Negative sources of motivation can be effective, especially in the short-term. It is important to understand how to manage these factors in order to prevent negative longer-term effects.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CE/CME credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CE/CME credits.
The previous article discussed the rubric of the four primary sources of motivation. One of the elements is negative motivation. This is largely based on factors which we would like to avoid, such as failure, judgment or criticisms of others, avoidance of impostor syndrome, and other similar experiences. A common element across these factors is that they can become fear based hindrances, which has been discussed in a past article. While the other end of the continuum of sources of motivation includes positive elements of motivation, which are more desirable, the negative sources can be applied in a useful fashion.
As discussed in the prior article, positive sources of motivation are preferable owing to the balance of cues provided to the nervous system and their impact on our resulting biological state. Specifically, these elements contribute towards increasing the strength of ventral vagal stabilization. That being said, the negative sources of motivation can be effective, particularly in the short-term. The desire to avoid fear associated with the previously described experiences can result in significant drive towards the desired outcome. While this is undoubtedly the case, as previously discussed, there are longer-term negative impacts which can cause significant hindrances in reaching our objectives.
When considered from the short-term perspective, the motivation provided by the desire to avoid negative outcomes and fears can result in increased energy mobilization and focus, for example, which can lead to increased sympathetic activation. As discussed in past articles, sympathetic mobilization contained by ventral vagal stabilization is the preferred state for performance. With this understanding in mind, it can be readily appreciated how an element of sympathetic mobilization, for example as a result of negative motivation, can be helpful. However, the other side of this equation is that due to cues of uncertainty, risk, and threat associated with the fears inherent within negative motivation it becomes possible that we become stuck in sympathetic and/or dorsal vagal states. Such a biological state shift will result in a negative impact on sustainable high-performance, as well as the pursuit of health and wellbeing.
The above discussion informs how negative motivational factors can be beneficial in the short-term, while having an overall negative impact in the longer-term. The negative impact of these factors stems from becoming stuck within sympathetic and/or dorsal vagal states. Understanding this other side of the coin of negative motivation is very important in order to best manage it.
Given the benefits, particularly in the short-term, of mobilization towards a sympathetic state associated with negative sources of motivation, these are often utilized across all domains. It is, however, important to understand how to avoid the negative impact of these sources of motivation. With the understanding described above that the negative effect results from becoming stuck in sympathetic and dorsal vagal states, we can better recognize how to avoid this scenario.
This understanding leads to an acknowledgement of the fine line of negative motivation, in particular, related to the fear based hindrances. As discussed above when controlled sufficiently, these can be beneficial. For example, our desire to avoid failure and to reduce the impact of impostor syndrome can lead to improved drive and focus in developing the craft specific skills necessary within our performance domain. As noted above, however, the application of these external motivational factors can readily lead to becoming stuck in a sympathetic and/or dorsal vagal state, thereby reducing our ability to perform at our highest level over an extended duration of time, as well as pursue health and wellbeing. When the level of fear associated with the negative sources of motivation becomes high and/or persists, the balance shifts from being a potentially helpful motivational factor towards becoming a hindrance on our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
Given the above understanding, it becomes crucial to recognize where the dividing line rests between using negative sources of motivation towards a desirable benefit and unintentionally allowing these factors to become a hindrance. It can be inferred from the above discussion, that this line exists at the point where we become stuck in a sympathetic and/or dorsal vagal state. From another perspective it can be understood that the dividing line exists when we lose ventral vagal stabilization of our biological state.
This understanding of the dividing line related to negative sources of motivation can be used to implement strategies and tactics to avoid the negative result of these factors. Specifically, through application of the mind-based and body-based polyvagal informed skills, we can maintain a level of ventral vagal stabilization. Furthermore, should we shift in our biological state away from being anchored in a ventral vagal state, we can utilize our skills to re-establish a ventral vagal anchored state. The Practices of the Healthcare Athlete provide the foundation to implement this framework. Through utilization of strategies to improve ventral vagal stabilization, we are able to reduce the likelihood of shifting fully into a sympathetic and/or a dorsal vagal state. Through application of specific polyvagal informed tactics, we are able to more rapidly identify situations in which we do shift away from ventral vagal stabilization and apply skills to regain ventral vagal activation.
While there are undesired potential impacts to the negative sources of motivation, they can be used in a beneficial way. The above discussion provides a framework with which to understand how best to ensure these elements are providing benefit as well as how to manage situations in which they become a hindrance to our pursuit of sustainable high performance, as well as health and wellbeing. To learn more, including about polyvagal informed coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CE/CME credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CE/CME credits.
REFERENCES
Allison, M. The Play Zone: A Neurophysiological Approach to our Highest Performance. https://theplayzone.com.
Porges SW, Porges S. Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us. New York: W.W. Norton & Company; 2023.