Mental Health, Money, and Motivation

Finding your next step (even when life feels heavy)

If you’ve ever felt like you should be motivated, but you just are not, you are not broken. A lot of the time, it is not laziness. It is pressure. It is stress. It is your brain trying to keep you safe.

Right now, loads of young people in the UK are carrying three big things at once:

• Their mental health
• Money worries
• The pressure to “figure out” their future

This piece is here to name what is going on, and then give you a strengths-first way to move forward. Not with perfect plans, but with the next step.

What the UK data says (so you know it is not just you)

In England, around 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 had a probable mental disorder in 2023. That is a huge number. It means mental health struggles are common, and they can affect anyone.

Money stress is also a major part of the picture. In the same research, 48.2% of 17 to 25 year olds said they were worried about money. And the link between money worry and mental health is strong:

• Around 7 in 10 young people with a probable mental disorder were worried about money
• Compared with around 4 in 10 of those unlikely to have a disorder

There is also an “optimism gap” that matters for motivation:

• Only 21.5% of young people with a probable mental disorder felt optimistic about having enough money, compared with 61.1% of those unlikely to have a disorder
• Only 30.9% felt optimistic about job prospects, compared with 70.2%

So if your motivation has dipped, or the future feels foggy, there is a reason. Your headspace and your circumstances shape what you can see.

Why money stress can kill motivation

Motivation is not just a personality trait. It is a resource.

When money is tight, your brain often switches into a kind of “protect mode”. You start scanning for risk. You focus on what could go wrong. You try to avoid mistakes because mistakes feel expensive.

That can look like:

• Putting things off, because starting feels overwhelming
• Losing interest in stuff you used to care about
• Feeling stuck between “I need money now” and “I want a future I actually like”
• Comparing yourself to people who seem to have it all mapped out

It is not that you do not care. It is that caring costs energy, and you might be running low.

The missing piece people do not talk about: who you are with

Sometimes the biggest shift is not a new plan. It is being around the right people.

The right people do not fix your life for you. They do something quieter and more powerful:

• They help you feel safe enough to try again
• They remind you who you are when you forget
• They make the unknown feel like a place you can explore, not a place you will fail

That could be:

• One teacher who actually listens
• A mate who gets you out the house
• A manager who explains things without making you feel stupid
• A family member who backs you, even when you are unsure
• A mentor who helps you see options you did not know existed

If you have even one person like that, you have a real advantage.

Purpose is not a big speech, it is a feeling

When people say “find your purpose”, it can sound like you need a single perfect job that explains your whole life.

You do not.

Purpose can be small and real:

• “I like helping people feel calmer.”
• “I love making things look better.”
• “I want to be proud of what I do, even if it is not flashy.”
• “I want to build skills and independence.”

Purpose is often just the moment you think, this matters to me.

Strengths-first motivation: why it works

When you work in a way that fits your strengths, life can feel lighter. Not easy, but lighter.

That is because strengths are not just what you are good at. They are what give you energy.

A strengths-first approach helps because:

• You get more “wins” with less forcing
• You build confidence through proof, not hype
• You start noticing what suits you, and what drains you

And that changes motivation. Motivation grows when you can see progress.

Bringing back the excitement of the unknown

The unknown can feel terrifying when you are already stressed. But it can also be where your future starts.

Here is a reframe that helps:

• The unknown is not a verdict on you
• It is a space to test things, learn, and collect proof

You do not need to know your whole career.

You need a small experiment.

A practical reset: 3 tiny steps for this week

These are designed for low-energy days. Pick one.

1. 1.Name one pressure, out loud

“Money is stressing me out.” “My head feels heavy.” “I am scared of picking wrong.”

Naming it reduces the shame, and shame is a motivation killer.

1. 2.Pick one strength you want to use more

Examples: curiosity, kindness, bravery, humour, creativity, fairness, teamwork, persistence.

Ask: “Where could I use this for 10 minutes this week?”

1. 3.Do one ‘proof’ action

Proof beats confidence. Try:

• Ask one question to someone in a job you are curious about
• Apply for one role, placement, or work experience opportunity
• Write a short list of “what I can offer” without using grades
• Do one small task that shows a skill (a mini project, a tidy-up, a fix, a design, a plan)

If you are a parent or educator reading this

The most motivating thing you can give a young person is not pressure. It is steadiness.

Try:

• “What feels heavy right now?”
• “What would make this week 5% easier?”
• “What are you good at that you forget you are good at?”

Support is not about having the perfect advice. It is about helping them feel less alone while they take the next step.

Where inyourroots® fits

inyourroots® exists for the moments when the future feels too big.

We have built a strengths-first, CV-free career discovery journey that helps you:

• Understand what you are good at, in plain language
• Turn strengths into real options, locally
• Build proof, one step at a time
• Find work that fits you, not just work that looks good on paper

You do not need to have it all figured out.

You just need a next step you can actually do.