Many of us know this problem:

After work you can hardly bring yourself to do anything, you just lie in front of the TV and zone out. Yet you had actually planned to finally get back to the gym, go for a run, or meet friends at the movies. What can you do when you feel unmotivated after work, and how can you find more joy in an active life again?

No energy after work?

These tips help:

Exercise gets body and mind moving! If you can still pull yourself together after a tiring workday and get active, you're doing a lot against your lack of motivation and drive. Just a few minutes of movement in the fresh air help our bodies find new energy and leave our minds refreshed.

Physical activity not only boosts the oxygen intake that supplies our cells optimally, it also lets us switch off easily during the movements. The bad mood we still had shortly before quitting time suddenly vanishes during a walk.

Even if you're not a top athlete, you should build small bits of exercise into your everyday life. That can be a walk after work, or why not simply bike home from the office and enjoy the wholesome fresh air instead of getting annoyed in your car over stop-and-go traffic. If you get regular exercise in your daily routine, the lack of motivation and drive will soon be a thing of the past.

[caption id="attachment_594" align="alignright" width="300"]No motivation after work Work makes you tired[/caption]

The right diet helps prevent a lack of motivation

If you often feel unmotivated after work, you should take a look at your diet. If you frequently reach for burgers, fries, and pizza, you're often unknowingly feeding that lack of drive. A high-fat diet not only leads to a big belly and excess weight, it can also make you listless and sluggish. Try it yourself and change up your diet. Cut out fatty fast food and eat home-cooked meals instead. Ideally, use only fresh ingredients, plenty of vegetables, protein-rich fish or meat, and fruit. That not only supports your health, you also don't feel as weighed down and worn out as after a greasy meal.

Push past your own resistance

We're often unmotivated after work and want to cancel plans with friends. Yet social contact is so important for our mental health. Pull yourself together even after a tiring day and don't cancel the plans. Once you're sitting together with your buddies or girlfriends in a relaxed group, you'll certainly enjoy the time together.