6 Ways To Keep Yourself Motivated During Stressful Periods Robotics & Automation News

(MENAFN- Robotics & automation News) 6 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated During Stressful Periods

Stress is a state of worry or tension that can affect both the human mind and the body.

Everyone experiences stress to some degree – a little bit of stress can be good to help us perform daily activities, while a lot can cause physical and mental health issues – but it is how we learn to cope with stress that determines the impact it can have on our lives.

For busy students like those enrolled in Ed.D programs , and professionals undertaking multiple projects with strict deadlines, it can be easy to feel defeated by the pressure of getting things done.

For some people, stress can become so overwhelming it can trigger serious health conditions such as heart disease, susceptibility to cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Stress can also lead to other issues such as muscle tension, digestive problems, headaches, weight gain or loss, trouble sleeping, anxiety, angry outbursts, drug or alcohol addiction, sadness, depression, and a lack of motivation and focus.

When it comes to keeping yourself motivated during stressful periods, we have pulled together a list of six techniques you can try to stay focused and help pull through difficult times.

Setting goals can be helpful to drive motivation – but only when they are obtainable. Establishing goals that are too difficult or complex to manage can work to the detriment of motivation and become overwhelming or intimidating, meaning they will never be completed.

The best way to start is by setting one specific and achievable goal. Think about how to include the goal in your daily life, and what you need to do to make it happen. Everything you need to do can become a 'micro-goal' in service of your main goal.

Breaking a goal down into simple steps can help you feel a greater sense of accomplishment throughout the process, and reduce the stress associated with achieving something which appears more difficult.

The final step is to create a timeframe to complete each goal – accountability is important. If you have close family or friends, tell them about your goals and encourage them to keep you motivated and hold you accountable.

Did you know that the time of day can explain up to a 20% variance in cognitive performance ? Finding the time of day that you are most productive can help you determine the best time to get things done, and increase the likelihood of experiencing good motivation.

For some people, they work best first thing in the morning. For many others, an afternoon or evening is when they are most productive. You may even find that you are better at specific tasks in the morning, and other tasks at a later point in the day.

To find your optimal work time, identify an important task you do daily. Then, try it in the morning, at lunchtime, in the afternoon and evening. Focus on how you experience completing the same task at different times of the day to determine when you bring more energy or positivity to the task.

Once you understand the pattern, you can identify your peaks and troughs and define a productive and motivating work schedule around it.

It's no surprise that certain spaces or environments can trigger varying emotions. If you are finding yourself stressed or unmotivated in your current workspace, it could be worth making a few changes.

Ensure your chair is comfortable, and your computer is at a good height. If your desk is on the messier side, a quick tidy can often give you the lift you need to knuckle down and focus.

Proper lighting can also play an enormous role in how you feel – no one wants to feel like they are trapped in a dungeon, tapping away at the keyboard.

If none of the above adjustments help, changing the location completely, even temporarily, can help break the cycle. Head to your library, local cafe, or even just change rooms within your home – find somewhere you can feel comfortable and happy, and the motivation will follow.

A clean space can do wonders for your motivation levels. Photo by Roman Bozhko on Unsplash.

Building a consistent, sustainable routine for yourself can play a key role in keeping motivation levels high when facing challenging times.

There is a long-standing belief that habits take 21 days to form. The reality, however, is on average it can take more than two months before a behavior becomes automatic .

This is also very dependent on the behavior, the individual, and the circumstances – meaning it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a habit to form.

While this can seem daunting, the benefits of a good routine are well worth putting in the work.

Every time you finish something whether it is a project, a difficult email, or a goal, consider rewarding yourself – positive reinforcement is key.

It doesn't need to be significant, a quick break by taking a walk around the block, a coffee from your favorite cafe, or a sneaky treat – but rewarding yourself can help increase productivity, happiness, and focus.

Losing motivation during stressful periods is always going to happen – but developing the resilience to carry on is the best way to pick yourself up and continue.

If you find you are losing motivation, there are a few things you can do;

• Review your goals and see if they are still realistic. If they aren't, try breaking down your goal further to help it feel more achievable, or restructure your timeframes.
• Remember why you wanted to get motivated to reach that goal in the first place – sometimes we lose sight of why we are doing things if we don't step back on occasion.
• Seek motivation from others – talk to your friends or family, or take inspiration from professionals or celebrities who you admire.
• Take a break . There are times when it can be as simple as taking a moment to relax, think about something else, and refocus when you have had some time away.

Main image by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

MENAFN21112024005532012229ID1108912160