# When motivation dips > Motivation rises and falls for everyone, so plan for the dips instead of waiting to feel like it. Use an if-then plan, a regular routine and a small version for low days, and treat a missed session as one lapse. Being kind to yourself afterwards helps you start again. - Type: Guide - Topic: Habits & Motivation › Motivation - Reviewed by: Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod, Podiatrist (2026-10-21) - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/when-motivation-dips - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **Dips are expected.** Motivation tends to fall as effort rises, and enjoyment often only builds up after you start [1]. - **Plan ahead and build a routine** so you rely less on willpower [1]. - **Keep a small version for low days:** some activity is good, more is better [2]. - **A missed session is one lapse, not a failure.** Work out what got in the way and start again at the next chance [1]. - **Being kind to yourself after a setback** is linked with getting back to your exercise goals [3]. ## What do you do when motivation comes and goes? Expect the dips, and rely on a plan and a routine rather than on feeling like it. As motivation falls and effort rises, you need more self-control to carry on, and enjoyment often only builds up after you have started [1]. Intending to be active also often doesn’t turn into action [4], so a gap between good intentions and doing it is normal. What helps: - **Make an if-then plan.** For example: "If it’s after breakfast, then I put my shoes on and walk to the end of the street." Planning ahead like this can raise your confidence that you can exercise and your sense of self-control [5]. - **Pick a regular place, time of day or person.** Tying activity to a cue helps it become a routine that needs less deciding [6]. With repetition, you need less conscious self-control and the activity is more likely to continue [1]. - **Decide your small version in advance.** On a low day, a few minutes of walking is better than nothing [2]. - **Start with a goal you’re confident you can reach, and raise it gradually.** A target that feels too big a step up can make people stop trying for a while [7]. - **Keep a simple record,** such as ticks on a calendar. Keeping track, and having a plan for what gets in your way, helps people keep going [1]. - **Treat a missed session as one lapse.** A lapse is a single slip; a relapse is a string of lapses that takes you back to the old habit [1]. Think about what got in the way, plan one thing you’ll do about it, and start again at the next chance. Coping well with a tough situation tends to build your confidence and lower the chance of slipping back [1]. > **Try this:** Write down your small version for low days and one if-then plan, and put them where you’ll see them this week. ## Why does self-compassion help when motivation dips? Being kind to yourself after a setback makes it easier to get back to your goals instead of giving up. People who were kinder to themselves after exercise setbacks were more likely to return to their exercise goals, and their negative feelings about the setback were milder [3]. The benefit seems to come mainly through confidence: feeling able to get past obstacles such as bad weather, tiredness or a busy day [8]. That suggests self-kindness works best when you aim it at setbacks and barriers. It is one helpful tool, not a guarantee. The link between self-compassion and healthy habits is modest, and it is weakest in people aged 40 and over [9]. It is also a link, not proof that kindness causes more activity [3]. Approaches built on self-kindness work about as well as other ways of helping people manage their health habits [10]. How to use it: - **Notice harsh self-talk after a missed session** and answer it as you would a friend: it was one lapse, and you can start again. - **Think about what got in the way,** such as weather, tiredness or a busy day, and plan one small thing you’ll do differently next time. - **Return to your small version at the next chance** rather than waiting until you feel motivated. ## When to check with a health professional If you’re starting exercise after a long break, it’s always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. They can also advise you on increasing activity. Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn’t safe. A sore muscle or joint is a sign to stop or ease off. See a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse. If you’re unusually tired, don’t push through it or put it down to low motivation. Get it checked by a doctor. If low motivation comes with feeling low or flat for weeks, talk to a doctor or a mental health service. If you have thoughts of self-harm, contact a local crisis line (findahelpline.com lists free services in every country) or your local emergency number. ## Quick answers ### Why do I lose motivation after a few weeks? It’s common. As motivation falls and effort rises, you need more self-control to keep going, and enjoyment often only builds up after you’ve started. Plan ahead, build a routine so you decide less each day, and keep a small version ready for low days. ### How small can a workout be and still count? Activity of any length counts towards your weekly amounts. On a low day, a few minutes of walking is better than doing nothing. Some activity is good and more is better, so a small version keeps the habit going until you feel like doing more. ### What should I do after missing a week? Treat it as one lapse, not a failure. Think about what got in the way, such as weather, tiredness or a busy week, and plan one small thing you’ll do differently. Then return to your small version at the next chance instead of waiting to feel ready. ### Should I wait until I feel motivated? No. Enjoyment and satisfaction with results often only develop after you start, so waiting can mean waiting a long time. Use an if-then plan or a set routine, begin with your small version, and let the feeling follow. ## Sources 1. Kwasnicka D, Dombrowski SU, White M, Sniehotta F (2016). Theoretical explanations for maintenance of behaviour change: a systematic review of behaviour theories. Health Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2016.1151372 2. nidirect (2018). Physical activity. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/physical-activity 3. Zhang S, Roscoe C, Pringle A (2023). Self-Compassion and Physical Activity: The Underpinning Role of Psychological Distress and Barrier Self-Efficacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9859314/ 4. Rhodes RE, de Bruijn G-J (2013). How big is the physical activity intention-behaviour gap? A meta-analysis using the action control framework. British Journal of Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12032 5. Lachman ME, Lipsitz L, Lubben J, Castaneda-Sceppa C, Jette AM (2018). When Adults Don't Exercise: Behavioral Strategies to Increase Physical Activity in Sedentary Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Innovation in Aging. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igy007 6. Mullan B, Olivier C, Thøgersen-Ntoumani C (2021). Mind the gap: Habit and self-determined motivation predict health behaviours in middle-aged and older adults. British Journal of Health Psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8519144/ 7. Normansell R et al. (2014). Numbers are not the whole story: a qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators to increased physical activity in a primary care based walking intervention. BMC Public Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4320609/ 8. Zhang S, Pringle A, Roscoe C (2025). Self-compassion improves barrier self-efficacy and subsequently physical activity: A test of longitudinal mediation using a representative sample of the United Kingdom. British Journal of Health Psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11586801/ 9. Phillips WJ, Hine DW (2021). Self-compassion, physical health, and health behaviour: a meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2019.1705872 10. Biber DD, Ellis R (2019). The effect of self-compassion on the self-regulation of health behaviors: A systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317713361 --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/when-motivation-dips). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.