FACTS — Motivation & Task Initiation
“Depression can affect motivation and task initiation.”
Depression can make starting, organising and completing everyday work tasks require considerably more mental effort. This is not necessarily a lack of interest, ability or commitment.
Someone may know exactly what needs to be done but still experience a significant barrier between knowing and starting.
This might look like difficulty:
- Beginning tasks without prompting
- Deciding which task to tackle first
- Breaking larger jobs into manageable steps
- Moving from one task to another
- Responding to emails or messages
- Making everyday decisions
- Maintaining concentration
- Completing tasks once started
- Managing several demands at the same time
- Recovering after interruptions
Motivation isn't the same as caring
An employee may care deeply about their job and still struggle to access the mental energy needed to begin something.
Pressure, criticism or repeatedly being told to “just get on with it” can sometimes increase overwhelm rather than improve performance.
What can help?
Support might include clear priorities, written instructions, smaller task steps, realistic deadlines, regular check-ins, fewer competing demands and protected periods of uninterrupted work.
A helpful question can be:
“What would make this task easier to start?”
rather than:
“Why haven't you done this yet?”
Difficulty starting a task should not automatically be interpreted as laziness, avoidance or a lack of commitment.
Space to Breathe Therapy
