Motivation can be an elusive thing for many of us, in relation to our aerial training or simply life in general.
Our motivation levels are threatened more today than ever before.
We are disconnected from people, experiences, and everything that makes us feel whole.
Many aerial studios are closed and those that are open have strict social distancing measures in place. There are no showcases or gigs on the horizon and we don’t know when we will be able to perform in front of a crowd again. At the same time, we are overly connected to technology and the dark places our minds can wallow in.
We’re not sure how long this pandemic will continue to go on for, when it will get better, or if it will get worse in ways we don’t expect.
By stating this we are not trying pessimistic about the situation by any means. In fact, our aim is the opposite. It’s important to simply acknowledge the reality that many of us are living in right now.
The first step with any problem is to first acknowledge it.
The second step is to list possible solutions.
Let’s look at some ways that you can keep your motivation levels high to continue your aerial training (where possible) and stay fit and healthy both mentally and physically during this uncertain time.
Here are 8 tips to navigate low motivation levels and get back on track today.
1. Redefine what “Motivated” Means to You
First things first, we have to redefine what it means to recapture our lost sense of motivation. Maybe before quarantine, you were going to your aerial studio six days a week, for two hours at a time, eating healthy foods and generally feeling positive about your body and your life.
If you’re looking for that degree of motivation, chances are you won’t get that back anytime soon.
Why?
Because today, we are operating in a different and more challenging environment. One that poses more threats to our mental stability and resilience than before when things were “normal.”
Determine what constitutes healthy levels of motivation for you today. Is it doing a 15-minute ab workout and 15-minute stretch 5 days per week? Is it eating 3 healthy meals per day? Is it training on your aerial rig (if you are lucky enough to have one!) 3 days per week?
Once you have an understanding of the kind of realistic and healthy motivation you need right now it will be easier to consistently generate.
2. Create a Daily Quarantine Routine
For people who are familiar with bouts of isolation, such as submariners or astronauts, one of the main tools they say helps them the most is a routine.
It sounds mundane, but mundane times call for mundane measures.
Your daily quarantine routine must be simple and easy to follow. Here are the things that should be included:
- Wake up time
- Work time
- Health time
- Relax time
- Eat time
- Sleep time
There are many other tasks that could be added to this list, but again, the goal here is not to set unachievable goals during an already demanding time.
Instead, we want to create a routine that will keep our energy levels high, take care of our health, and give us a sense of empowerment from being able to perform the task at hand.
3. Create a Daily Checklist
Your daily checklist is slightly different from your daily routine in the sense that you have a list of things you must get done every day, whenever you are able to accomplish them.
YOUR DAILY ROUTINE STRUCTURES YOUR DAY, WHILE YOUR DAILY CHECKLIST MAKES SURE YOU’RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.
You may want to create a daily routine that includes your daily checklist, and that works just as well! The goal here, again, is to create something that is going to take care of your mental and physical state. If you create a routine that is too jam-packed with things and is hard to follow, your mental state will suffer when you realize you can’t keep up.
Give yourself a break and make your checklist and routine as simple as possible. Here’s an idea of a daily checklist.
- Move: Online dance or fitness class or run outside
- Practice: Work on one Footlock combination on your aerial rig
- Nutrition: Eat 2-3 servings of vegetables or fruit
- Sleep: 7+ hours
- Connect: Call a friend or family member who doesn’t live in your house
4. Action Comes BEFORE Motivation
Oftentimes, we wait for motivation to strike, like a lightning bolt, before we decide we can finally take action.
There’s no doubt that there is a lot that you simply cannot do right now (i.e. hug your aerial friends and maybe even get in the air), but that doesn’t mean you have to take your foot completely off the gas.
There are still things you CAN and MUST do to not only regain your sense of motivation but your overall hope and zest for life.
Look at your routine and checklist and decide what you can do RIGHT NOW. And do it. Is it participating in an Instagram handstand challenge? So start practicing your handstands TODAY! Is it stretching out your shoulders that are stiff and sore from hunching over your keyboard? Do a quick Downward Dog RIGHT NOW! That’s it.
Are you going to achieve an insanely perfect handstand or save the world from Coronavirus? Hardly. But you will be saving yourself. Incrementally.
5. Workout Regularly
Yes, working out falls under the daily checklist we already mentioned, but it’s worth highlighting what a massive boost working out can do to lagging motivation levels.
Whether you work out for five minutes a day or fifty, here are the amazing benefits you can get from working out consistently throughout the week. And remember, it’s just about setting a schedule and sticking to it – not being overly ambitious and burning out later on!
- Gives you a sense of empowerment
- Staves off boredom
- Boosts your immune system)
- Allows you to handle stress better
- Releases endorphins to help ward off depression
Remember, the goal isn’t to feel MOTIVATED and AMAZING all the time. The goal is to simply prevent yourself from falling over the edge in times like these. That’s a dark distinction, but it’s true for many people.
So when you’re slogging through an online workout class by yourself and just not feeling it, know that even when you’re not inspired just completing it and following through on a commitment to yourself will make you feel infinitely better than if you didn’t do it at all.
6. Enlist Help
Find a friend or family member to be an “accountability buddy” to hold you accountable to the tasks you’ve outlined in your checklist.
It might sound a little cheesy but if someone asking you every day “Did you stretch your splits yet?” is enough to get you to do your lunges and toe touches, that’s a win.
7. Help Someone Else
Hopefully, if you have an accountability buddy, you’re helping to hold them accountable. This is an easy way to help someone else.
However, if you don’t, consider ways you can give back and help others during this time.
Why?
Because what helps people get through uncertain, trying times like these the most is a sense of purpose that is gained from serving other people.
Consider what skills you have, what you’re able to do right now at home, and what groups you’re part of who could use your help.
- Are you a crafty person? Maybe you can create cool masks to give to your friends and family.
- Do you workout and train every day and enjoy it? Maybe you can inspire your co-workers to start working out.
- Do you have time? Explore opportunities to volunteer in your community.
These are just a few ideas, but you get the point!
8. Consider the Worst-Case Scenario
Conduct a quick thought experiment and allow yourself to consider the worst-case scenario.
Let’s say six months from now, you were still in quarantine.
We hope just as much as you do that this is NOT the case, but bear with us.
If you knew that 6 months from now, you’d still be in quarantine, what changes would you make today to set yourself up for the next several months?
Would you finally start that blog?
Would you finally buy a gardening kit and see what you could grow at home?
Would you figure out how to set up an aerial rig in your backyard?
Would you schedule Zoom calls with your parents more often?
Whatever it is you would do if quarantine was a longer-term way of life is EXACTLY what you should be doing TODAY to regain your joy for life, and in turn, your motivation.
If you find yourself “waiting” for things to get back to normal, you may be living in the future and neglecting to take control of what you can right here, right now.
Times are tough, but so are you.
Keep fighting, we will get through this together.
‘5 Steps to Mastering the Aerial Silks’ Get the FREE Cheat Sheet by Womack and Bowman here
Aerial Art, Aerial Dance, Aerial Silks, Aerial Tips, Aerial Training, Covid-19, Quarantine Motivation, Training Motivation, Womack and Bowman
