If you are driven by the thought of receiving a reward, whether it be praise, money, or public acclaim, you are responding to extrinsic motivation. It occurs when external factors inspire you to take action — and don’t necessarily need to be something tangible. Something abstract, such as the anticipation of receiving praise or the thought of gaining public notoriety, can boost a person’s motivation to accomplish a task.
Continue reading What is Extrinsic Motivation and How Does it Help Us?
Keeping a laundry list of tasks and to-dos in order can be a headache for anyone, but for some people, the difficulty goes beyond mere annoyance. Starting work each morning can feel like wrangling a bear — and often, that bear is your mind. No, work won’t always be easy (it’s called work for a reason), but it doesn’t need to be the bane of your day-to-day existence.
It’s important to understand what about task management pains you. Is it stressful? Are you overwhelmed? Are you so nitpicky that you get stuck on tasks for days? When task management turns from an annoyance into a daily struggle, step back and examine your mental health. Understanding the blocks your brain puts up during working hours will help you — with the help of a therapist if you choose — create a plan of attack.
Continue reading Struggle with Time Management? Here’s What It Says About Your Mental Health…
This story is a part of our Mental Health Confessions series, a collection of stories from people who open up about times they felt guilty or conflicted about their mental health issue.
I’m pretty tolerant of most types of people, but I absolutely hate flakes. I have cut off friendships because I can’t deal with others’ flakiness, especially when it comes down to repeated incidents of bailing on plans at the last minute.
However, some might say I’m a hypocrite. Why? My mental illness, at times, causes me to become the very type of person I hate.
Friendship is a two-way street. We expect our friends to put in the same amount of time and emotional labor into maintaining a relationship as we do ourselves. Of course, we know this isn’t always the case, and I’ll be the first to admit it: with some of my friends, I feel like I am giving less than I’m getting. I’ve flaked on even the best of my best friends, and I fear one day they’ll decide to cut me loose because of it. Continue reading Confession: Sometimes I Use Mental Illness as an Excuse for Flakiness
– by Melissa Wildt, MS, LMHC / Talkspace Therapist
Do you ever find yourself procrastinating and you’re not sure why? It’s absolutely true that the longer we put off doing something, the more stress it can cause us in the long run. Most of us know how this can feel, but not how using strategic motivation can help end this cycle of frustration. Continue reading 6 Helpful Tips On How to Unleash Your Motivation
It takes fierce courage and often requires extreme sacrifice; discouragement and competition are often pre-requisites for success. Sometimes, it means making the choice to follow a path not supported nor accepted by family and friends, and can even mean repeatedly putting yourself in situations that are less than conducive to good emotional, physical, and mental health. The ramifications of such renunciation, as you can imagine, may lead to significant effects on a person’s wellbeing. Continue reading 7 Tips: How To Chase Your Dream Responsibly