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Tips to maintain motivation

Learn to focus on what you feel during exercise instead of on the activity itself. Observe what is going on around you; notice the sky, humans, sounds etc. This will help you to become aware of your progress.

a. How do you feel when you are active and participating?

b. How do you feel after exercising?

c. Was the exercise easier yesterday? Did you feel more or less tired?

Motivate yourself in a positive way. Remind yourself how good it feels to be outdoors or active. Appreciate yourself when you overcome a moment of low motivation and complete your exercise. Realize how good it is to achieve your goal, particularly when you thought about giving up at some point for that day.

Do not forget that physical activity improves your mood. This not only alleviates stress but also helps to fight against sadness and depression. If your motivation is down because you are bored, remind yourself how you will instantly feel better after exercising.

Every time you achieve your goal for that day, reward yourself with an activity you really enjoy such as watching a new episode of your favorite TV show. After a while, your exercise will be the reward itself. For instance, after you have spent a long day in front of your computer monitor, you will want to reward yourself with a walk in the park.

Learn to pay attention to how you feel while doing an activity rather than focusing on the activity itself. Observe what’s going on around you – notice the sky, the people, the sounds, etc. This will help keep you focus in the moment and make it easier to notice when you start improving.
1. How do you feel when you’re active and engaged?
2. How do you feel after you’ve exercised?
3. Was yesterday’s exercise session easier? Did you feel more or less tired?
Give yourself positive reinforcement. Remind yourself how good it feels to be outdoors or to be active. Acknowledge when you’ve overcome a moment of demotivation and done your exercise routine anyway. Note how good it feels to achieve your goal – especially after coming so close to giving up on it today.

Remember that physical activity improves your mood, relieves stress, and helps fight sadness and depression. If your motivation is lagging because you’re feeling blue, remind yourself how good you feel after exercising.
Reward yourself – each time you’ve reached your goal for the day, treat yourself to something you really enjoy like a long, hot shower or the next episode in your favourite TV series. Over time, exercising will become the reward – and after a long day working at the computer, you’ll find yourself looking forward to your reward in the form of a walk in the park.