There are moments in life when everything still looks the same on the outside — but internally, you’ve lost your footing and are finding your feet again after being knocked off balance.
You’re getting through the days. You’re doing what needs to be done. But something feels off. Motivation has evaporated. Decisions feel heavier than they used to. Even simple things require more effort than expected.
And you might be wondering what’s wrong with you.
Here’s the truth most people don’t hear often enough:
Nothing is wrong with you. You’re responding to a disruption.
When life doesn’t ask permission
Life has a habit of changing the rules without warning. A health scare. A loss. A relationship shift. A period of sustained stress. Sometimes it’s one big event; other times it’s the slow accumulation of strain that finally tips the balance.
When that happens, your nervous system doesn’t care about your plans, your goals, or your carefully constructed routines. Its first priority is safety — not productivity.
So if you’ve noticed yourself feeling flat, foggy, unmotivated, or emotionally tired, that’s not failure. That’s biology doing its job.
Why “just push through” rarely works
We’re often told that the answer is to try harder. Set new goals. Get disciplined. Find motivation.
But motivation isn’t something you can summon on demand when your system feels unsettled. In fact, trying to force yourself forward too quickly often creates more resistance, not less.
What’s usually missing in these moments isn’t willpower.
It’s stability.
One of the simplest ways to restore a sense of steadiness is to reconnect with environments that naturally calm the nervous system. Time outdoors — even brief, regular contact with nature — has been shown to reduce stress and support emotional regulation. I wrote more about this in Nature, the original antidepressant, exploring why the natural world can be such a powerful ally when life feels overwhelming.
Chronic stress affects far more than our mood — it impacts energy, focus, motivation, and our ability to make decisions, which is why periods of upheaval can feel so disorienting. Australian mental health organisation Beyond Blue explains how stress affects mental wellbeing and why slowing down is often part of recovery.
Why finding your feet again comes before motivation
Before you can feel inspired, energised, or future-focused, your system needs to feel grounded. Safe enough. Predictable enough. Supported enough.
That doesn’t mean life has to be perfect. It means you need somewhere solid to stand.
Stability can look surprisingly ordinary:
- A few non-negotiable routines
- Gentle boundaries around your time and energy
- Familiar comforts
- Honest self-talk instead of constant self-criticism
These aren’t signs of weakness. They’re the groundwork that allows momentum to return — naturally.
Often, what helps most in unsettled seasons isn’t doing more — it’s doing less, more intentionally. Slowing the pace, reducing unnecessary pressure, and allowing life to move at a more human speed can be profoundly stabilising. I explored this more deeply in The joy of slow living in a fast world, where I share why easing off the accelerator is sometimes the most supportive thing we can do for ourselves.
Beginning again doesn’t mean starting over
Beginning again doesn’t require a full life audit or ambitious plans. Sometimes it starts with a few honest questions that help you reconnect with what matters now — not who you used to be or who you think you should be. If reflection feels supportive rather than demanding, you might find The year-end review questions that actually matter a gentle place to begin.
One of the quiet myths we carry is that after a disruption, we’re supposed to “get back to normal.” Back to who we were. Back to how things used to feel.
But often, the work isn’t about going back.
It’s about re-orienting.
Beginning again can be subtle. It might mean adjusting expectations. Choosing smaller steps. Letting yourself be human for a while instead of relentlessly “fine.”
And perhaps most importantly, it means offering yourself the same understanding you’d give someone you love who’s been knocked off balance.
A steadier way forward
What often gets overlooked in moments like these is how much quiet adjustment is happening beneath the surface.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a short series exploring what actually helps when life unsettles us — not quick fixes or hype, but steady, grounded practices that support us in finding our feet again.
If you’re in a season like this, you’re not behind.
You’re not broken.
You’re recalibrating.
And that, done well, is the beginning of something meaningful.
