The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the way people live upside down. The virus affected not only health, but also hit the working capacity of people . How can you increase your productivity in a situation of anxiety and uncertainty, when stress has been at its peak for years, not weeks? Kp.ru was told about this by Lika Mikeladze , Ph.D. in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of Clinical Psychology of the Faculty of Clinical Psychology and Social Work of the Russian National Research Medical University named after V.I. N.I. Pirogov.
MOTIVATION: MONEY, SELF-VALUE, DOMINATION
What any activity starts with is motivation. And if it is low or not at all, any hectic activity is likely to fizzle out very quickly.
The motivation system, ideally, should take into account different factors. Each of them is needed in order for things to go well and for us to be sufficient for long-term implementation of complex tasks.
- Monetary incentives affect the basic layers of the personality and correlate with the desire to have a survival resource.
- Then the motive of a sense of self-worth is included.
- At the finish line, we are driven by the desire to dominate.
It turns out that motivation (at least some) is needed at different stages. And in order for the activity to begin, but – most importantly – at the stage when the skill is required to bring what has been started to its logical conclusion.
TRAINING THE SKILL TO FINISH BUSINESS
A variety of circumstances can be an obstacle to the realization of cherished goals.
For example, we might be distracted by a thought or emotion that our mind gets hooked on. Remembrance of other things that we must have time to complete. Or just a call or letter from another person. This is a standard situation. But the strength of their influence on us (make us distracted or quit work) depends on more fundamental factors. From the deep organization of the personality.
And yet, there are some general tools that can help us to more consciously perform tasks in our daily life.
- Get around the obstacle
For example, in advance or already in the process of activity, we don’t need to think over and write down what obstacles may arise, in the “if – then” format. For example: “If I am invited to walk today, I will refuse to finish the work.”
- Tracking the goal
While we are doing something, we can compare the existing result with what we expected to achieve. Yes, circumstances can change. And then it is worth reformulating the goal or concretizing it. For example: “I will not just run on Tuesdays, but I will do it at 09:00 in the park for 20 minutes.” In other words, along the way, we can formulate for ourselves in more detail the desire, the intended result, possible obstacles on the way to achieving it. Then develop a more or less detailed plan, and then return to all these components in the process of solving problems.
LET’S MAKE ERRORS IN THE PLAN
It is advisable to ask yourself the question: “What stops me from starting work or from completing a case? Am I afraid that I will not cope with the task perfectly and will not reach the high bar that I set for myself in my thoughts? “
If so, we can remind ourselves that only the one who does nothing is not wrong. In principle, it is quite possible to introduce errors into the plan, in other words, to be prepared in advance for the fact that they will definitely be, especially when it comes to a difficult task.
Also, in addition to the fear of doing something imperfectly, we can beware of the consequences that we will come to if the case works out.
Doubts may sound like: “If I do a poor job, I will be fired. If it is too good, then even worse – they will envy and begin to take revenge. What if I start doing everything and see it through to the end? After all, then they will begin to help me less, will I take all the responsibility on myself? “
If we understand in more detail what kind of inner beliefs inhibit us, we will learn how to manage them, and we can even benefit from them. For example, striving to do everything perfectly will help us perform tasks at least well. The assumption of being fired due to poorly performed work is to prepare for different scenarios. And the desire to receive support is to acquire the ability to work in a team.
