When Motivation Fades and You’re Just Tired -by Taha Tariq

 Some days, you wake up ready to take on the world. You’ve got energy, plans, and that little spark that makes everything feel doable. Other days, it’s a completely different story. You’re not sad exactly, you’re just... drained. Like no matter how much sleep you got or how much coffee you drank, you still feel stuck. That heavy, unmotivated feeling creeps in and suddenly all your goals feel a hundred miles away. It’s frustrating, but it’s also normal.

The world tells us to stay driven 24/7. We get hit with quotes, routines, motivational speakers telling us to hustle harder. But here’s the truth: motivation isn’t consistent. It comes and goes. You can’t rely on it to be your fuel every single day. Some days, motivation is nowhere to be found, and that doesn’t mean you’re slacking. It just means you’re tired. Not lazy. Not unambitious. Tired.

There’s this constant pressure to keep going no matter what, and a lot of people end up ignoring the signs their mind and body are sending. We confuse burnout with weakness, and we treat exhaustion like something we should push through. But according to a study in the Journal of Health Psychology, chronic stress and fatigue directly reduce your ability to stay focused and motivated. When your system’s overloaded, your brain can’t fire on all cylinders, and your drive takes a hit (Taylor et al., 2022). So yeah, if you’ve been wondering why you’re feeling off - there’s your answer.

And honestly, it’s okay to admit that you’re not in go-mode all the time. That doesn’t make you any less productive or valuable. Sometimes you need rest more than results. Sometimes your best move is to take a break instead of trying to push through foggy thoughts and low energy. You’re not falling behind when you rest - you’re preparing to show up better later. The idea that you need to always be “on” is unrealistic and honestly kind of toxic.

There’s nothing wrong with slowing down. You don’t have to be constantly chasing something to still be making progress. Even small actions, done at a lower speed, still count. Showing up when you're tired, doing one thing instead of five, or even just recognizing that you need a break - those are all wins. You don’t need to run at full speed to matter. You’re allowed to move differently when you’re not feeling 100%.

Truth is, most growth doesn’t happen when everything’s perfect. It happens in the hard days, when you keep going without forcing it. When you give yourself grace instead of guilt. If you’re in a low-motivation season, be honest about it. Take the rest you need. Reflect. Then come back stronger, not because you pressured yourself to, but because you cared for yourself enough to pause.

You’re just tired. And that’s okay.


Works Cited
Taylor, Morgan L., et al. “Motivational Fatigue: How Chronic Stress Impacts Goal Pursuit.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 27, no. 6, 2022, pp. 789–804.

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