{"id":1057,"date":"2025-07-07T19:28:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/?p=1057"},"modified":"2025-07-07T19:28:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:28:28","slug":"finding-motivation-in-trying-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/finding-motivation-in-trying-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Motivation In Trying Times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The stressors of the past several months have caused many of us to feel like we\u2019re in fight or flight mode. Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed that you\u2019re having difficulty making decisions or having issues with your short-term memory. Or maybe you\u2019re feeling numb and disassociated and have trouble finding motivation. All of these feelings are signs that you\u2019re living in survival mode. It can be challenging dealing with the day-to-day, much less feel like you can plan for the future. You may feel \u2018stuck\u2019 and wonder how you can move forward and feel more like yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no single way to get out of survival mode and different approaches work for different people. However, the first step is to acknowledge that you\u2019re living in survival mode and that you\u2019ve been coping for too long. Acknowledge how you\u2019re feeling without putting on a brave front. Here are a few other ways to help move out of survival mode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use some self-compassion<\/strong> \u2013 It all starts with giving yourself a break and talking to yourself in a kinder, gentler way. Ask yourself how you\u2019d treat your best friend or your child if they were feeling this way and then apply that to yourself. It\u2019s okay to struggle and you deserve to look after yourself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Take care of your health, both physically and mentally<\/strong> \u2013 For some, survival mode might look like binge-drinking and bad eating habits. But nurturing self-care looks like taking the time to do something each day that feeds your physical and mental wellbeing. It can be getting outside for a walk, eating more fruit and vegetables and less sugar or deleting social media apps on your phone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build in some structure<\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019ve been in survival mode for a while, you\u2019re probably struggling to plan and probably feel disorganized and disjointed. This is where building more structure into your day can help create a sense of order and calm. It can also help with some of the decision fatigue that tends to come with survival mode. It may be the last thing you feel able to do right now, but even a small amount can make a big difference.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Acknowledge little \u2018wins\u2019<\/strong> \u2013 Aiming for realistic and achievable goals, no matter how small, will help build confidence and provide some fuel to help you through this difficult time. What goal can you set for the day or the week? Think about how you\u2019ll feel when you hit it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Figure out your triggers that are within your control<\/strong> \u2013 Make a list of things in your life outside of work that are triggering stress and identify ways to counteract that stress or limit your exposure to it. For example: Are you doom scrolling on social media and need to take a break? Are you checking your email more than you need to and can cut back? Is it time to turn off the news and do something more productive?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re in survival mode, just remember: It\u2019s okay not to be okay. Sometimes you need some extra support to feel like you\u2019re moving forward and not stagnating. That\u2019s where working with a coach, like <strong>Leah M Joppy and Associates<\/strong> can help. You can\u2019t change what\u2019s happening in the workplace, but you can find ways to feel less \u2018stuck\u2019 and able to plan for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at <a href=\"mailto:leah@lmja.com\">leah@lmja.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The stressors of the past several months have caused many of us to feel like we\u2019re in fight or flight mode. Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed that you\u2019re having difficulty making decisions or having issues with your short-term memory. Or maybe you\u2019re feeling numb and disassociated and have trouble finding motivation. All of these feelings are signs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1062,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58,4,2,6,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1058,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions\/1058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}