How to Utilize Psychology for Motivation and Focus, As Confirmed by Scientists

Written by Alex Slater (Guest Blogger) narrated by Leigh Martinuzzi 

Working smarter, not harder, is a common saying, but do you actually know how to achieve this? Psychology could be the answer. If you can perform a few easy tricks, as tested and declared by scientists, then you’ll find it much easier to do whatever you do best. Want to improve in your career, or focus on a hobby which you love? There is no better way than using psychology tips to increase your motivation and centre your focus, so that you can concentrate on what you want to do, minimizing distractions and increasing the work which you output at the end of the day.

Body Language

Most people have spent quite a lot of time in front of the mirror, but did you know that a simple, 2-minute trick could take your morning routine from being bland and boring to empowering? “Taking a ‘power pose’ in front of the mirror every morning can be the key to success,” Noah Hawkins, a motivational speaker at Write My X and Britstudent, says, “since it increases testosterone levels in the body, and makes you feel better about yourself. As soon as you feel better, you perform better, and will find yourself taking more action with your colleagues and being able to complete more tasks, with new-found confidence.”

Convince Yourself

Have you ever noticed players before a game, in any type of sporting events? They generally look like they’re pumping themselves up, bouncing on the balls of their feet and maybe murmuring something to themselves which the cameras can’t pick up. This, whether you call it pumping yourself up or convincing yourself, is a technique which psychologists have been using for years. Tricking the mind into thinking that success is the only option actually works, and will lead you motivating yourself and working harder because your mind is surer that your efforts will pay off.

Visualization

Although thinking can only get you so far, it can really help if you’re down in the dumps and unable to motivate yourself. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize your long-term goals. A promotion? A publication? Even celebrity status is a valid long-term goal, and imagining this within your mind can lead to you realizing that all your short-term tasks have a purpose, and can lead you to that goal. Writing one article might not make you an award-winning journalist, but it will certainly help you on your way, and visualization can help you to discover this – motivation and focus will certainly follow.

Just Start

The literary version of this is called the ‘blank page’, but it can be applied to any field: if you haven’t even started a task, it will seem very scary and intimidating, leading to procrastination at all costs to stay away from the task, even if you have deadlines to keep to. To solve this, a tip is to take five minutes and get the start of the task done, even if it’s completing a few tiny steps, or writing a sentence. Once you have gotten over the fact that you’ve actually started, the task will not seem so intimidating, and you’ll be able to reassert your focus and actually complete whatever you set out to do.

Timers

Sometimes, you need a bit of outside motivation, and creating small deadlines for yourself can help this. “When I need to complete a task, I always set myself timers, and work for the allocated time without stopping,” Lisa Simmons, a speechwriter from 1Day2Write and Nextcoursework, states, “since they make your mind go into a sort of ‘alarm mode’, where your brain knows there’s a sudden deadline and works quickly to meet it. It’s very similar to the ‘night before’ panic, without any of the actual consequences which can arise if you don’t get the work done on time – very effective!”

Conclusion

Although your mind is a very complex organ, it can be fooled with psychology, which you can then utilize to work smarter, not harder. This will send you sky-rocketing through your career, or acing your chosen hobby, or even just letting you focus more on cooking an amazing meal for your family every day, by giving you the ability to motivate yourself and think ‘I can do this!’: at the end of the day, that’s the most important tip of all. Self-belief can carry you to unbelievable heights if you just let it take you there.

Alex Slater – Guest Blogger Bio

Alex Slater, who is experienced and gifted at strategizing and consulting for businesses, is an advisory board member at Academic Brits and PhD Kingdom. He is incredibly passionate about guiding other people towards the victories and achievements which he has pushed himself to gain, loving nothing more than seeing the newcomers he mentors succeed. As well as this, he writes many academic articles at Dissertation Help, to a high standard.

Further Reading and Resources 

TED Talks: Ideas worth spreading

Psychology Today: Psychology Today is devoted exclusively to everybody’s favourite subject – Ourselves

Life Hack: Tips for Life

Elite Daily: The Voice of Generation Y

Four Hour Work Week: How to escape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich.

The Minimalists: How to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and be happier.

Mind Hacks: Tips and Tricks for Using Your Brain

Rich Roll: Plantpowered Wellness Advocate

The Art of Charm: Build confidence, feel comfortable and networking differently.

American Psychological Association: The largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United State

The Art of Manliness: Encouraging men to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens.

Tiny Buddha: Simple wisdom for complex lives.

Brain Pickings: An inventory of cross-disciplinary interestingness, spanning art, science, design, history, philosophy, and more.

Mind Body Green: Lifestyle media brand dedicated to inspiring you to live your best life.

Zen Habits: Find simplicity and mindfulness in life.

Creative NonFiction: “true stories well told.” 

Addicted 2 Success: Motivation & Inspiration Website full of quotes and inspiring articles for entrepreneurs.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.

The Positivity Blog: Practical articles on happiness, self-esteem, productivity and social skills.