Providing the Stress Management Support Your Deserve

1.     Create a reward system.

Scientists have demonstrated that the activation of the ventral pallidum (part of the limbic system in the brain involved in the regulation of behavior and emotions) can stimulate and enhance motivation. By setting a specific goal, working hard to reach it, and then rewarding yourself once you do, you are actually fostering higher levels of productivity. How? The reward system activates dopamine release in your brain! The reward itself or even the anticipation of the reward leads to increased secretion of dopamine. The release of dopamine makes us feel good. By creating a reward system, you are setting up positive reinforcements which will help you reach your goal.

2. Finding your productive hours.

Being in tune with our natural rhythms helps us stay active and motivated. In other words, our bodies have an inner clock known as a “circadian rhythm.” This means we have certain times of the day during which we feel more active and energized. For most people, energy is at its lowest between 2 - 4 a.m. and 1 – 3 p.m. When we feel sleepy and tired, we are not productive. Therefore, if you like to stay productive and accomplish your tasks easily, it is good to learn what your circadian rhythms are.

3. Look for underlying biological issues.

If you feel tired and have no energy to do anything, you may need to look for underlying biological and psychological components to your lack of motivation. One example is the syndrome of apathy, which scientists believe could be a possible culprit. Apathy syndrome is a neurodegenerative disorder observed to affect motivations in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The primary symptom of apathy syndrome is the loss of motivation. To be more precise, scientists believe that the frontal lobe of the brain and the cingular cortex (a part of the brain located in the cerebral cortex) play a critical role in the motivation process. That is why scientists are studying the role of two important neurotransmitters, dopamine and acetylcholine, in the motivation process.

As another example, in individuals who are depressed, motivation seems to fall to its lowest level. This can add anxiety to existing problems if the individual is unaware of their depression. Lack of motivation can be interpreted as laziness, which can then affect one’s self-esteem. This is why it is very important to make sure there are no psychological or behavioral issues contributing to your lack of motivation. Talking to a therapist may help you to figure out exact reasons.

4. Visualize.

Visualize all of your goals and where you need to be at the end of the year. I am a strong proponent of visualization. Many times in my nutritional articles, I have stated that “you are what you eat.” Here I would like to re-emphasize this in a new way: “You are what you imagine yourself to be.” In other words, what we are is the result of what we have germinated, consciously or subconsciously, inside our brains. So keep dreaming, but at the same time stay realistic; otherwise, you may simply be adding to a list of disappointments and dreams that will never be a reality. If you realistically visualize success, however, your dreams can become a reality.

5. Divide the task into the smaller pieces.

Whether you work for yourself at home or you are a homemaker with load of tasks awaiting your attention, it can be anxiety-provoking when you fall behind in performing your tasks. It is helpful to divide the task into smaller steps. For example, say you have a house that is a mess and needs to be cleaned: instead of cleaning the house in its entirety in one day, why not clean the kitchen in one day, the bedroom the next, and so on? This way, you are not overwhelmed by the work and the task still gets done. Dividing up the task into easily achievable pieces is a more doable approach. The same goes for other projects, from organizing your closets or your mail to submitting your company’s proposal or finishing office projects. Keep the tasks small and reward yourself at the end. You will be very pleased with your performance on these smaller goals, and feeling pleased with yourself helps you to stay motivated.

Thanks for visiting www.curenaturally.org. To schedule an appointment with me, please call our office at (616)-777-0608.Stay motivated and wish you the best in 2019 Please feel free to follow us on twitter for our latest postings.

 Ashraf Girgis N.D.