A friend says they've completely lost motivation for their studies or job. What advice would you give them?

A natural way to answer

My advice would be to break things into smaller steps so the workload feels less daunting. I'd also suggest they reconnect with why they started in the first place. Reminding yourself of the bigger goal can really help you keep going through the dull patches.

Key phrases to use

• start small — to begin with something easy or minor before doing bigger things“If the goal feels huge, just start small.”
• run on empty — to keep going when you have no energy left“By Friday I'm completely running on empty.”
• keep going — to continue despite difficulty“It's tough now, but you just have to keep going.”
• burnt out — exhausted and unable to work well after too much stress“He's totally burnt out after months of overtime.”
• keep the spark alive — to maintain interest, energy, or enthusiasm for something“Small projects help me keep the spark alive at work.”