How many of you struggled to stay motivated over the last year? If you nodded your head yes, you’re not alone. Research suggests motivation drops when you feel a deficit in three key areas: autonomy, competence and relationships—all of which COVID-19 wiped out overnight. Lack of structure and increased isolation also made it difficult to feel motivated.
The pandemic closed our schools, offices, gyms, playgrounds, national parks, shopping centers and restaurants. For many children and adults, this has meant decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behavior, which can lead to risk of serious health conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The good news is all hope is not lost. You can set new goals, adjust your routine and get motivated to achieve them.
Six Easy Ways to Get Motivated—Again
Here are some research-backed ways to feel more motivated today:
- Spruce up your daily ritual
Over time rituals automate behavior, which frees up your mental energy for other, more challenging tasks. A daily routine can increase your self-control and feelings of self-discipline. - Create new cues
Creating cues in your physical environment, like a designated workspace, can help you stay focused while you’re working and disconnect while you’re in other places. - Give yourself rewards
Who said reward charts are just for kids? Rewards can increase your intrinsic motivation or desire to do an activity, so go ahead and watch your favorite show while you run on the treadmill. - Cultivate positive emotions
Seek out moments of positivity throughout the day to help improve your motivation, productivity, physical and mental health, social relationships and community involvement. - Give yourself grace
Don’t let your self-esteem or ego get in the way of your motivation. Negative thoughts or feelings about yourself can affect your ability to reach a goal, so it’s important to acknowledge where pressure is coming from and not be so hard on yourself. - Know your triggers
It’s important to recognize common triggers like negative feedback, negative thoughts or burn out, so you can adjust and get back to your daily routine as soon as possible.
Motivation helps you set priorities, builds confidence, teaches perseverance and inspires those around you. If you’ve been feeling unmotivated lately, it’s time to create new habits so you can get back on track to meeting your personal or professional goals.
For information about our services or to schedule an evaluation call Jason Ferine Physical Therapy at 424-365-2083. We are firm believers in the healing power of human touch and focus our treatments around hands-on manual therapy, strength training, yoga, exercise and acupuncture.