Motivation: Can Trapped Grief Cause A lack Of Motivation?

While there are some people who are always doing things, there are others who rarely do anything. Just as there are going to be people who are fairly active, but not the degree that they fall on either side of the spectrum.

However, even though there will be people who can relate to this, it doesn’t mean that this will always apply to them. At times, one might go from someone who can’t be bothered to do anything, to someone to ends up being extremely driven and vice versa.

For the person who generally stays n the middle when it comes to how active they are, they could also have times when they drop to one side or the other. These changes could occur because of what is taking place externally or one might start to change their behaviour due to what is taking place within them.

Different Factors

For example, something could take place externally and one could instantly feel the need to do something. Yet, if this didn’t take place, they might not even bother doing anything.

One might start to reflect on their life and think about how old they are and then come to the conclusion that they need to do something. And although this has taken place as a result of what is going on within them, the external world will have played a part.

Comparison

This is because if one has come to the conclusion that they need to do more, it will be a sign that they have compared themselves with others. To do this isn’t negative per se; it is just part of life.

One’s sense of self is not independent of others, it is influenced by the experiences they have with others. This is why it is said that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’. It is easy to believe that one’s actions are not influenced by external factors, but this isn’t the case.

Highly Motivated

However, when someone is highly motivated, they could be someone who achieves a lot and not only that, other people may even admire them. These people know what they want and they are willing to do what is necessary to achieve their goals.

This doesn’t mean that they don’t experience any setbacks, what it means that they are not willing to give up. It would also be inaccurate to say that they are always motivated, as there are likely to be moments in their life when they drop off.

Only Human

Yet, this is to be expected, as human beings are not robots that they keep going no matter what. There could be moments where something happens externally, and one then goes from one side of the spectrum to the other.

This could take place due to some kind of loss or because they feel as though they are not progressing as they would like to. But while this might slow one down for a short time, they could soon be on their way.

Highly Unmotivated

When it comes to someone who has no motivation whatsoever, this could be how they have always been or they might have been highly motivated at one point in their life. In this instance, they have moved from one side of the spectrum to the other and this is now normal.

Although this person could be described someone who doesn’t have any goals, this might not reflect reality. A more accurate assessment might be to say that they have goals, it is just that they have disconnected from them.

Pain

Even if they were in touch with what they want to achieve in life, it might not matter. And as they haven’t got the motivation to go after what they want, it might cause them to experience more pain if they were to get in touch with what they want to achieve.

Keeping their goals at a distance is then a way for them to protect themselves from the pain that would arise if they were to embrace them. If they were to go after what they want to achieve, they might soon give up due to not having the drive to keep going.

A Way of Life

When one experiences life in this way, the chances of them achieving what they want are going to be extremely low. Unlike the person who is highly motivated, experiencing a lack of motivation is not an irregular occurrence; it is a way of life.

One could come to accept how they feel as just as how life is, or they might reach out for support. There are likely to be many reasons as to why one has lost their motivation.

Reasons

It could be put down to one’s diet and how they are not eating the right foods or consuming the right nutrients. Another approach would be to say that one need’s to exercise and that this will get them moving again.

One suggestion could be that one needs to take the first step and once this happens, they will gradually start to get their motivation back. What it could also come down to is the fact that one hasn’t been able to grieve a loss or a number of losses that have occurred in their life.

Grief

When one experiences a loss, they are likely to experience grief. Ideally, one will embrace how they feel and allow themselves to grieve. This could be something that takes months or it could go on for years; everyone is different and this is why there is no set time or process.

However, if one doesn’t allow themselves to grieve, they can end up disconnecting from how they feel and before long, they can lose their vitality. As it might take a while before their grief causes them to lose their motivation, one might not see the connection.

Gradual Decline

This could relate to a loss that one experienced in their adulthood and/or it could be due to a childhood loss. When one has experienced loss and not grieved the loss, each loss is likely to build on the previous loss.

Looking back, one might see that they were fairly motivated at one point in their life and that this has changed as time has passed. This could be because the losses that they have experienced as the years have gone by have gradually decreased their motivation.

Awareness

In one is carrying grief, it will be important for them to reach out for support. A therapist, healer and/or a support group can allow one to face their grief and to gradually move on. What matters is that one feels safe with the person they work with and this will allow them to express how they feel.