TIPS

 

 

✓ hyperbolic discounting

Sometimes we choose to procrastinate because we don't see the rewards that provide a challenging goal for smart little choices that we make in our everyday life.

Hyperbolic discounting is a cognitive bias which means that we tend to choose rather an immediate reward than a reward got later even if the reward is bigger: 

- Most people choose to get 100€ now, rather than 110€ in a week. 

But this is true for a certain amount of reward or time:

- Most people choose to get 2000€ in one week than 100€ now.

- Most people choose to get 110€ in one year and one week than 100€ in one year.

 

How to cope?

Imagine the future you. How you'd like to be?

This mental projection enhances the motivation to do small efforts towards our goal.

But in another hand, being too strict can prevent to reach this goal. Resting time, pleasure and comfort, are also important for the mental energy in order to keep life in balance.

 

 

✓ GOAL SETTING

- Setting appropriated goals

- Making an action plan to reach them (list of tasks that needed to be done)

- Reading it before doing the tasks

This mindset has a positive effect on motivation because it prepares the brain to achieve the goal.

In fact, it directs the effort towards the objective and increases the intensity of the effort to reach it.

 

 

✓ Environment

- Have you ever realized how interacting with some people gives us energy while interacting with other take it from us?

Being surrounded by inspiring and supporting people help to set challenging goals and increase motivation.

 

-  Have you ever realized how your working space could affect your mood?

Working in a positive atmosphere such as a comfortable, colorful and peaceful space help to concentrate and to keep a positive attitude and therefore, motivation.

 

 

✓ Body language

By adjusting our posture consciously we will affect our motivation:

 

- A study found out that body postures can influence the motivation and ability of individuals to think in self-unrelated domains: in their experiment, Riskind and Gotay (1982) show that slumped-over (relative to upright) physical posture reduced the amount of thinking dedicated to various cognitive tasks.

 

- Another study has shown that holding a high power pose (vs. a low power pose) has caused advantaged and adaptive psychological, physiological, and behavioral changes. These changes include the testosterone levels (associated with confidence) and decreases the cortisol levels (associated with stress).

 

✓ Music

Music increases greatly motivation. In fact, it stimulates sympathetic nervous system and increases the level of physical excitability: our heart beat faster and we want to move. Music has also positive effects on performance, especially when synchronized.

Some studies have shown that synchronous music improved performance in motoric tasks (Karageorghis & al., 2009; Simpson &  Karageorghis, 2006; Terry, Karageorghis, Mecozzi Saha, & D'Auria, 2012.)

Furthermore, an analysis of more than 70,000 tracks of popular music until 1990 have revealed that 120bpm is the most prevalent tempo (MacDougall & Moore, 2005)

Van der Vlist, Bartneck, and Maüeler (2011) have created an add-on music system to the Nike Plus interface called MoBeat.

MoBeat is able to adapt the musical tempo to synchronize with the cycling pace and gives instructions in order to adjust the speed as appropriate. The results showed that the system had increased the participants’ intrinsic motivation and attentional focus. 

 

Personally, I'm listening Radio Meuh . 

The music played is funky electro vibes from all over the world. It gives me energy. I always discover original tracks. I don't need to change the tunes. There are no ads. and it's free of charge!

 

 

✓ seeing green

Researchers found that the color green enhances motivation but also mood, self-esteem, and enjoyment. So, apart from the benefits of being surrounded by nature (noise free, oxygen provided by the trees), here is another reason to hit forest tracks.

 

Furthermore, a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology has shown that green may contribute to the mental benefits of exercising in the great outdoors.

 

 

✓ SLEEP

Some people think that sleep is a waste of time. But sleep deprivation can have a huge effect on health, and performance.

Being rested and full of energy help to keep a high level of motivation. 

 

Here are some solutions to improve quality sleep:

- Analyzing how much time of sleep is good for us and organizing ourselves to get it.

- Going to sleep early.

- Reducing the use of electronic devices at least 1h before (reading a book instead).

- Eating warm and enough food (but not too much) at least 2h before going to bed.

- Turning off phones, using earplugs and making sure the room is dark enough.

- Using relaxation techniques in bed.

- If there is a lack of sleep, making a nap (20 mins max) restore efficiently brain functions.

 

 

✓ eat chocolate

Chocolate boost the level of dopamine which increases motivation.

Furthermore, chocolate increases serotonin (associated with calm) and phenylethylamine (associated with stimulation) and have also antidepressant effect. 

 

Other dopamine natural sources are: almonds, apples, avocados, bananas, beets, coffee, fava beans, green leafy vegetables, green tea, lima beans, oatmeal, olive oil, oregano, peanuts, probiotics (yogurt, kefir), rosemary, sea vegetables, sesame and pumpkin seeds, soy products, turmeric, watermelon, wheat germ.

 

✓ Words of a champion

Professional triathlete Darby Thomas, give advices to find motivation: understanding why we do each training, understanding that not all day will be fun, don't expect perfection and be patient because good days happen.