Motivation is a complex thing to try and master and control, especially when it comes to work-related situations where you may not be in your best mental state.
We all have obligations in life that we sometimes struggle to fulfill, or at least struggle to find the will and desire to complete. Unfortunately, these obligations can often be work-associated, and we need to find the motivation to somehow get them done. Our mental state can get in the way of our productivity, but there are ways to nearly trick yourself into being motivated to get everything done if you know what you are doing.
Plan Your Day Ahead of Time
The key to being productive with work when you are not feeling 100% is by making everything seem manageable. Planning out your day assists in this because you have an idea of when your tasks will be complete, and the number of tasks that you have. You also will find that you may have more time than you realize, and you can even schedule breaks and other activities to help you stay mentally relaxed and give yourselves breaks.
Make Checklists
Factoring in time will make your work seem more manageable, as will counting the tasks that you have to complete and physically writing them down. This will give you a better feel of what needs to be done, and will also give you satisfaction in knowing you are completing things that you need to. Checklists act as a good system of reinforcement when you may be feeling down mentally.
Take Periodic Breaks
Although breaks can be dangerous in that they can often sidetrack you from work if you are not doing well mentally, they can be useful if done properly as well. I recommend using breaks as a reward system for completing tasks. This way, you know that you can stray away from your work only if you are making suitable progress at the same time.
Look Back at Your Daily Accomplishments
One of the best things that you can do to not only stay motivated to work, but also help get you out of your mental slump as well is to do a review of what you have already accomplished through the other steps on this list. By looking at your completed checklist, you will see that you are on the right path and completing what needs to be done. This should begin to build confidence that will carry over into work and other areas of your life.