(This blog was originally posted on April 12, 2014)
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| Image courtesy of Fotolia |
Some days
vibrate with so much energy in the environment it is literally impossible to
sit or stand still. We are enthusiastic about everything going on around us and
can’t wait to get in on the action, ourselves. In our enthusiasm, we accept
requests to take on new projects or tasks. Our mojo is so strong, we are
confident that we can—we will—accomplish
even Herculean feats, and we do just that. Indeed, as Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of
Motion states, “An object in rest tends to stay in rest and an object in motion
tends to stay in motion.” The same is true of human behavior, too. You have
probably heard or know of the expression, “Ask a busy person” to do a task.
This law applies here because someone who is already active, even frenetically
busy, can somehow always find a way to do one more thing.
And then there
are other days when it seems like
nothing can motivate or inspire us to do anything, at all. We sit at our desk
at work shuffling papers, organizing the filing cabinet, checking e-mail and
re-reading the first paragraph of the document that’s been sitting on our desk
since the morning. We take repeated treks to the break room to get another cup
of Joe, hoping that a not-so-brisk walk down the hall and more coffee just
might kick-start our energy enough to do something productive. It doesn’t.
The problem is,
when you are rewarded in some way for not doing a behavior, the subconscious
mind may create a new mental script to support this new known (source of pleasure or comfort) in your life. The reward may
be inferred, such as your boss didn’t yell at you to get back to work; or maybe
your employer just accepted your subpar-quality project without comment. If you
already follow a subconscious mental script that is programmed for you to
always do your best work, you may breathe a sigh of relief that you got away
with it today but get back to working hard tomorrow. Conversely, if you
generally have difficulty motivating yourself and did not suffer any negative
consequences not working so hard today, you may conclude that this behavior is
really okay. The more times you are able to avoid doing a task or project, or
get away with producing an inadequate product, you will reinforce this behavior
and ultimately create a new mental script that compels you to not do something. (For more information
about this process and John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind, read my blog, WhyBeing Uncomfortable Feels Comfortable.
Following are
some suggestions to help you get moving when you find yourself “stuck” in
motivational inertia:
·
“Chunk” it down. This Neuro-Linguistic
Programming technique is very effective because it enables you to break
down whatever you are working on into manageable tasks that can easily be
accomplished.
·
Use the Emotional
Freedom Technique to break through the conscious blocks that are preventing
you from settling down to or focusing on your work.
·
Take a brisk walk around the block. Consistent
with Newton’s Law of Motion, once you start moving your body, it is easier to
keep it (and your mind) active. Ten or fifteen minutes’ of exercise is a great
way to raise your energy so you can be and feel more alert when you get back to
work. Not only are you likely to discover that you are better able to focus on
your job but this productive time spent away from your desk has even inspired
some new ideas as well as your motivation.
·
Watch what you eat. When your blood-sugar level
drops, you are vulnerable to experiencing physiological symptoms such as headache,
nausea and weakness, as well as increased levels of anxiety and irritability.
Furthermore, in his work with people who developed phobias, Dr. Kappas observed
that low blood-sugar levels could trigger a phobic
response and increase the person’s suggestibility.
If you are already stressed out because you have a lot of work to catch up on,
have a healthy snack or meal that includes some form of protein, which will
help to mediate your mood. Also, avoid caffeine, which can exacerbate those
symptoms and increase anxiety.
·
Hypnotherapy! Hypnosis and therapeutic guided
imagery are effective, natural and drug-free modalities with which to motivate
you (or re-learn how it feels to be motivated to do what you want and need to get
done.
SPECIAL OFFER!
I am currently offering a 10 percent discount
on all hypnotherapy for weight-loss/weight-management sessions. This
offer is good through April 30, 2017. It is not exchangeable for cash and
may not be combined with any other offer. For more information and to set up an
appointment, please contact me at (661) 433-9430 or send an e-mail to calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com.
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I look forward to hearing from—and working
with—you soon!
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in
2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®
and to set up an appointment, please
visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
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