Here we are in November and I don’t know about you, but I am having a tough time getting and staying motivated. “Just do it!” and other forms of self-flagellation aren’t working, so I thought it might be helpful to look for different suggestions.
Emma McAdam is a licensed therapist and I like her down-to-earth videos on her Therapy in a Nutshell YouTube channel. She is relatable and her advice is helpful. She recorded the video below during the pandemic, but it is still relevant.
McAdam starts by talking about the dopamine chemical reward system in the brain, which helps you stick with something until it rewards you. Getting a hit of dopamine feels good. Dopamine creates a reward to motivate a behavior. The hope that you might get another dopamine release will keep you focused on an activity.
Lots of people wait to feel motivated to take action, but it can be better to take action, which generates the dopamine reward, which then makes you feel motivated to take more action.
Depending on the activity, you may never feel like it, so it can be better to just get started.
McAdam says motivation levels drop when you are doing fewer things. Stay actively engaged to increase your chances of feeling motivated.
She also says that trying to change how you feel is probably a waste of time. We’re more likely to change our emotions by changing how we act and changing how we think. Routines and habits will help support motivation. Taking time to celebrate accomplishments also helps.
McAdam shares specific ways you can work better and develop an intrinsic reward system that will help you stay motivated over a longer period. I think you’ll get a lot out of this video.
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
