The Secret To Feeling More Motivated When You're Stuck In Life
Motivation can feel hard to come by when you get to a place in life where you no longer feel moved to operate at your full capacity.
The things that pushed you to hop out of bed each day can make you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or resentful when you lose sight of your "why" or worse: realize that you haven't found your "why" at all.
Motivation stems from three areas of your life: autonomy, competence, and relationships. When you lose touch of these areas, you may feel stuck and unable to move forward.
Event planner Champagne Braswell felt all of the feels of being stuck and unmotivated when her life changed dramatically in 2020. "Last year, COVID messed up my income. I lost a lot of business, my home went into foreclosure, and I didn't know what I was going to do," she says.
Braswell felt pressure and anxiety because instead of fearing the unknown, she was staring directly at it in the face. "I knew I had to pivot and use my resources to survive," she said.
Image via Giphy
Set Specific Goals
"What can I do to keep myself focused?" is the question that Mija asked herself when she realized she was getting off track. She created laser-focused goals that kept her preoccupied as she coped with her loss.
The American Psychological Association shares that people who set specific and challenging goals are 90 percent more likely to achieve what they've set their mind to do. The more detailed and out of reach a goal may feel, the more adrenaline you'll receive to bring it to life.
Incorporate Mediation and Journaling Into Your Routine
After losing what felt like everything, Champagne began to incorporate meditation and journaling into her life.
"Daily meditation helped me visualize what I was going to do that day. I started a journal because it helps me talk through things and how I feel. I hope my thoughts can eventually help somebody else.'"
Research shows that meditating for as little as 20 minutes can increase your focus and allow you to achieve more. People who journal each day experience a 22 percent increase in performance and achievement.
Pay Attention to Your Body
Sometimes the root of a lack of motivation may stem from physiological or mental issues. For example, if you have anemia, you may experience decreased motivation from iron deficiencies. If you are experiencing mental issues, you may experience avolition. This condition is a total lack of motivation due to mental illness or medicines used to treat mental illnesses.
Consult with a doctor to see if the changes in your body are the root of changes in your motivation. It may be easy to lose and hard to gain, however, you have to re-explore your why and pivot if necessary to preserve your sanity and peace of mind.
Motivation will manifest when you put yourself in a position to understand what is making you feel stuck and detail a master plan on how to get back on the saddle and ride.
Are you a member of our insiders squad? Join us in the xoTribe Members Community today!
Featured image via Getty Images
- Books To Motivate & Inspire Your Career Glow-Up - xoNecole ... ›
- 7 Monday Morning Habits For Successful Work Weeks - xoNecole ... ›
- Emotional Intelligence & Your Career - xoNecole: Women's Interest ... ›
- Best TED Talks Motivation - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love ... ›
- How Daily Meditation Benefits Your Career - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
How This New Bond Repair Line Transformed One Mother's Postpartum Shedding Into The Ultimate Curl Comeback
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
For Crystal Obasanya, her wash day woes came shortly after her son did. The beauty and lifestyle content creator had been natural for years, but during postpartum, she quickly learned about one reality many mothers can relate to experiencing: postpartum hair loss. “Sis had thinning hair. Sis had split ends,” she shared about her hair changes in a Reel via xoNecole.
Over a year into her postpartum journey, Crystal explained she also had dry, brittle hair, noting that keeping it hydrated before pregnancy had already been “a task.” The 4C natural recalled going from thick hair during pregnancy to a thin hairline due to postpartum shedding as “devastating.” When it came to strengthening and revitalizing her hair, the new SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection was just the thing she needed to elevate her damaged coils to revive and thrive status and get them poppin' again.
SheaMoisture is providing us with the cheat code for transforming dry and damaged strands into thriving and deeply nourished crowns. By unveiling their 4-step hair system, the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is equipping you with the tools to reverse signs of hair damage caused by protective styling, heat, and color and is uniquely formulated for Type 3 and 4 hair textures.
The haircare system revives damaged natural hair by repairing and rebuilding broken hair bonds through a game-changing combination of HydroPlex Technology and AminoBlend Complex, a unique blend of fortifying amino acids formulated specifically for curly and coily hair. Scientifically proven to reduce breakage by 84% and make your hair six times stronger (vs. non-conditioning shampoo), the collection infuses your hair with the nourishment it craves and the strength it deserves.
All five products of the SheaMoisture Bond Collection are infused with natural strengthening ingredients like Amla Oil and fair-trade shea butter. The collection consists of the 4-step breakage-fighting Bond Repair system, as well as the Bonding Oil.
“When trying it out, I quickly noticed that my hair felt revived and renewed, and my curls were so hydrated,” Crystal said while using the Amla-infused Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. “I also felt my hair strands were stronger.” So much so that the influencer felt brave enough to get her hair braided shortly thereafter. “I can definitely say that I will be keeping it in my hair wash routine,” she added in the caption of her Reel about her positive experience using the products.
SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is making bond-building a key player in your wash day routines and the purveyor of life for thirsty manes. Because who doesn't want stronger, shinier, happier hair?
Step One: Bond Repair Collection Shampoo
Rejuvenate your hair with SheaMoisture Bond Repair Shampoo, your go-to solution for luscious locks. Packed with hella hydration power, this shampoo adds moisture by 60% while removing buildup without stripping your strands. This shampoo gently cleanses impurities while significantly enhancing shine, smoothness, and softness.
The Bond Repair Collection Shampoo is the first step in the 4-step Bond Repair system, all of which are powered by the uniquely formulated AminoBlend, and HydroPlex, SheaMoisture’s technology that rebuilds hair strength at its core.
Step Two: Bond Repair Collection Conditioner
Tailored to repair styling damage, this creamy conditioner locks in 12x more moisture than standard non-conditioning shampoos, boosting damaged hair strength by 1.5x with significantly less breakage. The creamy SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Conditioner deeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
Step Three: Bond Repair Collection Masque
This Ultra Moisturizing reparative masque is a moisture-rich game-changer for those dealing with the aftermath of hair damage caused by styling. The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Masque delivers 13 times more moisture compared to non-conditioning shampoos, ensuring your hair feels nourished and soft. Designed to repair and rejuvenate, this masque significantly strengthens damaged hair — making it twice as strong while reducing breakage.
Step Four: Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner
Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner. Lightweight and hydrating, the Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner provides 12x more moisture than non-conditioning shampoos and tames frizz with 24-hour humidity control. Designed to define curls and coils, the leave-in conditioner enhances softness and shine allowing you to detangle effortlessly.
Bonding Oil
The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Bonding Oil is a multitasking all-in-one formula that acts as a heat protectant and provides the hair with moisture, strength, shine, damage protection, and intense nourishment. This lightweight oil not only offers 24-hour frizz and humidity control but also fortifies your tresses, making them up to 5 times stronger with significantly less breakage.
Featured image courtesy
Draya Michele And Jalen Green Address Backlash Over Age Gap In Their Relationship
Romantic relationships with significant age gaps often attract heightened attention and scrutiny, especially when they involve an older woman dating a much younger man.
This criticism is usually viewed as a double standard, considering society's general acceptance of couples like Jay-Z and Beyoncé or Julius Tennon and Viola Davis, where the male partners are over a decade older than their female spouses.
The debate surrounding age gaps in celebrity relationships reignited in March when Draya Michele, a 39-year-old former reality star and entrepreneur, revealed she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend, 22-year-old Houston Rockets player Jalen Green, after nearly a year together. Immediately following the announcement, Michele, who has two sons from previous relationships, faced massive backlash due to the couple's 17-year age difference.
In response to the scrutiny, Michele posted a quote on her Instagram story, which has since been deleted, suggesting she was comfortable with being "misunderstood." The post read, "Get comfortable being misunderstood. Only a fraction of people will be able to truly grasp your essence. You are not on anyone else's timeline of comprehension."
Since then, the couple welcomed their daughter in May and maintained a relatively low profile regarding their relationship. However, during a recent outing in Hollywood, Michele and Green shared their thoughts with TMZ about the criticism they have received.
Draya And Jalen On Age Gap Backlash
When asked about the online chatter surrounding their relationship, Michele revealed the couple's strategy for dealing with negativity. "We try to stay off the internet and not really listen to that kind of stuff," she explained.
Green echoed this sentiment, stating they don't care about the public backlash. The former Basketball Wivesstar elaborated that they strive to live as normally as possible by blocking out the hate.
“We block it out and we mind our business,” she stated.
When questioned about why she was facing scrutiny despite the pair looking the same age, Michelle disclosed that the entire ordeal was strange.
“I don’t know what people’s problems is,” she said. “We are two adults– being in love. I don’t know why that would rub people the wrong way. It’s kind of weird. Love is love at the end of the day.”
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images