RE-motivate Yourself!

RE-motivate Yourself!

Are you feeling that mid-January slump? You're not alone! It’s been confirmed by Forbes that around 80% of people abandon their health-related New Year’s resolutions by the end of the second week of January – rendering the act of starting them in the first place pretty much pointless.

We want to help those of you who may be feeling like you’re losing the motivation, but still have the desire to change for the better in 2023.

So don’t worry - there’s plenty you can do to re-boost your motivation levels.

Why is motivation important?

Motivation provides us with goals to work towards. Not only this, but it can help to solve problems and change old habits. It can help us develop, nurture and foster relationships, as well as contribute toward our overall mental health. Sometimes, a lack of motivation can result from an underlying mental health condition, but it’s important to understand that motivation can also be lost just because.

So, what can we do to help retain motivation in our lives, and therefore stick to our New Year’s resolutions and make that 80% look more like 8%?

What can I do to motivate myself?

Have something to look forward to

We’re putting this at the top of the list, because looking forward to something is one way proven to keep us going. For example, you may be doing Dry January. To remove temptation, you’ve decided not to go to the pub for the whole month. But you could still have friends round at the weekend for a movie night, or you could go to the beach or go shopping. Suddenly, you’re no longer thinking about the fact that you can’t go to the pub or have a drink, because you’re too busy looking forward to the other thing you’ve got planned! Time tends to feel as though it’s moving faster when we’re looking forward to something – and if that’s not a reason to stay motivated, we don’t know what is!

Keep active

Much like having something to look forward to, keeping active is about filling in the time with something that benefits you mentally and physically. Not only is it a healthy way to pass the time, but it can aid a lot of New Years resolutions indirectly, for example weight loss.

Have a dedicated work space

Keeping your work space separated from your recreational space is crucial – and particularly since working from home has become commonplace as a result of the pandemic. Having a dedicated space encourages you to focus, get into the work mind set, minimise distractions and increase motivation. Each room in the house is defined by the purpose we attach to it – we decorate it to be this way, and we have a subconscious drive to use it for that specific purpose. Picture yourself working from home; in your comfies, slouched on the couch (or bed!), the TV in front of you. You’ve done it – we’ve done it – and it’s asking for distraction! Plus - working from the couch, a bean bag, the bed, the dining table, or any place else, you tend to not focus on your posture. Hours on end on incorrect posture affects you in ways that are readily noticeable. Get yourself motivated to work by not allowing your ‘chill out’ space to be invaded by your work space.

Stick to a routine and/or plan

Routines help to encourage healthy habits and maximise time efficiency. When we create routines, we break down goals and aspirations into daily stepping stones, which eventually lead to success. As a result, the act of sticking to a routine can increase motivation, as we become increasingly likely to feel as though we are going to succeed at our task.

Reward yourself for the little wins

It’s important to understand that success takes time. But, along the way toward overall success, there come smaller victories which we should always take note of. We should never underplay our own – or others’ – successes, no matter how big or small. The more small victories, the closer we come to overall success.

About General & Medical

General & Medical Private Health Insurance has been designed to suit all needs and budgets, take a look to see what covers we have available. You can also enhance your private healthcare cover to include pre-existing conditions, include in-patient mental health treatment and more.

To find out more about how we can help you then give us a call and a member of our friendly team will be on hand to help out.

Direct Phone: 0800 980 4601

Email: sales@generalandmedical.com