How to Motivate Yourself When Everything Seems Hopeless

I know what it's like to feel hopeless. When everything seems to be going against you and there's no way out, it feels like trying to motivate yourself is a waste of time. But it's not. It's actually the most important thing you can do.

When you're feeling down, it's easy to give up on yourself. But don't do that. Remember all of the times you've pushed through and succeeded? That was you at your best. Resist the urge to let your lowest moments define you.

How do you motivate yourself?

Here are a few tips:

1. Create a support system.

Navigating breast cancer is a challenge. Creating a community of supportive friends can make all the difference. Knowing that you're not alone can help give you the strength to keep going, especially when you feel low on energy, strength, and joy.

2. Keep a gratitude journal and read it when you're feeling down.

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." – Melody Beattie
One of the best ways to shift your focus from negative to positive is by journaling about things you're grateful for.

It can be something as simple as "I'm grateful for my bed because it's so comfortable." Or "I'm grateful for my health because I know everyone is not as fortunate." When you're feeling down, reading your gratitude journal can help remind you of all the good things in your life.

3. Put on some good music.

Most people have a different go-to song when they need an emotional boost. Whether it's something upbeat and happy or something soulful and sad, listening to your favorite music can help you feel more motivated and inspired.

One day at a time

When everything seems hopeless, don't give up on yourself. You can do this! Just remember to take it one day at a time and don't be too hard on yourself. And if you need help, don't be afraid to ask for it.

I'm writing this as a reminder to myself as well. I'm OK as long as I don't read the diagnosis on my referrals from my doctor's office. Or when I visit her and she reads the laundry list of all of the things that have gone haywire in my body.

Seeing and hearing her reactions to things really brings things home. I know that my health is failing, I can feel it in my body daily; however, I can maintain my reality about the decline until other emotions are triggered and enter my universe when I see things in black and white.

A chance and a choice with MBC

To be transparent, one of the keys to longevity is to gloss over the fine print. Meaning, try not to read into the diagnosis so deeply. Don't be in denial about it, but don't read it like it's the final word either. Acknowledging a thing and holding onto a thing like it's a badge of honor are two totally different things.

I know that my health looks tragic, but I also know that each day we are given 86,400 seconds a day, and how we choose to use them determines our victory or our downfall.

Breast cancer is a diagnosis. How we handle it is a choice. Each day we are given a chance and a choice. What shall we do with our options? Only time will tell.