Motivation During Uncertain Times

Finding motivation in the face of COVID-19 can be a struggle.

The community events that normally tether us to accountability have all been unravelled. We are left only with digital social platforms which inherently skew the lens toward rose-colored depictions of reality. Even the most self-aware will likely fall into the innate human tendency of comparison. Comparing ourselves to others’ self-promoted “A-game” is not helpful, and will only amplify the obstacles in front of us. 

In the absence of face-to-face social time, how can we fully grasp the authentic pulse of our community? 

In the absence of classrooms, sporting events, book clubs, dinner parties and collaborative hobbies, how can we find motivation to strive?

To start, we have to be patient with ourselves. This is hard!

In the face of stress, our body naturally tends toward a sympathetic state - this is your standard fight or flight response. 

Scarcity of resources (running out essential items during quarantine) and fear for ones life lead to a shunting of blood away from organs and towards the brain. Stress can be highly motivating if there is a clear obstacle that can be overcome. However, In the absence of a concrete hurdle, it can be challenging to focus that stress energy -- especially when the timeline of the nebulous obstacle is uncertain!

To calm ourselves from the fight or flight response, we often turn to activities that stimulate the parasympathetic system. This is the Yang to the Yin. The parasympathetic state is promoted by eating, sleeping, pleasure activities and breathing. 

If you ever wondered why breathing is such an essential part of yoga and meditation, it is because the diaphragm is the only muscle in the body that can be consciously employed to elicit a relaxed (i.e. parasympathetic) state.

All this to say, eating copious amounts of cookies and sleeping in are natural responses right now. Acknowledging that these are self soothing strategies is the first step to being able to move past them. We don’t have to give up sweets or lazy mornings entirely, but with COVID-19 being here for the foreseeable future, we might want to find ways to preserve our 2019 selves, or even reinvent ourselves for the future when social distancing is safely behind us. What a better time to press the reset button on those unhealthy old habits than this period where the world as we know has pressed paused?

Moving forward, the secret is to create small goals towards improving the aspects of ourselves that bring us the most joy.

First, try to take an honest look at your unique values and motivational drivers. 

“Values are - our guiding principles - the things that fill us up, recharge us, give us purpose and meaning. Values aren't completed. They're what drive us and help us to set goals that are consistent with those values.” -Dr. Trevor Davis, PsyD, ABPP

Do a deep dive into what matters most to you about yourself. As a thought experiment, try prioritizing your top 10 attributes for yourself. Here is a list of values in case you want help generating ideas:

Values List by James Clear

Second, think about how you find motivation:

Do you generally find motivation from within yourself (internal motivation), or do you rely on your community to help you accomplish your goals (external motivation)?

Third, try to come up with ONE goal to promote each of your THREE highest ranked values. Be realistic. Try to develop S.M.A.R.T. goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound.

As an example, I have set the following goals for myself:

• Nurture: Be fully present with my children for 15 continuous minutes at least 2 times per day.

• Friendship: Reach out to one friend a week for an honest check in.

• Health: Elevate my heart rate 4 times a week for at least 10 min.

Finally, develop a strategy to stay focused on your goals: 

If you are internally motivated, you can:

• journal about your progress

• develop an objective measurement for your goal and track your gains

• use an app to track physiologic gains

• take time-lapse photos

If you are externally motivated, you can:

• recruit a buddy to share your goal

• ask a friend to hold you accountable

• find an online peer group with shared interests and goals

• think about how your mother would feel if she knew what you were up to

• tell your mom what you are up to

All jokes aside, finding motivation in the face of a global pandemic takes work! Try to make progress on your goals when you are feeling calm and positive, and cut yourself some slack if you are having a difficulty day. Finally, don’t forget to pay yourself for your hard work with treats: an allowance, a socially-distanced outing, or whatever else will put a smile on your face. 

We at Salmon Bay Physical Therapy believe in you! You are the one most equipped to help pull yourself out of the seemingly bottomless pit of the metaphorical cookie jar. 

***If you are feeling overwhelmed and are having difficulty taking action, it is okay to talk to a friend, loved one, or a trained professional to help you get started on your ascent.

-Dr. Claire Storck, PT, DPT, OCS with collaboration from Dr. Trevor Davis, PsyD, ABPP

How To Set Fitness Goals

Getting fit can be a very good thing, often helping us feel better both physically and mentally. For those of you who want to get fit, do you have a goal in mind? Setting a goal is an important first step in improving your overall fitness. However, setting fitness goals can often feel daunting, as well as a bit trivial. Frequently, clients will tell me they have a goal of getting in better shape. My response: How are you measuring that? Getting in better shape can come in a variety of forms: losing weight, building strength, improving flexibility, running faster, and so on and so forth. All are great things to strive for, but in order for a goal to be effective, it must follow some guidelines. Thankfully, there is an acronym for that (surprise, surprise). It is recommended to set SMART goals when attempting to improve fitness. Here is what that means:

S: Specific

• Any fitness goal you set should be specific. “I want to get in better shape” is not very specific. Rather, “I want to finish a marathon” is more specific. Specific goals help us come up with a more robust plan to achieve said goal.

M: Measureable

• Having a measurable goal will help ensure you know when you have actually achieved the goal. “I want to run a fast marathon” is not all that measurable. How are you defining fast? What is the cut point for fast versus slow? “I want to run a marathon in under 4 hours” is both a specific and measurable goal, allowing me clear metrics to analyze whether or not I achieved this goal.

A: Achievable

• While it is alright to dream big and set lofty goals for yourself, it is important that you set a goal you can actually accomplish. Setting a goal of running a marathon in 20 minutes is not an achievable goal, as the fastest any runner has ever covered 26.2 miles is 1:59:40. However, many individuals have run marathons under 4 hours and there are numerous training programs out there geared at breaking the 4 hour barrier. If you are brand new to running, this might be a lofty goal, but not necessarily unachievable. The achievability of a goal depends a lot on your level of experience surrounding the activity associated with your goal.

R: Relevant

• Selecting a goal that is meaningful and consistent with your current state of being is critical before moving forward. What would finishing a marathon mean to you? Would achieving a different goal mean more to you? This is very much a values-based criteria geared at helping you figure out the “why” behind the goal you have set your sights on.

T: Timely

• Any goal we set for ourselves should carry with it a deadline in order to help keep us on track. The example of running a marathon tends to be fairly simple, as our deadline is the date of the race. If I have set a weight loss fitness goal, it would be beneficial to set a timetable that is consistent with a healthy rate of weight loss, which tends to be 1-2 pounds per week. Therefore, a safe and timely goal could be “I want to lose 10 pounds in 2 months”.

With any fitness goal you set, make sure to reward yourself along the way, as well as once you achieve your overall target. Setting short-term goals can make loftier long-term goals seem more attainable. It is also recommended to have a contingency plan if you get off track or if a major life event postpones your efforts. In this event, don’t beat yourself up, rather use any disappointment as motivation to set and achieve a new goal that will lead to you achieving your original goal. Fitness goals can be set and achieved at any point in the life cycle so it is never too late to work towards getting fit. Just make sure to keep them SMART.

-Grant Hennington, DPT