5 Ways to Find Willpower When You Feel Burnt Out and Hopeless

We all experience periods in our lives when we hit a rough patch and Lady Luck no longer seems to support us.

We’re left feeling crushed by life itself.

Times when unexpected events have happened, often beyond our control, and it’s pushed us to our breaking point.

When tough times hit, we often feel our willpower severely waning.

We feel so burnt out and devoid of energy that our viewpoint into our future starts to look bleak and hopeless.

When we’ve reached this point, it’s pretty hard to find a reason to push on.

But luckily, there are some ways to fight back and regain your inner power.

Here are my favorite ways on how to have willpower when you feel burnt out and hopeless:

1. Gratitude

Sometimes, when I’m at my lowest points, when I can’t think of anything positive and life just seems completely pointless, I like to take a moment to remember everything that I do have in my life and feel grateful.

Here’s how gratefulness can help you on how to have willpower again.

Remember that:

• Your gratitude list can include anything. In fact, when times are super tough and I can’t think of anything one thing to be grateful for, I remember that at least for right now, I have a roof over my head and food in my belly, that there are millions of men, women, and children around the globe who don’t have those basic life necessities available to them on a regular basis.

However, you can also be grateful for your toothbrush, Snickers bars, your pets, or your BMW. It’s your choice and your list so name whatever you want that makes you remember life has great moments – even during the darkest times.

• Keep a gratitude journal near your bed. Every morning and/or night, write down a list of 5-20 things that you are grateful for during the day. In time you’ll see that you really do have a lot more to be grateful for than you ever could have imagined. It’s also really beneficial to turn to those lists when you’re feeling down about life.

You’ll remember you have a whole notebook of things that are really great in your life and that will help boost your willpower to keep moving forward.

Gratitude helps take the focus away from whatever isn’t showing up in my life and redirects me to notice what I do have that is so amazing.

Using gratitude to boost your willpower can give you a new perspective on what’s really going on.

It will help you feel more grounded and resilient, rather than burnt out and hopeless.

2. Volunteer

Being around others who value your service and who need your help – whether that’s the environment, animals, children or other adults in need, it’s a great way for you to feel life is hopeful, not hopeless.

Not only do you get a chance to see that others too, are going through a difficult time, but volunteering will help remind you that no matter what is going on in your life, you can still do some good in the world.

What you do matters, and that you make a positive difference to others.

Remember to:

• Find a volunteer position or charity that is aligned with your time and energy levels. Ask friends about where they volunteer. Maybe even try out a few before you settle on a specific one. But find one leaves you feeling energized and happy afterwards rather than sad and depleted.

While sometimes you may be witnessing a sad situation, like when I volunteered as a groomer at an animal shelter and saw many cases of abuse, it helped when I focused on how I was helping the animals transition from dirty and alone to happy, healthy and on their way to their new forever homes.

• Keep searching – there are tons of volunteer opportunities out there that can fit everyone’s lifestyle, needs, and schedule. You can even find volunteering or mentoring positions that you can do online. So keep searching until you find one you really love. If you don’t see it out there, you can always start your own charity based on needs you see in your own community that aren’t yet being met.

Volunteering your time, money or expertise will get your willpower back up and running in no time as you’ll be reminded that there’s a lot more than just you on this planet and that you’re needed by others.

3. Treat Yourself!

If you have gotten to the point where your willpower is so low that you can barely get out of bed, then this is the time to start treating yourself a whole lot better!

We are taught that giving is the greatest thing we can do, but if we do not stop and allow ourselves to receive, it’s possible to give until we are sucked dry.

It doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive or elaborate.

Just do something for yourself that makes you feel happy.

Do things like that as often as you can.

The more you give to yourself, the less hopeless you’ll feel.

You’ll be more able to give joyfully and abundantly to others.

Remember that:

• Make treating yourself an everyday habit. The more you give to yourself, the more energy you will have, so set aside some time every day to do something kind for yourself. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time, but it does need to help you remember that life can be and is, good.

• Change it up. You don’t have to do the same nice thing for yourself every day. The more you choose to vary your treats, the more you’ll enjoy the process and the more likely you’ll be able to keep up this healthy practice of self love. The more you receive, the more you’ll be able to give.

4. Start Treating Yourself Better

Most of us are running on empty.

We have too much going on in our lives.

Of course, rather than letting the ball drop in any area we allow our minds, bodies, and spirits to take the brunt and then we wonder while all of a sudden we’re feeling depleted and burnt out.

When we’re short on time, energy and/or personal happiness, it’s really easy to start losing our willpower and feel hopeless.

This is where daily self care comes in handy.

By daily care I mean getting enough sleep to feel rejuvenated, NOT exhausted when you wake up.

Practicing daily care also means choosing to eat natural, real food rather than products made with salt, sugar, and fat to help you feel good, happy, and healthy from the inside-out.

Daily care also means exercising regularly so that you remain strong, healthy and limber.

Remember that:

• Little steps can lead to big improvements. Even something small like going to bed at the same time every night can lead to quickly feeling happier and healthier. It’s also important to incorporate these daily care rituals into your schedule so that they become just part of your routine, rather than something you have to squeeze into your day. This will ensure you keep up the practice and actually reap and enjoy their myriad benefits.

• Get support. It’s important when you are trying to make positive changes to have the right support system. Whether you hire someone, join a group or get a friend, spouse or relative to help you out, the more you’ll feel encouraged and supported in making positive changes. This makes it easier for you to maintain these changes.

If you’re thinking about how to have willpower, remember that being healthy is what will help you.

Treating yourself better will push through those tough, hopeless times with much more ease and grace than you can if you’re not caring for yourself on a regular basis.

Taking care of yourself every day is essential for a happy, healthy, and productive life.

You simply cannot allow caring for yourself to go by the wayside, no matter how busy you become or things will start to crumble out of your control.

5. Remove Everything in your Life that Leaves you Feeling Burnt Out and Hopeless

There are so many decisions we have to make these days.

So many choices that can lead us down a variety of different paths.

It can become exhausting just trying to figure out the right path for yourself.

The more decisions you have to make, the more burnt out you’ll probably feel.

Wondering how to have willpower to gain energy reserves and enjoy feeling like you’re actually in control?

It’s important to let go of everything that doesn’t hold any value or meaning in your life.

Remember that:

• If you don’t like it, use it or need it anymore, let it go. Holding on to stuff that no longer holds true value to you only weighs you down in body, mind and spirit, so for the sake of your mental and physical health it’s a good idea to purge all the negativity and waste from your life.

• This exercise will lead to a great awareness of what really matters in your life – if you do it properly. It will help you realize that keeping positive people and things in your space have a great effect on how you feel and how you make decisions. Do yourself a favor and start getting rid anything negative out of your life. See how wonderful, free, and happy you start feeling.

Whether it’s going on a much needed vacation, making a quick trip to the manicurist or buying yourself a decadent brownie as a rare treat, do something that makes you feel happy and joyful.

Giving too much can burn us out and leave us feeling depleted.

This is why we need to give to ourselves just as much as we give to others.

Be kind to yourself, be grateful, and don’t cling to things of no value.

This is how to have willpower again – despite feelings of hopelessness and exhaustion.