How To Be More Enthusiastic: 9 Simple Tips

ByGemma Kate Last Update:

There are many reasons for being less than enthusiastic in life. Things like stress, unhappiness, and fatigue can turn us into a different person – one who is less than happy, a little mellow or just unenthusiastic. The good thing is that it’s a temporary state and there are a few things that we can do ourselves to become more enthusiastic.

Increasing your enthusiasm makes life feel more rewarding and pleasurable. These tips can help:

1. Surround Yourself with Enthusiastic People

Enthusiasm is contagious. When you see someone who really loves what they do, it’s hard not to get caught up in their passion.

Think of Benjamin Franklin. He had a group called the Junto Club, where he surrounded himself with friends and freethinkers like himself—aspiring entrepreneurs. They don’t just charge you with enthusiasm—they turn into one of the best support systems, forming lifelong friendships through unforgettable memories. You can discuss your dreams with these types of people – they aren’t naysayers or energy sappers – they are positive and encouraging.

Find your tribe, those that uplift you, rather than bring you down.

2. Act Enthusiastic

Have you heard the phrase ‘act as if’? It means that if you want to feel more enthusiastic, you can start by acting as if you are.

I’ve found this advice to be very helpful in my life. When I am feeling discouraged or unmotivated, I tell myself ‘it’s just for a little while’ and try acting like how I imagine an enthusiastic person would behave – speak loudly and excitedly about what I’m doing, express gratitude every day for the small things in life (like waking up each morning), make plans even when there seems no point because it creates a sense of hope that everything will work out eventually. This is really hard at first but over time with practice it gets easier!

We choose our view of the world. If you see the world as dull and uninspiring, your brain will look for all the evidence it needs to support your beliefs. 

However, if you see things as interesting, ever-changing, different, and exciting, your brain will find evidence for that too. When you look at the world positively, you believe in yourself and achieve more. 

3. Review Your Past Victories

Sometimes we need a little reminder of our abilities.

When you’re in a current state of ‘blah’, it may be hard for you to think back and remember your past accomplishments.

It doesn’t matter if it was a small victory or not—it’s time for some self-reflection and encouragement! It can also help with building up confidence when we reflect back on the great things we’ve done.

Consider which moments make you feel enthusiastic again and how they impacted your life, in either a big or small way. It’s encouraging to remember that if we’ve done it before, we can do it again!

Also think about the things that are currently bringing you down – where do those thoughts come from? Is it possible to find different ways of thinking about them so they don’t have such an effect on our moods?

4. Inspire Yourself with Stories of Greatness

Find stories of greatness that inspire you personally. Who has made it through something impossible or conquered their fears in the process? There are so many inspirational figures, we just need to know where to look for them.

Inspire yourself with the stories of other people through books, TV shows, movies, inspiring songs, motivational speeches and Youtube videos.

Read how Benjamin Franklin kept a childlike enthusiasm throughout his life, or how Leonardo da Vinci would draw horses for hours because they fascinated him. That’s enthusiasm. Take real-life examples of enthusiasm that inspire you.

Read one inspiring story every day. Some of the stories that inspired me include Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Mother Teresa, Richard Feynman and Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times to invent the light bulb – I’m sure his enthusiasm waned at times too!

Consider how these different heroes were able to accomplish what they did with a positive attitude – then use this as inspiration when working towards your goals. It can be hard to succeed against all odds. But if others have succeeded, you can too.

 

5. Define Your Goals and Plan How to Achieve them

Sometimes we can lack enthusiasm for life when we don’t have a goal to focus on. Or maybe a goal that just seems insurmountable, causing procrastination and lack of enthusiasm to get (or keep) going is the problem?

It might take some time, but if you break it down into smaller steps then the task will seem more manageable. The key is not being too tough on yourself – be gentle with what challenges may come your way and just don’t give up.

Achieving big goals in life can lead towards big rewards that make life worth living: confidence, success, happiness, money etc. It all starts from having clear intentions about where we want our lives to go in the future!

6. Keep a Gratitude List

It can be really easy in this day and age to get caught up with the stress of life. It only takes a few minutes each morning, or after an eventful day, to reflect on what’s making us happy right now – it might seem like nothing at first but often we’ll find that there are actually quite a lot!

A gratitude list is a great way to remind ourselves about how lucky we are and how many things there are for which we should feel grateful. That little bit of positivity will make such a difference when you need encouragement or motivation during difficult times.

Make a list of the things that make you grateful, such as opportunities, achievements, health, skills, people and material goods. It inspires optimism, the mother of enthusiasm.

Keeping a gratitude list turns your mind to parts of your life that bring you energy, rather than draining it away. 

If there comes a time when you need to uplift yourself, go back to your list and remind yourself of the things you feel grateful for. Being grateful unleashes happiness and feelings of enthusiasm.

7. Take Care of Yourself

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising to stay healthy. It is hard to be enthusiastic when we feel tired and sick. It is a challenge to feel excited when physically weak, groggy and lethargic.

Start your day with exercise, even if it’s a short walk. It boosts the mood through increasing serotonin. Serotonin regulates your mood, appetite and sleep. Physical activities release endorphins, the feel-good neurotransmitters within the brain that results in happiness. 

Exercise can also increase self-confidence. When your confidence is down, do you take enthusiastic actions? I know I don’t. You may not be at your best when you start, but enthusiasm builds on itself and you will feel motivated to keep going.

8. Make Time For Fun

Sometimes we can start feeling unenthusiastic in life when life has become a bit of a chore. We’re busy with the mundane parts of life (working, paying the bills, doing the things..) and it feels like we’re always plodding along towards the weekend, only to do it all over again.

It’s important to remember to still fit in time for fun. What excites you? The hobbies, team sports, social events, book club, etc that you look forward to.

If you have a busy schedule and it’s hard to keep up with your daily activities, here are a few ways that may help in finding time for fun:

  • Schedule an hour each day into your calendar as “me” or “self-care.” By doing something nice for yourself once per day will give you greater appreciation for life and make the rest of your day more fulfilling.
  • Take advantage of downtime when watching TV, commuting or other ‘waiting’ times you have in life – what podcasts can you listen to, what books could you read, what vacations could you research?
  • Consider adding new activities into your routine that are not too challenging – try yoga, gardening, painting classes and cooking lessons.
  • Say yes when friends ask if they can join you for dinner or invite them over. Even if it’s on a ‘school night’.

9. Know When It’s Time To Ask For Help

We all have times in our lives where the going gets tough. It’s important to know when it’s time to ask for help from friends, family or professionals, because sometimes we can’t do this alone.

Talk about how you feel and try your best not to shut the door on others offering support. We should also make a point of telling these key people what is happening in our lives and asking for their advice too – they will always share their experience with us without judgement which could be exactly what we need at moments like these.

 

We all have days where we feel less than enthusiastic. It happens to us all, even the most successful and happy people in the world. And while it may seem like there’s no way out of feeling this way, there are some ways you can start to get your enthusiasm back on track. The above tips are great ways to increase the enthusiasm in your life. Sometimes things get stale and a simple change is all we need to get revved up again. All the best!

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