Motivation M.I.A: Helpful Ways to Increase Motivation

Absence of or reduced motivation can serve as a significant barrier to completing necessary tasks. During these moments, the urge to procrastinate is often a chosen method to achieve short-term relief. Find out how you can increase motivation and reduce procrastination to become more productive. 

How often have you found yourself in a position where you have to get something done, but have no desire to do so? Even for tasks that are of utmost importance, the motivation you need is nowhere to be found.  Not only can this be frustrating, but also quite anxiety provoking. So what do you do? If your answer is that you put on some comfy clothes, grab your favorite snack and nestle in front of the tv to binge-watch your favorite show for hours, you may be comforted to know that you are not alone. Those who procrastinate find that they receive short-term benefit from the laid-back, relaxed approach to goal completion, (Tice, D. M., &  Baumeister, R. F. (1997), p. 454–458). However, what might be the long-term impact of such an approach? Let’s first consider what leads to reduced motivation in the first place. 

Research specifies four common causes for the reduction in motivation;  low levels of self-efficacy, outcome-related expectations, beliefs surrounding effort/energy output, and beliefs related to task value  (Hardcastle et al., 2015). Believing that you may not have the capacity to execute a task can result in lack of motivation to pursue the completion of said task. Expecting that your efforts may result in an undesirable outcome can also reduce motivation. If you feel that immense effort or energy will be required to do something, diminished interest can be experienced shortly thereafter. Additionally, if the goal itself is not something you value greatly, there can be minimal desire to complete it.  Once motivation is reduced or absent, procrastination becomes a natural coping mechanism to aid us in managing feelings of discomfort related to  the impending task.  

While procrastinating does provide benefit in the short-term,  research indicates greater costs in the long-term (Tice, D. M., &  Baumeister, R. F. (1997), p. 454–458). As the window of time to procrastinate shortens, stress and anxiety heighten which can contribute to the output of inferior work. The integrity of the work may be weakened due to sacrifices and compromises being made to offset the lack of time needed to fully complete a task. Many individuals report that they function well under the pressure of limited time and will procrastinate given that they have historically done so in the past. Unfortunately, research does not support this being the healthiest approach to improving motivation and promoting long-term health. Increased stress has been found to negatively impact one’s overall health and can contribute to reduced motivation.  

A healthy approach to regaining motivation and successfully completing goals can be achieved by making them more manageable and less intimidating. Breaking goals down into smaller actions that you can confidently achieve, can begin the process of increasing motivation and reducing procrastination. To illustrate this point, consider the task of  attending a therapy session. Maybe the thought of having to get prepared  to talk to your therapist can seem like a challenging or daunting feat that  reduces your motivation. Instead of thinking about the session itself,  maybe the first step to complete is just getting out of bed. Being able to  do this can lead you to experience a sense of accomplishment that  motivates you to brush your teeth and later to take a shower; so on and so  forth. Achievement of less difficult tasks can activate the brain’s reward  system to increase motivation (Nakai et al., 2017). This recommendation can be trialed with any task, no matter how big or small. 

Self-determination theory specifies that our own intrinsic motivation is fueled by our interest in the inherent reward that can be experienced after goal completion (Cherry, 2022, para. 3). Increasing awareness of the  value that comes with achieving a personal goal is another approach to improving one’s motivation. Research suggests that the utilization of  Mindfulness and Meditative practices can enhance our drive to pursue goals that are meaningful, interesting and/or valuable (Smyth &  Milyavskaya, 2021). At Repose, we offer a variety of experiential studio  classes that are targeted to strengthen one’s mindfulness and increase our appreciation for routine life experiences. Psychotherapy or talk therapy services are also provided to explore and deepen your personal insight into why you may be experiencing challenges with motivation. CONNECT WITH US to learn more about anxiety THERAPY.