How to Get Motivated When Depressed: 10 Tiny Steps That Actually Work

Being depressed sucks. Yes, there isn't a nicer way to say it.

It drains your energy and makes even easy tasks seem hard. When your bed has become both a safe place and a prison. When taking a shower is like running a race. When it seems like cooking is as hard as rocket science.

What's unfair is that it makes you feel worse when you don't do anything, which makes you feel worse when you do. It's like being stuck in quicksand - you can't move, but sitting still makes you sink even more.

But small steps can lead to progress. You don't have to get inspired all of a sudden to move. In fact, it normally works the other way around: small actions slowly get you motivated again.

This post will give you 11 tiny ideas that might help you figure out how to get motivated when depressed. "Just being positive" isn't the point; these are about working with your feelings instead of against them.

1. Make Tasks Incredibly Small

I mean truly tiny actions. Don't "go for a walk" yet "put on one sock". Don't "clean the kitchen" yet "put one dish in the sink".

Little actions like these may not seem important, but they work very well because your brain can't argue with them. Most of the time, you can do something that only takes seconds, even on your worst days. The magic is that one small deed often leads to another. You might put on the other sock after putting on the first one. Any win, no matter how small, gives you confidence.

2. Find a Simple Reason to Act

When learning how to get motivated when depressed, don't think about big ideas or goals that are far away. When you're really depressed, those things can be too much to handle.

Get in touch with small, immediate benefits instead: "I'll drink this water because my mouth feels dry", "I'll open the curtains because the sunlight might feel nice on my face", or  "I'll text my friend back because they make me smile sometimes". Sometimes, instant "whys" are much more helpful than thinking about big goals.

3. Schedule One Tiny Task

Having even the smallest bit of structure can help when figuring out how to get motivated when depressed. Each night or morning, choose just ONE tiny task for the day.

You can write it down or set your phone to do it for you. "Today I'll make my bed" or "I'll go outside for 5 minutes" could be enough. Having this one set thing to do gives you a small sense of direction and purpose, which depression often takes away.

4. Use Simple "If-Then" Plans

This is an easy but effective method that psychologists call "implementation intentions”. It works like this:

"If [situation X happens], then I will [do tiny action Y]".

For example:

• "If I go to the bathroom, then I'll splash water on my face."
• "If I sit on the couch, then I'll stretch my arms above my head."
• "If I look at my phone, then I'll take three deep breaths first."

This method skips over the need for motivation as it sets off small, automatic reactions that don't need a lot of thought.

5. Anchor Habits for Low Motivation Days

Having simple habits and a daily routine can be like lifelines when depression hits hard. You do these "anchor habits" every day, no matter how you feel. You could do something like brush your teeth, make your bed, or drink a glass of water when you wake up. Even on the worst days, these anchors give you a sense of normalcy and accomplishment.

This is where habit-tracking apps like Habitify can be incredibly helpful. They let you set up and monitor these anchor habits, giving you gentle reminders and allowing you to see your progress over time. Seeing those little wins add up can be very motivating.

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6. Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome

When you are depressed, it can be hard to think about big things that might happen. Rather than "I need to clean the entire kitchen", say "I'll just wipe this counter for 30 seconds."

Don't stress about how much you get done. The point isn't to get things done; it's to be involved in the process. This change in how you think takes away the pressure and makes it much easier to start. This approach is crucial because it makes things seem less scary and more doable.

7. Reward Your Small Wins

Did you do your 5-minute stretch today? That's something to be proud of. Did you text a friend back after days of not texting them? That also gets praise.

Recognizing your accomplishments, even if it's just saying "I did it" out loud, can help you feel like you can do things again. To learn how to get motivated when depressed, you need to change your ideas about what success looks like and be kind to yourself like you would a friend.

8. Reduce Friction

Everything is harder when you're depressed. So make your environment work for you, not against you. Do you need to drink more water? Keep a bottle by your bed. Do you need to take medicine? Place it where you can see it. Do you want to take a short walk? Put your coat and shoes on the hook by the door. Getting rid of the small problems that can feel like “mountains” when you're down means reducing friction.

9. Be Kind and Patient with Yourself

It's not always easy to make progress, especially when you're depressed. There will be better days and harder days, and that's fine.

Talk to yourself with the same kindness you'd give to a loved one who is having a rough time. Being kind to yourself, actually, is an important part of learning how to get inspired when you're down. Criticising yourself too harshly makes sadness worse, but being kind makes room for healing.

10. Seek Social Connection

Sometimes, a tiny bit of human connection can give you a spark of motivation. This doesn't mean forcing yourself to attend social events or having deep conversations if that feels too much. Our suggestions are just a quick text message, a five-minute call to a friend who will listen, or being in a café with other people. Even the smallest connection can sometimes make you feel more connected to the world.

Final Thoughts

Finding how to get motivated when depressed isn't about forcing the sun to appear in a cloudy sky. It's more like noticing the subtle shift in light that happens even on the darkest days - that kind of change you can only see after a long time of watching the shadows.

And even when motivation seems as far away as the stars in daylight, it's still there. You know it's there even if you can't see it. And sometimes, when you least expect it, you'll see it in something small - a cup of tea, a cat stretching in the sun, a small habit that makes you feel good when you do it every day, or the perfect sentence in a book - and remember what it feels like to want to move forward.