6 Ways to Find Motivation When Depression Makes Everything Feel Impossible
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already carrying a heavy load. Maybe the idea of “improving your life” or “finding motivation” feels like just another enormous task added to your already overflowing plate. You know you should do something, but the exhaustion - that deep, bone-weary fatigue often linked to depression or anxiety, makes even small steps feel impossible.
It’s the worst kind of Catch-22: you need the energy to get better, but you need to get better to find the energy. When your motivation tank is truly running on empty, trying to force a drastic change often leads straight back to burnout and self-criticism. Quick fixes are generally unrealistic, but I believe in gentle, realistic momentum. We're going to talk about micro-shifts, not moving mountains.
When your mind and body are low, your first job is to be kind, not demanding.
So let’s talk about motivation in a way that’s actually realistic when you’re low.
Why Motivation Feels Impossible When You’re Depressed
Depression doesn’t just make you sad. It can make you:
Feel heavy, foggy, disconnected
Struggle to care about anything, even things you used enjoy
Overthink everything and then do nothing
Your brain is trying to conserve energy because it feels like life is “too much”. So of course you don’t want to try. That’s not failure - that’s a symptom.
So instead of asking, “How do I become highly motivated?” , try asking:
“How do I do one tiny thing, even when I don’t feel like it?”
1. Forget “motivation” – aim for minimal effort
Waiting to “feel ready” or “feel motivated” is likely to keep you stuck.
Instead, ask yourself:
“What is the absolute smallest version of this I could do?”
Instead of “I’ll clean the whole house” - put one mug in the sink.
Instead of “I’ll start journaling daily” - write one sentence.
Instead of “I’ll go to the gym” - stand outside your front door for 30 seconds.
Tiny action counts. Depression tells you it’s pointless. It’s wrong.
2. Use the 5% rule
You don’t need 100% energy. You need about 5% more than doing nothing.
Ask:
“If doing nothing is 0%, what would 5% look like right now?”
0% = stay in bed scrolling.
5% = sit up and drink a glass of water.
0% = ignore all messages.
5% = reply to one person with “I’m a bit low but thinking of you.”
0% = lying on the sofa all day.
5% = open a window and take 3 slow breaths.
That’s it. That’s progress. And progress, not perfection, is what starts to shift your mood over time.
3. Make your environment do the work
When your brain is tired, let your environment help you out.
Keep things visible:
Put your meds, water bottle, or journal somewhere you can’t miss them (like next to the kettle or on your pillow).
Remove one friction point:
If cooking is too much, use paper plates, eat cereal for dinner, stock easy snacks. Eating something is better than eating nothing.
Create a “bare minimum” list:
Brush teeth (or at least use mouthwash)
One glass of water
Stand near daylight for 2 minutes
On bad days, that’s enough. On okay days, anything extra is a bonus.
4. Pair tasks with compassion, not criticism
If your inner voice sounds like:
“You’re so useless. Other people manage. What’s wrong with you?”
…no wonder you don’t want to try.
Next time you do something small, say to yourself:
“That was hard, and I did it anyway.”
“I’m struggling, but I’m still showing up.”
You don’t have to believe these at first. Just practise saying kinder things than your depression does.
5. Mindfulness: the gentlest way to restart your system
When you’re depressed, your mind is often:
Stuck in the past (regrets, mistakes, “I should have…”)
Terrified of the future (“What if nothing changes?”)
Mindfulness doesn’t magically remove the pain - but it helps you create tiny pockets of calm inside it.
Try this simple 1-minute practice (yes, literally 1 minute):
Notice one thing you can see.
Notice one thing you can hear.
Notice one sensation in your body (feet on the floor, fabric on your skin, etc.).
Take 3 slow breaths, slightly longer on the exhale.
That’s it. That’s mindfulness. Not incense, not silence for an hour, just coming back to this moment.
Practised regularly, it can:
Lower stress in your nervous system
Give you a little more space between thought and action
Make that 5% effort feel slightly more possible
If you want some structure with this, my “Transform Your Life Using Mindfulness” e-guide walks you through realistic practices you can weave into everyday life - even if you’re busy, overwhelmed, or sceptical about using these tools.
6. Ask for help before you hit the bottom
Needing support doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re human.
Here are some options:
Share honestly with one safe person:
“I’m not doing great and everything feels hard. Can we chat?”
Talk to your GP or a mental health professional.
Low mood, numbness, and lack of motivation are reasons to seek support, not things to be ashamed of or feel you should deal with alone.
Use tools that don’t judge you:
I have lots of free tools on my website for you to use. I also have a Mindfulness Starter Kit, which is designed for exactly these moments - when you know you need to do something but don’t know where to start. It gives you gentle, step-by-step practices you can dip into at your own pace. You can get it here.
Alternatively, if you just want to have a read of some more information first, I have a blog post specifically to introduce you to mindfulness that you can read here.
You don’t have to “fix your life” today
If you’re too depressed to try, here’s your permission slip:
You don’t need a 5-year vision.
You don’t need to wake up “motivated”.
You just need one tiny, kind action - today.
You can build from there, slowly and gently.
