The power of showing up and behavioural activation (why motivation is overrated?)

Positive thinking, excitement, and inspiration, according to conventional wisdom, are essential for living a happy and productive life. But, according to the most recent psychological research, this isn't totally accurate. You don't need to feel good to start going; you need to get moving to give yourself a chance at feeling good.

You have no control over your emotions or thoughts. It is impossible, despite the fact that many individuals believe differently.  However, you have control over how you respond to your thoughts and feelings—your actions. And, rather than the other way around, it is your activities that cause your moods.

This is known as "behavioural activation" in the scientific literature, and hundreds of studies support it. Behavioural activation is a basic principle of groundedness, the ability to stand strong in any weather, and the dynamic between inner and exterior strength in practice.

The rest of this article will cover how to respond successfully to negative feelings, how to respond skillfully to negative thoughts, and a coherent philosophy for living a deep and meaningful life.

Dealing With Negative Emotions

The extreme case of clinical depression can be instructive. For many people, it manifests as a sense that nothing matters, acute apathy, and excruciating exhaustion. Depression, on the other hand, despises a shifting objective. Even when you don't want to, and perhaps especially when you don't want to, forcing yourself to start going is the best way out. What makes depressive states so difficult and pernicious is that they are accompanied by a brain that says, "I can't get going," which is why counselling and medicine may be so beneficial.

It's difficult to motivate yourself to get out of bed, whether you're depressed, stuck in a rut, or just feeling a little odd and want to hit the snooze button on life. Behavioural activation necessitates a great deal of self-control, which also necessitates a great deal of self-compassion. It's not a case of one or the other, but of both.

Self-discipline is what gets you to difficult places. It gives you the determination to keep going. Self-compassion is what gives you the guts to go through the gate and helps you get back up when you've fallen. Then, with self-discipline, you can get back on track.

Managing Negative Thoughts

Intrusive ideas are difficult to overcome. Especially in the context of a culture that always appears to be urging something along the lines of "think positive." Trying to control your thoughts is a futile exercise. Engaging with the excellent ones while avoiding the bad ones is what works.

There's a distinction between resisting and ignoring bothersome ideas. It takes work to resist them, and it gets you caught up in your thoughts, especially if you're attempting to force them out. Ignoring them entails allowing them to exist but not participating in them. Thoughts are not facts, which you don't learn as a child. You can simply disregard them.

Ignoring the voice in your head is a good place to start. Taking action is the next stage. Even if your brain says, "I'm not going to start on this activity," you can start nonetheless, and the feelings of indifference will fade away on their own.

To put it another way, negative thinking cannot be replaced with good thinking. Positive action, on the other hand, can be used to replace negative thinking. You don't want or battle unfavourable emotions gone. You make room for them, don't criticize yourself for having them, and then invite them to join you on your journey.

A Well-Grounded Life Approach

Groundedness is the internal strength and self-assurance that keeps you going through the ups and downs of life. It's a deep well of integrity and fortitude, a well of wholeness, from which lasting performance, happiness, and fulfilment spring. Passion, productivity, and all sorts of striving and ambition are not eliminated by groundedness. Instead, it's about letting go of a constant state of anxiety and starting to live in accordance with your core values, pursuing your passions, and expressing your true self in the present moment. There is no need to gaze up or down while you are grounded. You are where you are, and from that position, you wield actual strength and authority.

It examines modern science, ancient wisdom, and everyday practice to find the most effective actions in a variety of situations. Presence, patience, vulnerability, community, movement, and more qualities come to mind.

Perhaps most importantly, groundedness asserts that persistent action in accordance with a set of basic principles leads to inner strength and consistency of being. It provides a road to excellence with less anxiety and genuine confidence, which stems from the ability to respond skillfully to all thoughts and sensations – good, terrible, and ugly.

Groundedness does not make pain or fear go. It invites you to accept these aspects of being human while also providing you with the skills and determination to continue living fully. Some days are more pleasant than others. That's just the way things are. Groundedness just requires that you understand and live your values. However, just because something is simple does not imply that it is simple.

Groundedness also implies that you don't require a steadfast goal. It's actually beneficial to be aware that such things come and go. When it comes, embrace it, but when it doesn't, focusing on the appropriate action is more than enough. "Do the next right thing," as they say in addiction treatment.

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Thanks for reading. Love y'all.