Research Reveals that Visualization Is the First Step to Motivation

Sep, 2021 - By SMI

Dr.Ji reveals that provoking a human to imagine future success experiences can help to motivate the person.

A research carried out at The University of Western Australia, focuses on the initiation of motivating a person to work. The study tells that a person visualizing already carrying out the activity helps his motivation to continue doing the work which he was struggling in.  Planning the activities into the diary and making oneself discipline to work is less motivating compared to getting inspired by thinking based on imagination. This was a study published in Behavior Research and Therapy which didn’t encourage nonverbal reason-based motivational thinking.

Two strategies were compared by Dr. Julie Ji and her colleagues studying this study in detail at UWA’s School of Psychological Science. The strategies were to motivate people in enjoyable and winning related activities which they desired to do more in their routine. The findings of the study also suggested that imagining oneself doing the work and reaching the success height where he wants to boost the motivation in the person. Imagining the rewarding moments evokes positive emotions which impact emotionally with a greater spark of motivation.

On the contrary, mentally understanding all the reasons behind physical exercising, healthy eating is more social updating oneself with new things do not impact that effectively according to the studies. Both the approaches visual imagination and analytical reasoning cleared people with how profitable and rewarding the activity would be. Visual imagination proved unique and with greater impact. According to Dr.Ji, the study was relevant to motivational and behavioral activation drawbacks regarding physical and mental health in a wide range of conditions. Mental health included reduced physical activity, lifestyle with no movement, loneliness, isolation, and depression.

She also recommended not to skip physical activities like sports, self-care, and self-entertainment activities, staying socially active involving in rewarding activities as they are important to maintain mental health. These activities help one enjoy life and feel good about oneself.   Balancing mental health with motivation during pandemic although is challenging but necessary.