My mind wants me to go to the gym, but my body tells me to stay in bed. My mind is telling me to cook a healthy meal, but my body is craving take-out. My mind likes the idea of completing my work assignments on time, but my body is keen on procrastination. Does this mind-body disconnect sound like something you’ve experienced? Likely, for many, the answer is yes. There are an abundance of activities and behaviors that we wish we could readily engage in to better ourselves, yet we struggle to follow through on these pursuits.

          What’s missing?

          Motivation! Motivation is defined as “the impetus that gives purpose or direction to behavior and operates in humans at a conscious or unconscious level” (1). In short, motivation is what pushes us to do something. It’s the reason or the “why” that helps to explain how our mind’s desires and our body’s physicality can work in alignment to stimulate action.

          The history of psychology reveals numerous theories on motivation. Let’s review a couple:

What do the research and theories on motivation actually tell us?

          First, that becoming motivated to engage in a new behavior is hard! These behaviors require brain power, literally. Our pre-frontal cortex must attend to and focus on the task at hand in order to accomplish it. Alternatively, those behaviors that seem to come easy or naturally to us, ones we may describe as habits, no longer require this level of mental effort. As described by researcher Dr. Elliot Berkman, brains can bring behaviors to the “point that they no longer take up precious space in consciousness”; rather, they become automatic or ingrained (4). This knowledge should serve as a source of comfort when you find yourself struggling to either get started or to sustain your efforts on a new behavior.

          Second, positive outcomes increase your chances of re-engaging in a behavior. As the Theory of Operant Conditioning emphasizes, rewards are reinforcing, and punishments are not. Taking it a step further, as described in the Self-Determination Theory, rewards, which shape the type of motivation and have implications over time, can be either external or internal. For example, when a child is given stickers (a reward) after eating vegetables at dinner, he/she is going to be more motivated to engage in vegetable-eating in the future. Alternatively, a child who is scolded (a punishment) for eating cookies before dinner is going to be less motivated to engage in cookie-eating before dinner in the future. In both of these examples, the child is provided with external outcome sources, specifically tangible objects (stickers) and negative feedback from parents (scolding). Let’s look at a child who independently completes his/her science homework every day because of a love for science. This child, like the one in the first example, is also going to be motivated to continue to engage in this behavior (completing the science homework) because the child’s love of science is a motivation. This child is still being rewarded, and thus reinforced, but in a different way. The child is utilizing an internal reward – a sense of pride and interest in his/her studies. Research reveals that long-term, individuals who are intrinsically motivated, rather than extrinsically motivated, are more likely to experience sustained motivation because of the personal level of connectedness and investment one has with the behavior (5).

          Third, your explanation for wanting to engage in the behavior is essential. Related to the idea of extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation, research reveals that people are more motivated to perform an action when the desire or intention is coming from within, in other words, when one chooses to engage in a behavior out of his/her own agency and volition, not because of pressure from others. Behaviors that are connected to one’s values and identity are more motivating than behaviors associated with media influence or societal expectations.

Let’s turn insight into action. “I’m feeling unmotivated. What can I do?”

• Enter with the understanding that this will be hard, and this will take time. Perfection right off the bat is unrealistic.

2.Check in on your priorities.

• Ensure that you can properly concentrate on the new behavior in which you wish to engage. For example, if a specific work assignment is your priority for the day, it may also be difficult to focus on the new exercise routine that you hope to begin. Prioritize your tasks, and determine the best setting and time of day to begin the new behavior so that you can exert the mental and physical energy it requires.

4.Be specific, realistic, and consistent about your goals.

• Motivation is hard to uphold when the task or goal is broad and seemingly unattainable. Instead of setting a goal of reading all the books in your house that you have not gotten to yet, aim for reading one book this month. If you accomplish this task, set a goal of reading two books next month. As you begin accomplishing behaviors, regardless of how small, your level of motivation to proceed will likely increase.

5.Identify and implement a reward system.

• When you’re feeling incredibly unmotivated, choose rewards that provide immediate gratification. This will help you cross that boundary from inactivity to activity. For example, if I spend 30 minutes reading articles for my research paper, I will reward myself with 30 minutes of screen time right after. Once you’ve begun engaging in the behavior, then you may choose to gradually decrease the reward or perhaps assign a more internally motivating reward for better long-term results.