I try to practice every night, but there are some nights I get home from work and I just feel completely drained. I have a long commute (at least an hour) and this seems to be what’s taking it out of me.
Anyone have any suggestions for getting oneself in the practicing mood, for those days when you just don’t feel motivated? I would like to stay away from the caffeine solution.
I haven’t always got the energy or discipline, but when I do, I stop by our local gym on my way home, and do a brief 20-30 minute light workout. That usually energizes me for the evening, but of course it also cuts into my practice time. Work is a really inconvenient aspect of my life. 
Alas, not having work is darned inconvenient, too.
Not a substitute for dedicated practice sessions, but I like to bring my flute with me when I go places, if possible. I can sneak in a couple of tunes between activities, even in my car when I get to work, or before leaving work. I find it a reviving little break.
Good luck,
Ben
I also have a long commute I was experiencing the same issues of being too tired to practice when I get home, and also not wanting to take too much quality time from the family.
I’m fortunate to have a little park only 5 minutes from work so I’ve started heading down there 2-3 days each week at lunch time and doing some playing/practice (It’s summer in Australia!) As I’m only a newbie to ITM it took a bit of ‘courage’ for me to start to do it. The first couple of times I drove my car down there and played in my car. But now I find a shady tree, sit down, and just let the world pass me by for a while.
I still try to practice at home on the other days, but this augments my practicing and has the added bonus of making the afternoon just a little more pleasant! 
going for a brisk walk usually perks me up, actually doing anything rather than the nothing that I think I want to do tends to snap me out of a funk.
cheers
How about taking the train and busking on it.
I find when I’m tired, I make mistakes that don’t necessarily seem to stem from fatigue. From experience, however, I know that’s what it is.
If you play when your energy is low, do so standing up. I like to play in the kitchen, where I position myself in a counter corner. It’s close to sitting down, but I am more alert and play better.
Last night I was fairly well spent after two very full and intense days at work. One of the things I will do on days like that is just allow myself to dabble with the flute without any particular routine, schedule or goal; I just pick it up and play scales, long tones, or short, easy tunes, or practice cuts etc without much concentration - almost unconscious playing. So last night, while I was engaging in the brain dead activity of watching Simon unmercifully crucify some poor, pretty young women with stage fright on American Idol, I would play my flute in between songs and during commercials. I feel like any time I spend playing my flute, whether I’m tired and unfocused or not, has a positive, cumulative effect, and it maintains my commitment play at least a little bit everyday.
What do you do in the evening when you feel completely drained? If it is watch TV, I’m afraid that probably doesn’t help un-drain you much.
Sometimes mindless and brain dead fills the bill for me…
If you’re driving that much, play while you’re pumping gas. I do, it takes my mind off the prices.
Treat the practice as play time.
Its not?
Not for some people. 
I have a very draining and challenging job, and am often on-call.
So lots of times I’m “too tired” when I get home.
Sometimes I don’t even get home until after dinner.
So I try to play lots on the weekend.
I would like to play more, but sometimes mindless internet surfing after a day at work is all I can manage.
M
Mindless activities can recharge the batteries; just grab the flute and play anything that pops into awareness while you surf. I often do repetitious stuff like practicing cuts or rolls while I am reading something on the net. I think it all adds up. Works for me, anyway.
im one of the lucky ones. i teach elementary music so i end up playing guitar, flute or pipes all day long. i usually have some time between classes and i get a couple breaks in my day so i practice often. the kids also love to hear me play. sometimes if we get done with a lesson and have a few minutes ill get out my pipes and play a jig or reel and let the kids get up and dance. i teach in the inner city so its funny to see the kids dancing the “soulja boy” to some irish music. 
my big problem is finding time in the afternoons to get my exercise in. with 4 kids, homework and cooking dinner im usually too exhausted to do anything else.
reading all these posts reminds me just how fortunate i am. i live less than five minutes from work. i live in a very, very, very small town. I am home in time to play/practice/noodle for an hour before i have to cook dinner. i have time after dinner to play some more (my sons are very tolerant.) i am truly fortunate.
but i remember when i lived in los angeles. i never stopped thinking of music. no matter where i was. music is what makes the rest of this insanity called american society tolerable.
be well, all,
jim
It’s good to hear that I’m not the only one dealing with this. I like the idea of taking a brisk walk, and playing standing up (I do that a bit already, as i just don’t feel like sitting after and hour in the car)!