Feeling Discouraged or Unmotivated? Try these Psychology Strategies - Tips from a Registered Dietitian

Sarah Walters
Oct 17, 2024
6 min read

Updated: Mar 16

Getting on track with your health goals starts with your mind. Psychology research has found different strategies that help people get out of ways of thinking that are bringing them down.

A thought bubble with a light bulb in it

Thoughts are only interpretations of reality, which means that they are not always true. Finding replacements for dysfunctional thoughts can help you increase internal motivation and encouragement, making it easier to maintain positive habits.

There are different dysfunctional thoughts, or "cognitive distortions," that could be getting in the way of your health goals, including:

1) All or Nothing Thinking:

Seeing things as “all good” or “all bad,” or thinking that you have to do things 100% perfect all of the time or else it’s not worth it.

This can include thoughts such as:

“If I can’t eat perfectly, I might as well stop trying”
“Since I didn’t go to the gym, there’s no point in doing any physical activity today”
“Since I’m not able to cook like that person can, there’s no point in me trying”
“I am bad or unhealthy because I ate this”

This way of thinking ignores the fact that taking steps to improve your health is better than taking none, and that it is not realistic to expect ourselves to do everything 100% all of the time.

A person lying on the couch, looking unmotivated

Only focusing on the your failures or faults can be quite discouraging. Instead of telling yourself that you are “unhealthy or bad,” it can help to consider positive facts about yourself, such as your strengths, successes, and opportunities. Everyone has a combination of successes and failures, and strengths and weaknesses.

Replacement phrases:

“Each day I eat a nutritious food or do some exercise, I will be taking care of my health, no matter what else I do”
“I didn’t have time to go to the gym today. I am going to do some jumping jacks and stretch at home today instead, because even a small amount of exercise is better than nothing"
“I don’t have a lot of experience with cooking, but everyone starts somewhere. Each day that I practice, I will get better”
“I didn’t do what I planned today. But I have been otherwise doing a lot of good for myself. I can always try again tomorrow. What matters most is what I do most of the time”

2) Shoulds and Musts:

Setting rules for yourself to try to force yourself to do something, and believing that it has to be done perfectly.

Examples of these thoughts include:

“I must consume x amount of calories each day or else I will gain weight”
“I must eat healthy food 100% of the time in order to be healthy”
“I must exercise every day”
“I should be able to run as fast as them”

People can often resent the rules that they force upon themselves and can end up rebelling against them. It can also lead to feelings of guilt after inevitably not being able to stick with the unrealistic expectations.

Replacement phrases:

“I am aiming to consume less calories, but I am not going to gain weight after only 1 day of consuming my regular amount of calories”
“I want to eat more healthy food, so I will make a plan to do so, but it is unrealistic to expect myself to eat healthy food 100% of the time”
“I want to exercise more, so I will make a plan to exercise x amount of times per week, but it is unrealistic to expect myself to do it everyday. There are going to be days when I need a break, am too busy, too tired, or have other demands”
“I am just starting to run. I have not built the stamina yet. These other people have been doing this for a lot longer than me so it makes sense that they are faster”

3) Jumping to conclusions (including catastrophizing):

Making conclusions and predictions based on little to no evidence and holding them as truths.

This could include words such as “never” “awful” “every time” “horrible” “always.”

Examples of these thoughts include:

”I ate so much of that snack. I am going to gain weight now”
”I didn’t accomplish my goal. Goals don’t work for me”
”I didn’t go to the gym today. This is going to ruin all my progress”
“I didn’t lose any weight. The diet and exercise was a waste of time”
“I will never improve”

These thoughts are usually not true because the past does not always predict the future, especially when there are things that can be worked on.

Replacement phrases:

”I ate a lot more of that snack than I was wanting to. But weight is not influenced by one single meal or snack, but rather by many different factors"
“I didn’t accomplish my goal. My goal might have been too hard. I can adjust my goal to make it more attainable to start with"
”I have had x amount of weeks of accomplishing my physical activity goals. This progress will not be lost, even if I have a week of not meeting my target”
“I've done well with making changes to my food choices or exercise habits. Physical changes are not always seen right away, but can start to show up over time. Either way, I have improved my health and my strength”
“I can improve. I have had many years of eating these foods and having a lower physical activity level, so it will take time for it to change. A step in the right direction is what matters”

4) Rationalizations and Blaming:

Justifying to yourself why you should be able to do something, or blaming someone or something else for your problems.

Examples of these thoughts include:

”It’s been a long day, I deserve a treat”
”I have to buy these desserts because my friends like eating them when they come over”
”I have to eat this dessert because my friend is eating it and I don't want to hurt their feelings”
“I have to buy the “junk food” for my kids, so there’s no way I can get rid of them”

Justifying with yourself about why you should go against your goals can make it hard to say no. These thoughts can creep up, and you might not even consider the alternatives if you are too familiar with the justifications.

Replacement phrases:

“It’s been a long day. I need some rest. I should treat myself for my accomplishments, but I will select one of my pre-determined rewards, rather than making an impulse decision”
“My friends like these desserts, but they might also like to try something new. I will try bringing a different snack this time and see how it goes”
”My friends are ordering dessert, but I don't feel like having any. I would rather listen to my body than their desires. If they insist that I try some, I can explain to them that I am not feeling hungry. If I want to taste it, I will just try a few bites but I don’t need to eat it all”
“My kids are used to eating those treats that I buy for them, but that doesn't mean they won't like alternative snacks. They could also benefit from having some healthier snacks at home and less of the “junk foods.” It might just take time for them to get adjusted to having different foods available at home."

In summary,

Finding replacements for dysfunctional thoughts can make a huge difference in the choices you make on a daily basis. It will take time to notice when you have a dysfunctional thought. When you do catch yourself, try to think of a more realistic point-of-view. This can help give you internal motivation and encouragement, to help you keep going with your health goals in the times when you don't feel like it or are feeling discouraged.

If you'd like more support with recognizing dysfunctional thoughts and learning how to replace them, a registered dietitian can help with this. Dietitians provide support to help you develop healthy habits, including reflecting on the thoughts that influence our actions.