James Matthews, PhD, C.Psychol, PSI. School Of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports

Science

12 months later…the men had an average

weight loss of 5.5kgs

Good intentions…

(Hunt et al., 2014)

Good intentions…

• Evidence indicates that people who intend to

exercise do not necessarily do so.

• Almost as traditional to fail to achieve New

Year’s resolutions as it is to form them in the

first place.

• It seems forming a goal intention is not, on

its own, sufficient to ensure goal attainment.

(Harkin et al., 2016; Norcross & Vangarelli, 1988; Rhodes & de Bruijn, 2013)

Bridge the gap between our intentions and our actions

1. Why does motivation matter?

2. What techniques are most effective in

helping us to initiate and sustain

healthy behaviour?

(Ryan & Deci, 2017)

Why motivation matters

• Motivation is the fuel that energises and sustains the behaviour over time.

• Behaviour change is a journey.

• Drawing on one’s motivation to persist through the natural ebbs and flows of this journey becomes an important skill that enables maintenance of the behaviour.

• Motivation is not something that you have or don’t have (quantity). It is more complex…

• The quality of motivation is important.

• What are the different reasons (motives) that fuel our behaviour?

• Which reasons predominate matters to the outcomes we achieve.

Why motivation matters

7

Direct external pressures to

achieve a reward or avoid

punishment

Feel internal pressures to

maintain self-worth or avoid

feeling bad

Value the behaviour & how it serves

other important goals

The behaviour is fun and

interesting, and leads to

enjoyment

“My Partner Says”

“Be Role Model”

“Avoid Guilt”

“New Challenge”

“Controlled motivation” Poor quality

Can kickstart behaviour

Reduced positive emotion

Less persistence

“Autonomous motivation”

Good quality

Engage without prompting

Positive emotion

Overcome obstacles

Autonomous motivation

• Is linked with successful and sustained behaviour change in adults for both weight loss and increased physical activity.

• Can help people to “live well” which leads to an enhanced sense of meaning, subjective vitality and adaptive relationships.

8

What motivates you?

• Find that personal motivation for being active • Do what is personally meaningful or interesting • Consider your other important life goals and values • Ask how will your physical activity related goal align

with your wider life goals

• This “quality motivation” provides the foundation for sustaining our behaviour in the long term

• Have cues / triggers of your motivation, so when the going gets tough you have these images /words in your head or visible to refer to

Evidence based techniques help us to initiate and sustain healthy behaviour

(Greaves et al., 2011; Harkin et al., 2016; Williams et al, 2011)

How SMART is your goal?

• We often set ineffective goals:

– Too “big”

– Too many

– Too difficult

– Too vague

– Too far in the future

• We need to think of setting goals as a ladder…which helps you to

get to a desired endpoint by

moving up a number of small

steps.

“To get fit!”

“To run a marathon in the next 4 months”

This time next year, to be running regularly”

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=OvdgWra5mHJ1ZM&tbnid=3A1Bp6CcOboFjM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.studydog.com%2Fparents%2Fblog%2Findex.php%2F3-steps-to-better-goal-setting-how-you-can-help-your-child-achieve%2F&ei=vpyFU96wOaK27Qbl4IHgCQ&psig=AFQjCNHCPpPqO4immyTu9rAJTJRIHkd_YQ&ust=1401351659354832

Goal-setting at its best?

• 1 second a year

• Train 10 months a year – a 10th sec off a month

• Train 6 days a week – a 300th sec off a day

• Train 4 hours a day – a 1200th sec off a hour

• It takes you five 1200th of a sec to blink...

• He became an Olympic Champion

How SMART is your goal?

1. Be Specific

2. Make it Measureable

3. Think of related Actions

4. Be Realistic

5. Make it Time related

“Approach” Rather than “Avoid”

• “I’m going to jog Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings for 20 minutes at 7pm in the local park for the next 2 weeks”

• “Try not to miss my Pilates class on Thursdays”

• Self monitoring is one of the most important techniques for effective behaviour change and is one of the best ways to boost confidence.

• Monitoring progress in some form of public way and physically recording progress appears to be most effective.

Make sure to monitor…

(Bird et al., 2013; Harkin et al., 2016)

The best laid plans…

• Problem solve the likely barriers or obstacles to achieving the behaviour. First, identify the barriers and then come up with solutions to deal with it.

• Implementation Intentions

“If and Then’s”

“If this happens, then I will do this…”

• People who supplement their goals with implementation intentions have markedly higher rates of success across diverse goal domains .

Think IDEA

• Identify the likely barrier

• Develop and Evaluate possible solutions

• Select a solution to Action

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=Rzhh43XnfrsshM&tbnid=nk8EH-yKHy9o9M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffamilyfitness.about.com%2Fod%2Fwaystoplay%2Ftp%2FSummer-Olympic-Sports-To-Try.02.htm&ei=M5-FU_DEKYPX7AbEloHYBg&psig=AFQjCNHVlOvtittYnGW_NVv-IZS_HsFh0A&ust=1401352370255611

Do you have support?

Use Family, Friends & Colleagues

• To go with you

• To encourage you

• To share their experiences

Who are these people for you?

But…beware the saboteurs…

A different type of support?

• Negative self-talk can stop us from achieving our goals

• Affirmations reflect positive attitudes or feelings towards oneself

• Statements about yourself as if they have already occurred

• Make positive action oriented statement affirming the capability

you would like to have

– “I’m committed to being active”;

– “I’ve done before & I can do it again”

– “I’ll recover from this lapse and get back on track”

• Do not use phrases such as “I think” ; Also avoid “always”

“must” or “never” as leads to perfectionist and rigid thinking

A different type of support?

Use Music • Move to the beat • Can act as a distraction tool; • Can keep you going for longer • Can make you feel better

How? • For most healthy exercisers engaged in repetitive, aerobic-type

activity, use music with a tempo band of 125-140 beats per minute • Use music imbued with motivating associations, conditioned either

through the media r the personal experiences of the listener; • Key points ; Use music you like! And use in a safe manner

(Karageorghis et al., 2012)

21

The 4R Process for Controlling Stress Quickly

• Recognise the warning signs.

– What thoughts, behaviours and feelings do you

associate with heightened stress?

• Regain control - “From chaos to coherence”

– Breathing. A ratio of 1:2 ; 5 breaths - 4 sec in; x

8 sec out.

– Adopt an external focus. This takes our focus

away from any anxious thoughts.

22

The 4R Process for Controlling Stress Quickly

• Rationalise / Restructure

– Regain perspective or restructure. For example:

– What opportunities or learning is there from this

situation?

– How important is this, will it matter in a month or

a year?

• Refocus

– Refocus on a controllable action

Lapses are normal… Avoid the “All or Nothing Trap”

• Take Control –Review your goals, were they specific and realistic? Or Look at what knocked you off track, had you a plan for it, did it work?

• Challenge – View as an opportunity to learn and improve rather than as insurmountable obstacle.

• Confidence – Stay positive, think about all the good steps you’ve made in the process. Here, is where the diary is really useful, you can look back through and see how you’re doing…

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=27WgYNsSS3rqvM&tbnid=t5cf2iO2jikE0M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrpeggymalone.com%2Fsetback-part-journey-success%2F&ei=RaOFU7noF8uy7AaEvYHoCA&psig=AFQjCNEOWxj-maetcpGt3-wY6MnCMiO5-A&ust=1401353383444610

We can bridge the gap between intention and behaviour

It can be difficult…but by focusing on the quality of our motivation and using evidence based

techniques we will get there in the end.

An alternative to the escalators in the James Joyce Library?

Selected References • Greaves, C. J., Sheppard, K. E., Abraham, C., Hardeman, W., Roden, M., Evans, P. H., &

Schwarz, P. (2011). Systematic review of reviews of intervention components associated with increased effectiveness in dietary and physical activity interventions. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 119. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-119

• Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P. I., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., . . . Sheeran, P. (2016). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 198-229.

• Karageorghis et al. (2012)The BASES Expert Statement on the Use of Music in Exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences

• Koestner, R., Lekes, N., Powers, T. A., & Chicoine, E. (2002). Attainingpersonal goals; Self-concordance plus implementation intentions equal success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

• Norcross, J. C, & Vangarelii, D. J. (1988). The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts. Joumal of Substance Abuse, I.

• Ryan RM, Deci EL. 2017. Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. New York: Guilford

• Williams, S. L., & French, D. P. (2011). What are the most effective intervention techniques for changing physical activity self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour—and are they the

same? Health Education Research, 26(2), 308-322.