ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Simple Steps On How to Undo the Blues

Updated on January 24, 2020

A lot of times, when you have a daunting task to complete, usually something that requires a great deal of focus, concentration, and energy, you feel as though you aren´t up for it and that there´s no way you can finish it. Such a task can be related to a professional job, school, or even exercise, and thinking about it drains all your energy. You end up procrastinating for days and not doing it at all. Your problem could be a lack of motivation, with the end result being "the blues".

Don´t fear though, all is not lost, as there are certain habits you can adopt to get that much-needed energy boost. A great place to start is by following the 11 steps below to help alleviate this feeling of the blues.

1. Get Started:
Sometimes all you need to do to get your juices flowing is get up and get started. Yes, taking that first step in whatever task is at hand will help a great deal in motivating you to finish. Type that first sentence or put on your running gear and you will realize that everything seems more difficult before you actually begin. Just as a long journey cannot start without that one single step, there are times when all it takes to get everything flowing is taking that first step.

2. Acknowledge your Continuing Progress:
If you have an immense task at hand, the best way to accomplish said task is by splitting it into easily achievable, smaller projects and keep track of your progress over a period of time. Sometimes, it may seem as though you have not done very much, which may be discouraging because human beings, tend to want things to happen all at once. We only allow ourselves to feel satisfied once we see that the task at hand is complete, but this kind of mindset drains us of our motivation. It is imperative to, not only, track, but recognize the progress you have made, where you are in the project, and how far you have to go before it is completed. Recognizing whatever progress you have made, no matter how small, will motivate you to take another step, then another, and another, which leads you closer and closer to your goal.

3. Reward yourself:
Celebrate your progress by rewarding yourself! There is nothing better than some positive reinforcement to keep you going. When you first get started on a task and set your goals, also decide on rewards for yourself each time you accomplish a specific goal. It doesn´t have to be an expensive reward; it could be something as simple as taking a break to nap or buying you some chocolate. Ensure that you reward yourself only after making considerable progress; otherwise, such rewards will begin to seem meaningless after a while. After completing the entirety of your task, treat yourself to a bigger reward: take that road trip with your friends or buy yourself that leather jacket you´ve been wanting.

4. Take a Different Approach:
Sometimes, it can be your approach to a task that demotivates you. Ask yourself, is the approach giving the results I want? Or am I always using the same old method? If so, then it´s time to take a different approach. In most cases, there´s more than one way of doing something. Venture away from what is routine and try a new way of carrying out your task. Find a way of making your new approach fun (yes, most tasks have the potential to be enjoyable) and you will find this works wonders for your motivation.

5. Get Support:
In a situation where the task at hand may be too big for you to accomplish alone, don´t be afraid to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness to request assistance when the need arises. The help you need may be in the form of actual labor or, simply, moral support from your friends and family. Such emotional support can be a great motivator, thus you should try to establish a network of support from which you can draw inspiration.

6. Be Positive:
Maintain a positive attitude. Negativity drains. Filter your thoughts. Be aware of the negative thoughts and attitudes that plague you, and start replacing them with positive ones. A positive attitude really does breed motivation. Couple this attitude with a drive to never give up, even when you are running low on motivation, and you will find yourself overcoming even the most daunting tasks.

7. Be Optimistic:
You have heard before that it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. With this in mind, it´s probably worth giving optimism a try, in order to find the balance you need when working.

8. Avoid Overthinking:
It doesn´t pay to be a worrywart. In fact, it ages you tremendously. Stop dwelling on an incident and try thinking of a solution. This approach will get you out of a situation faster.

9. Positively Condition Yourself:
Start each day with an inspiring mantra, enriching music, or upbeat fitness podcast to ensure you put your best foot forward. This goes a long way in empowering you to achieve your fitness and nutritional goals.

10. The Past is the Past:
It´s called the past for a reason! Your past is there to teach you, not to hold you back. It should help you make better decisions, not prevent you from making any at all.

11. Fake It ´til You Make It:
If all else fails, you could try tricking yourself into being more confident. Consciously start by improving your posture, walking faster, speaking in a more positive tone, or even just smiling more.

Finally, when you acknowledge your work, reward yourself, ask for help and support, remain positive, and leave the past in the past, you will defeat "the blues" and reap the benefits of having a positive outlook on life. This, in turn, will help spread positivity all around you!

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)