It is natural for social entrepreneurs to be concerned about the needs of others. It’s their passion, and they use it as their WHY to keep their businesses operating.
And it is the needs of the people or the community that keep them going. Nobody can stop them when they understand the community’s challenges and how their organization is helping them.
However, social entrepreneurs are humans, too.
They aren’t superheroes.
So, what happens when you get tired and your weariness causes you to lose motivation in your work?
Here are some self-care strategies to try if you’re feeling unmotivated right now.
1) Take a break from your work
I know. This tip is a bit difficult to do. We all value our time and we do not want to waste time in growing our businesses and reach more people to help. However, we cannot give what we don’t have.
When you are unmotivated, you feel as if your energy has been depleted. You lack the drive to complete every task.
While it may appear to be cool to volunteer even when you are at your lowest point in life, it is detrimental to your health.
Take a break from your business. Date yourself. Take time to contemplate, and balance your thoughts.
2) Write down your thoughts
When you’re feeling unmotivated, it’s probably you’re overthinking things or you can’t organize your thoughts.
Writing down or journaling your thoughts can aid you in weeding out the things that are not worth keeping in your mind and help you organize your ideas.
In my experience, journaling helps me realize that I am simply overthinking and it’s only me who makes things complicated. And writing my thoughts down often leads me to create a system for those thoughts and ideas when I want to achieve them.
3) Go out and meet an old friend
Self-care is not just about yourself. Most of the time, it means to be social.
When the pandemic struck, it became difficult to see our friends. Physical contact is not yet permitted in order to prevent the virus from spreading. However, in some countries, it is now permissible to go outside, but with minimal health precautions.
If you’re living in a country where you’re allowed now to go outside, I highly suggest that you do this.
Meeting up with an old friend is a wonderful way to be refreshed while you recall your shared memories. It’s also a good idea to meet at a coffee shop. Most genuine and refreshing conversations take place over a cup of coffee.
4) Clean up your office or table
One thing I noticed with unmotivated people is that their workspace or table is messy. And I can personally attest.
Mugs, books, pens, purses, and other items are strewn across my table, which overwhelms me. This happens a lot when I’m overcomplicating things and can’t organize my thoughts and I just want to place things wherever I want.
But here’s a simple strategy that I learned from an Online Business Manager:
Cleaning up your table can help you concentrate and be more productive.
If you are struggling with being unproductive, this tip might be a big help for you. It’s so simple that you can do it only for 5 to 10 minutes.
5) Celebrate small wins
We think celebrating is for big wins only, but the truth is you can also throw a party for your small wins!
Stop being hard on yourself. Right now, you may feel demotivated and you don’t feel like working on your business, but I want you to know that you’re still making progress and that’s a win worth celebrating.
If you can’t recognize your wins today, pause and take time to meditate.
Think of your achievements in the past. Recall the time you had a struggle and remember how you overcame it.
6) Affirm yourself
It isn’t narcissistic to affirm yourself of the good traits you have.
In fact, it helps you to recognize your self-worth and be compassionate with yourself.
Social entrepreneurs are compassionate people. But if you are not compassionate and generous with yourself, how can you give what you don’t have?
It all starts with yourself.
To make an impact, you need to realize first your worth as a person and social entrepreneur.
And here are some affirmations you can use every morning:
- I make an impact
- I am allowed to rest
- I am creative
- Every victory, big or small, counts
- I am getting closer to my vision
- I welcome more discipline in my life
- My business helps me serve my purpose
- The simple approach is often the best approach (when you are overthinking things)
- My work makes a difference
- It’s going to be a great day!
- I got this!
- I am helping to change lives
7) Practice Social Media Detox
Let me guess…when you wake up in the morning the first thing you check is your phone.
I know because I struggle with that too.
When I overthink or am unmotivated, I usually go to social media and scroll endlessly until I realize I have other things to do.
But it doesn’t really help. In fact, it just makes my situation worst.
Several studies have shown that people who spend a large amount of time on social media are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, or loneliness.
If you’re guilty of this, then I highly recommend that you set a date when you’ll do social media detox.
Temporarily disable all the apps that you use (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tiktok, etc.)
But, before you do so, make certain that you have informed your family, friends, clients, or business partners of your plans. Give them your best contact information in case they require immediate assistance from you.
If you’re an online entrepreneur, and you think this isn’t a good idea for you to practice self-care, I suggest that you set a schedule for posting and engaging with your audience.
Note: You need a ton of patience and discipline here. 🙂
But another suggestion is to hire a social media manager to handle your pages if you want to take a week or a month off.
8) Contemplate about your purpose
Take some time to reflect on your purpose while you are detoxing from social media.
A few months ago, I struggled with my mental health, lost my motivation, and got confused about my purpose. And I took a week off last week and it helped me understand where I’d fallen behind.
I was constantly comparing my progress to that of others. And I felt as if what I was doing was pointless.
But remembering my why helped me shift my focus back to my calling. It helped me to understand the things that aren’t serving that purpose.
Conclusion
When you’re feeling unmotivated, uninspired, or overwhelmed, giving up isn’t always the best option. Sometimes all you need is a break, a little introspection, and the realization that you’re going to make an impact and that you still want to live because you have a purpose.
Self-care is one method you can use to regain motivation.
Most entrepreneurs struggle with this; however, we should normalize self-care and consider it a necessity rather than a luxury.
Self-care is not about the typical sophisticated activities we see online, but it is a discipline as well as a mindset.
Invest in yourself because when you are at your best, you can accomplish more and make a greater impact on the world.
Take care.
