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A Common Question Among Young Adults

Well, I have heard this statement from many adolescents and young adults saying that they don’t feel motivated to study/work and are waiting to feel motivated to begin studies or work.

How can motivation come to you; ever wondered?

The Nature of Motivation

Motivation is an emotion and mood that can fluctuate naturally.

The science of motivation is a complex interaction between different brain regions, the body’s hormones, and the ability to set goals. All of this together plays a role in ticking off items on your to-do list. Learning about how motivation works can help you improve your task performance and reduce procrastination.

What is Motivation?

According to Woodworth, motivation is the state of an individual that disposes them to certain behaviour for seeking a goal.

Types of Motivation

There are different types of motivation, like achievement, social, and affiliation motivation, etc.

However, let’s focus on two important types of motivation which cover other types as well:

1. Intrinsic Motivation

You are self-driven to do something because of how it makes you feel and not because of any reward.
For example: someone who dances because they love to do so.

2. Extrinsic Motivation

You finish a task to receive a reward or avoid a consequence.
For example: someone who dances to clear an examination or avoid failing.

The Role of Dopamine in Motivation

This feeling of reward and resulting happiness/accomplishment is influenced by Dopamine, a hormone and neurotransmitter being produced in the midbrain.

Dopamine plays a role in many important functions like memory, motivation, reward, learning, pleasure, thinking, planning, focus, etc.

In simple terms, when you do something that feels good, dopamine is released by your brain. It’s natural to seek something that makes us feel good by repeating the behaviour. It can be eating favourite food, binge-watching, or even harmful behaviours like drugs or rash driving.

Understanding Dopamine and Addiction

Sometimes we get into doing things that bring pleasure as it gives us a rush of dopamine. And then we might get hooked on to it as we feel rewarded or good due to dopamine release. This may seem like an addiction.

However, it’s important we recognise the importance of dopamine in our lives and try to get the most of it by using appropriate means.

Ways to Earn Dopamine Appropriately

Here are a few ways of earning your dopamine and feeling good:

• • Completing tasks
• • Celebrating small accomplishments
• • Self-care activities
• • Adventure-seeking activities
• • Trying something new
• • Physical activity

Key Takeaway

So, try getting your dopamine by appropriate means and feeling good. Remember, Motivation follows Action; if you don’t feel motivated, try doing some action/activities to feel motivated.

If you need any help with regards to motivation, feel free to connect with me.