Lost motivation? A habit expert explains how to get back on track

You will never feel motivated 100% of the time. None of us do.

There’ll be times when you feel really inspired to move your body, eat healthier, and get a solid eight hours’ sleep. And then there’ll be times when that isn’t the case at all.

Life gets in the way – family, work, social occasions, and more. Or, you might be desperate to get that energy again, but struggling to find the motivation to do so.

Dr Phillippa Lally, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at University of Surrey, studies habit formation and behaviour changes – especially when it comes to weight management.

So we asked her: why does our motivation fade, especially after January? And how can we get back on track when we slip out of a healthy routine?

Here’s what she said.

Why does motivation tend to drop off a few weeks after setting goals, like in January?

“Partly because people get bored easily. When things are new they capture our attention, but when they are less new this reduces. People may have unrealistic expectations and when they start, they realise the amount of effort that is required and the other demands on their time take over.

People also may not make specific enough plans. They may have a general intention to e.g. increase their physical activity, but haven’t worked out exactly what they will do and when – and what they need to put in place in their lives to make this possible.”

What’s the biggest mistake people make when they “fall off track” with health or fitness goals?

“Often they give up because they assume this means it’s not possible, rather than working through the barriers and making plans to overcome these.”

What’s the best way to get back on track quickly after missing workouts or slipping on nutrition?

“It’s a lot about how you go into this change in the first place. A strict all-or-nothing approach can be unhelpful – it’s more effective to focus on each positive action.

I research habit formation and we know that one missed opportunity does not hinder the habit formation process, so all the work you’ve already done in trying to form new healthy habits is still there for you to build on even if you slipped this week.”

If someone feels completely unmotivated right now, what is the one small action you’d recommend they take today?

“From a habit formation point of view, we think about the habit of initiating a physical activity session and then the separate habit of what you do in that session.

So if someone can think about where in their lives they would like to have a physical activity habit (e.g. first thing in the morning), then on the first day they could just get up and start the session even if what they actually do is very little, e.g. go for a walk, or do 5 minutes Pilates.

Then they need to keep doing this, but slowly increase the activity they do. Every time they start they are forming the habit, so it’s a win even if they feel that the small amount of activity they did isn’t that important. The slow build-up can make it feel less daunting.

Another option is to find a friend who is feeling similarly and see if you can do something together. We often find it easier to do things for others than for ourselves so this might increase motivation to start.”

So if you’ve slipped, don’t see it as failure – see it as part of the process, and start again today (because it’s never too late!)

This article was written by The Body Coach content team.