🧠 When “Lack of Effort” Isn’t What It Seems

📘 STORY SPOTLIGHT: Student Story: A Hidden Struggle

“How do you motivate a student who isn’t in a place to be motivated?”

I once worked with a high school student navigating a deep struggle with depression. He was seeing a therapist, and while there were good weeks—ones full of engagement and completed work—there were also stretches of disconnection: missing assignments, missed deadlines, no response.

And then, the disconnection lasted longer.

As a coach, it’s hard to know what to do when a student seems stuck. It wasn’t just procrastination—it was something deeper. Something that looked like a lack of motivation, but really wasn’t.

🤝 COLLABORATION MATTERS

"How do you motivate a student who isn’t in a place to be motivated?"

Instead of pushing forward blindly, I reached out to his therapist. I explained that I wanted to help him take ownership—but only if he was in a mental space to do so. We created a plan together.

She told me something surprising:

"He actually is ready for some structure. I think you can push him a little.”

That ongoing collaboration shaped everything. It reminded me how important it is for coaches, therapists, teachers, and families to work together to support students with compassion and clarity.

🧬 BRAIN SCIENCE BREAKDOWN What’s Really Happening With Depression + Motivation?

“Lack of effort” is often a sign, not a problem.”

— C.A. Hopp

When a student is struggling with depression, their brain’s executive functions—like task initiation, goal-directed persistence, and emotional regulation—can be significantly impacted. This is largely due to changes in the prefrontal cortex and imbalances in dopamine and serotonin, which affect:

✅ The ability to start tasks

✅ The energy to persist through them

✅ The motivation to care about long-term goals

💡 The result? A student who wants to succeed but feels stuck—and may not know how to ask for help.

🎯 BACK TO OUR STUDENT

Together with the therapist’s input, we reintroduced gentle accountability. Not demands. Not pressure. Just steady support, structured check-ins, and flexibility. Over time, the student began to re-engage—slowly at first, then more steadily.

The shift didn’t come from pushing harder. It came from working together with intention and care.

💬 FINAL THOUGHT

Whether you're a parent, teacher, therapist, or coach, motivation reflects the brain's current capacity—not the student's character.

Let’s continue to look deeper. Let’s continue to collaborate. And let’s keep creating environments where students feel seen, supported, and understood.