest leverage action.
6. Cold In the past, I hated the cold. I still do if I’m not choosing to engage with it. 😊 This might look like a glass of ice water (possibly with lemon—see #1). If it’s cold outside, I might open the door and step out for just a couple of minutes. I have even been known to pop my face in the open freezer for a few seconds. This sensation brings me energy and helps to wake me up and to press on.
7. Treat yo’self Every time I grocery shop, I grab myself a treat—usually a new type of drink or snack that I don’t usually buy. But this could look many different way. Go grab a coffee when you complete that task you were dreading. Call a friend. Enjoy a cup of that hot tea that you love. Watch a Netflix show. Set a timer for five minutes and scroll Instagram. Having this reward at the end of undesirable tasks can remind our brains next time a task like that comes up that it isn’t *all* bad.
Do you see how the activities I mention above engage our senses? This is intentional. This grounds us, and encourages a certain portion of our brain to “turn on”. Consider how you can use your senses to stimulate your brain when you need a little more alertness and motivation.
I’m curious to know how you push through when you need to… but don’t want to?