How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

Knowing how to get motivated is really important.
How to stay motivated is even more important.
There are tons of videos teaching tips and tricks and rah rah motivation, but in this video I’m going to teach you how your brain works so you understand the principle behind how to get motivated and how to stay motivated. You’re going to learn how dopamine, the neurotransmitter of reward and motivation, works in your brain, and four simple things you can do to get motivated and stay that way.

Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
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[brigittegroenendijk]

If you feel overwhelmed by a to do list, reverse it! Some days my to do list is daunting and I just ditch it completely, start a small task and write it down when I’m done. Even small things like taking my vitamins. Instead of crossing off something, you can see what you have accomplished! Mrs Hinch calls it the Tadaa list :)

[laurabeaudry]

I am also a therapist. This video is beyond AMAZING. Your ability to clearly explain mental health concepts so anyone can understand and act to improve their lives is a gift. Thank you for sharing you knowledge and gift with this community! 😊

[MzShonuff]

“I’ll just watch YouTube videos until I feel motivated!” I feel attacked and seen at the same time 😂😂

[AshTries]

Guilty of “waiting to become motivated” to begin my tasks, which is repeating my anxiety cycles.

Didn’t realize this.

Today, I pushed myself to do my tasks then I became motivated to do more. It WORKED. I had a really productive day.

[chirag-shukla]

Summary of the video in six points - how to stay motivated:

1. Action doesn't follow motivation; motivation follows action. Want to do that one thing? Don't wait for motivation. Just go do it!

2. Take a moment to write down your values. Remind yourself what the purpose of your life may be. That can drive you to do things.

3. Track your accomplishments. Create a way to keep track of what you've achieved so you always remember that you're accomplishing tasks.

4. Reward yourself before a task. E.g., thinking how good you'll feel once a task is over is one way of rewarding yourself before a task.

5. Don't reward yourself for bad behaviour. If you're procrastinating and start doing something fun instead of doing what you're supposed to, you're rewarding yourself for bad behaviour. Use boredom as a motivator if you must.

6. Stop beating yourself up. It's bad for you in the short and long term.

Bonus: when you've achieved a task, regardless of how small it may be, celebrate it. Give yourself credit. Release the dopamine to let your mind know "this was good! Let's do more."

[Yosetime]

My business coach does a "Brain Dump" every day first thing when she gets to her office. Dumps everything out on the paper. Absolutely everything, even if it has nothing to do with work. Then she gets a coffee, takes a few minutes, then goes through that list and picks out only the things that are most important as the days' "to do list'. After she gets even some of it done she takes another break, rewards herself somehow, and begins again. She said she feels great all day and rarely feels overwhelmed. Especially if she gets the things she doesn't like doing done first. Then the rest of the day is a bonus. I like it.

[rkndmr]

When u said „good work u are trying to get better“ I cried. This video is exactly what I needed

[tristanhall]

This sounds so simple in theory but just being talked through it really made me realise how much I rely on bursts of motivation and how I reward my procrastination all the time

[stephenrice]

I’m 62 and I’ve had anxiety, depression, fear, and motivational issues my whole life. All of your information is great and I could listen to you all day long but that’s not getting me off the couch. I’ll finish this video and then I’ll go make the bed and find something else that needs doing. Then I’ll make one of my rewards to watch another of your videos.

[lylyluvda]

“The more you do, the more you are motivated.”

This shook me.

I’ve lost a lot of motivation, and this is what I needed to hear. I’m gonna also take some other tips here like marking the stupid little boxes in a tracker, and imagine how I feel once I reach my goals.

It sounds so silly, but I do genuinely feel good when I complete the tasks I’ve put off for a bit.

[mcitheaterclass]

And remember, when you feel like procrastinating, put it off! Seriously though, I've been depressed for 40 years. I think she just showed me why. I'm in shock. 12 therapists and thousands of dollars, when what I really needed may have been this one video.

[khorshidbanoo]

am i the only one who takes notes while watching these videos?
so helpful as always:)

[TrangNguyen-sikz]

Thank you for your helpful video!!
How to stay motivated:
1. Write down your values!
2. Track your accomplishment!
3. Reward yourself before the task!
4. Stop rewarding bad behavior!
5. Stop negative self-talk!
I love u, u guys can do it, make it and conquer it!!

[minupuningkotin]

Hi Emma, I found you when I was in the lowest point of my life. You have helped me alot. I can't thank you enough for putting out those videos for us. I pray for you and your family's good health, joy, happiness.

[jadealexander]

I had no idea I was causing myself depression. I push myself so hard everyday and I hate when people praise me for it, especially when i think I can do better. In my head I believe I am giving myself room to grow but in reality I’ve been stunting my own growth and causing misery.

[donaldrose]

My mother's advice when I was 10 years old in 1963: "if you have to do something, learn to enjoy it." Learning to find joy in everything you do motivates you to move on to the next task. I love calisthenics, exercising 3 hours a day, sometimes only an hour, and when I start sometimes I'm too exhausted to continue. But after a few short exercises, dopamine kicks in and motivates me to do even more. Dopamine also kicks in when I see people who smoke, drink in excess, exhibit road rage, and give myself a pat on the back for not having any self-destructive vices (intrinsic Rewards).

[pennymcdonald]

This is the same skill I was taught regarding my depression. You can’t wait until you feel better to do something, you have to do something in order to feel better. It’s helped me so much!

[pmbluemoon]

You had me at "You watched this instead of a cat video." 🥰👍🤩💯👏 I told myself "SO true!" Thank you!

[wheinemail]

I’m a psychology minor and have never watched a video that was so effective in laying out how motivation works from a truly biological perspective. This is a fantastic video that everybody in the world should be required to watch!

[saintejeannedarc]

Making supper, esp. a bigger supper used to be a daunting task that I would put off until I was starved, or just pick instead and not eat a decent meal. I had a friend who did a genius thing that helped so much. She would slowly get her utensils and ingredients out. Then she'd start cutting or prepping things. When the cooking part came, it was a lot less to do than starting it all from scratch. I've done it every since.