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Being part of a club can help you relocate your athletic identity. Joseph Branston<\/p>\nNo matter how much you enjoy exercise or playing sport, a dip in motivation is inevitable. Don\u2019t beat yourself up about it, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, try to normalise those feelings,\u201d explains Dr Jamie Barker, reader in Applied Sport and Performance Psychology at Loughborough University and co-author of Tipping the Balance: The Mental Skills Handbook for\u00a0Athletes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because you feel tired, overburdened or unmotivated one day, it doesn’t mean you’re a terrible exerciser all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through his work with the Football Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board and Great Britain Rowing, Dr Barker knows that motivational troughs are not exclusive to recreational athletes.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecognise that even elite athletes will feel the same things at some point,\u201d he insists.<\/p>\n
What matters is that you find intelligent ways to get back on track. Here are six psychological strategies designed to rekindle your motivational fire.<\/p>\n
Nourish your athletic identity
\nBeing part of a club can help you relocate your athletic identity. Joseph Branston<\/p>\n
When your love of training dries up, begin your fightback by affirming your own athletic identity.<\/p>\n
Tell people you\u2019re a cyclist, a runner or a weightlifter. Post about your training on social media. Join a club. Meet like-minded friends for training.<\/p>\n
All of these actions will shift your view of exercise from an optional pursuit into an integral part of your identity.<\/p>\n
Over time, you will then naturally develop the consistent behaviour patterns that match your strengthened athletic identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that if people identify themselves as \u2018a runner\u2019, that will often have a big impact upon their behaviour,\u201d explains Dr Barker.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if I say, \u2018I define myself as a cyclist,\u2019 just by my saying that to you, it carries a number of behaviours within that which fit that identity. It means maybe I will look after my kit, what I eat, how I hydrate, how I prepare, how I rest and recover.<\/p>\n
“When we define ourselves as \u2018a cyclist\u2019 or \u2018a runner\u2019, we embody those behaviours. It means: I’m going to regularly exercise, and I am going to repeat and reflect those behaviours.\u201d<\/p>\n
The more you believe in your own athletic identity, the more committed you will feel.<\/p>\n
Group identities can be powerful, too. \u201cI have a jersey from my cycling club and being part of that group has many psychosocial properties which are very motivational,\u201d says Dr Barker.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think: \u2018because I bought the jersey, because I\u2019m one of the group, I’m going to get out on the bike today, even though it’s chucking it down outside, because I feel almost like I\u2019ve entered a contract with this group\u2019. Never underestimate the power of groups on motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Focus on process, not outcome
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Riding without goals can rekindle a lost love of cycling. Joseph Branston<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re feeling energised, stress-free and happy, outcome goals \u2013 such as running a certain distance or lifting so many kilograms in the gym \u2013 can be highly motivating.<\/p>\n
But when your energy levels drop or your mood deteriorates, these outcome goals can have the opposite effect, injecting an unwelcome sense of pressure into your exercise regime, which could easily cause you to lose interest in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m a cyclist, so I can certainly relate to how we get caught up in data,\u201d says Dr Barker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think: \u2018I’ve got to achieve a certain wattage or heart rate zone\u2019. That is very outcome-focused and what that can often do is increase the expectation or pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if we’re doing exercise recreationally, sometimes we just don’t have the headspace to invest mentally in that level of effort and pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of us exercise for pleasure and health<\/a>. We are not professional athletes, who are paid to suffer. So why inject pressure into an activity that\u2019s meant to be enjoyable?<\/p>\n The solution is to switch your focus from the outcome to the process. \u201cThis means we start to think about the processes that underpin the outcome,\u201d explains Dr Barker.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I’m trying to achieve a certain wattage on my bike over an hour, that can be quite hard to accept. So I break it down. Maybe that process starts with being relaxed on the bike. It involves focusing on a consistent pedal stroke.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s about breathing. It’s about hydration<\/a> and nutrition<\/a>. If I break it down into those processes, all of a sudden, the outcome feels a bit more achievable.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been working with a county cricket team and it\u2019s fascinating to see the reduction in pressure and the enhanced freedom in performance that we see through this simple switch to process goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Habit stacking<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling to find time to train during the busy working week, try anchoring your workouts to an existing habit.<\/p>\n This intelligent tactic is called \u2018habit-stacking\u2019. It works by ensuring your exercise is locked into an existing ingrained routine.<\/p>\n An example might be to harness your routine days in the office as an opportunity for exercise, by cycling to work<\/a>. Or perhaps use your weekly drive to the supermarket as a convenient opportunity to visit the gym on the way.<\/p>\n \u201cFor many people, the biggest barrier is time,\u201d admits Dr Barker. \u201cHow can you fit exercise in? Maybe you can go for a walk or run when you are on a work call.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Can I train while listening to a podcast?\u2019 It\u2019s about trying to double up. Habit-stacking can be effective, because it reduces the burden and the stress that people have about when they might be able to exercise during the week.\u201d<\/p>\n Build a high-performance environment<\/p>\n
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Unplugging from data and devices enables you to connect with nature and find pleasure in exercise again. Getty Images<\/p>\n