As requested from my poll here are some tips on motivation — Scope | Disability forum
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As requested from my poll here are some tips on motivation

Tammyjane33
Tammyjane33 Community member Posts: 765 Pioneering
?Try to think positive. Monitor your thoughts. Be aware of your self-talk. We all talk to ourselves, a lot, but we are not always aware of these thoughts. Start listening. If you hear negative thoughts, stop them, push them out, and replace them with positive thoughts. Positive thinking can be amazingly powerful.

?Just get started. There are some days when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a run, or figuring out your budget, or whatever it is you’re supposed to do that day for your goal. Well, instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start. 

Comments

  • Cress
    Cress Community member Posts: 1,012 Pioneering
    Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed by a task that needs doing, such as clearing a patch of garden, or having a clear out,  I always find it easier to see it as a series of small tasks, that are doable as it where. Just tell myself to start somewhere, anywhere, is good enough....only ever works with physical tasks though. Wish I could apply the same logic to my mental state....never been able to shut the negativity out.
  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 13,367 Disability Gamechanger
    I agree that just bothering to get started is often one of the biggest obstacles.

    I find it difficult doing certain things due to my issues and I used to put tasks off for minutes, even hours, but all that does is just extends the amount of time you are stressed about having to do the task. I have found just starting to get on with the task often is the hardest part and once you get that out of the way the rest will usually go quite smoothly.
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    +1 from me for getting started being the hardest bit! I also like to break down tasks.

    I also sometimes say things out loud to myself to motivate me to do something, like "Right Tori, out of bed, brush your teeth". My housemates probably think I'm insane, but it sometimes helps a bit to drown out the negative, automatic thoughts like "I can't be bothered", or "well once I'm out of bed I have to do x, y, and z thing and that's overwhelming so I'll just lie here instead". 
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  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    edited October 2020
    When it comes to negative thoughts as you describe @Tori_Scope I have a motto which I repeat once it’s ‘Don’t  think, do!’ Over thinking is a sometimes a killer. 

    The other thing is when you get negative thoughts its better to question them or just let them go like little white fluffy clouds rather than fight to rid yourself of them, fighting like that can often make it worse. However, whatever works for you.
    ?

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    Great tip, thanks @leeCal! I like the image of the cloud floating away
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  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 13,367 Disability Gamechanger
    This may not be entirely relevant but I have quite a bit of experience of negative thoughts and the recommended techniques of coping with them as I suffer from obsessive thoughts and have seen a few different professionals to try to help me with them.

    The first thing all the professionals had in common is that they told me you are not likely to be able to rid yourself of negative thoughts, so will have to learn to live with them, basically. Also, the more you do try to rid yourself of them, the louder they get (imagine me telling you now: do not think about a pink elephant - you will now be thinking of one).

    One very good psychologist told me to try to turn the negative thoughts into helpful ones. For example ask yourself why your mind is thinking a negative thought - how can that thought be considered useful? When we go through physical pain it is (usually; putting aside pain conditions) a useful phenomenon whereby our body is trying to tell us something is wrong and the same could apply to mental “pain”.

    The idea of imagining them as clouds is a good one and sounds similar to a technique I was given which was to imagine them as being carried away by a gentle river.
  • Cress
    Cress Community member Posts: 1,012 Pioneering
    Actually @66Mustang...thats making sense to me, I've often thought of the constant intrusive and negative thoughts as a tinnitus of the mind as it where...I certainly cant fight them and accepting that may be more of a way through for me...
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Maybe it's just me but I can't think of the last time I had any motivation!  I rely on discipline, forcing myself to do things at certain times on certain days, often knowing there won't be any immediate positive outcome but there would eventually be a negative one if it wasn't done.  It appears to most people that I get through life with ease as I never stay in bed all day, I get showered, shaved and dressed everyday, have 3 'meals' and I go outside most days now (which had stopped over lockdown)...  It's all down to discipline, not motivation, I never want to do these things, and with regards to going out or eating, usually feel worse afterwards so could never expect to gain any motivation from doing it.

    There is a major downside to this though, when I physically can't do something at the expected time it causes a huge amount of anxiety and further physical symptoms which can become a vicious cycle.  Often there's no real reason for the timing to be so exact, so it's something I'm trying to work on...but removing the importance of times, could also decrease the efficiency of the discipline in the first place, there needs to be a balance I guess...
  • Tammyjane33
    Tammyjane33 Community member Posts: 765 Pioneering
    Thank you all for your feedback ?I understand and agree with some of the replies above, the tips I posted are what I found from research online and tips that I have put into practice in the past at work to motivate people with mental illnesses/ learning difficulties and people who need a little more support. I understand, getting started isn't just as simple as it sounds, I tend to write things down when I have a task that needs doing and then do little bits at a time.
    You've all out some fantastic responses and I think they can also help me personally, so thank you all again. 
    Tammy 

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