Enhancing Motivation

1. Journey to Recovery Series
Enhancing Motivation
Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes Executive Director, AllCEUs
Podcast Host: Counselor Toolbox & Happiness isn’t Brain Surgery
AllCEUs.com Unlimited CEUs and Specialty Certifications $59

2. Objectives
 Define motivation
 Explore the various types of motivation

3. Definition
 Motivation is a combination of desire, willingness
and ability. It is your ability to keep your eye on
the destination, and choose to do things that
move you closer to that end point, instead of
detouring you
 Have you ever accomplished something you were not
motivated to do?
 What was it?
 How did you get yourself motivated?

4. 5 Principles of Motivation
 Motivation is a key to change.
 Motivation and people are multidimensional
 Motivation is dynamic and fluctuating.
 Motivation is influenced by social interactions.
 Motivation can be modified.

5. Motivational Process
 Motivation involves:
 Recognizing that something needs to be done
 Identifying the benefits to getting it done
 Addressing the drawbacks to doing it
 Creating a plan
 Implementing that plan

6. Crisis Causes Change
 Think about a goal you achieved, and complete
the following exercise
 What did you want to change?
 Why did you want to change it (the crisis)
 What was uncomfortable about the change (the other
crisis)
 Why was it worth the effort?

7. Types of Motivation
 Mental Motivators: Wanting to get out of the fog, believing
you can do it
 Emotional Motivators: Depression, anxiety, panic, PTSD
 Environmental Motivators: Reducing the tension, more
money to improve my environment
 Physical Motivators: Pain, illness, discomfort, fear of
contracting a disease
 Social Motivators: What friends and family want, what you
need to do to be accepted, availability of friends, wanting
to set a good example for kids
 Occupational Motivators: Fear of losing a job, desire for a
promotion, frustration at own poor work performance.

8. Dimensions of Motivation (MEEPS)
 How is your “issue” impacting:
 Your ability to think and concentrate? (Mental)
 Your mood? (Emotional)
 Your environment reflects how you feel inside. What is
it telling you? (Environmental)
 Your physical health (including sleep and nutrition)?
 Your relationships? (social)
 Your work (including your work product, desire to go to
work and sick days)?

9. Activity
 Part of getting motivated is to understand the
benefits and drawbacks of the old behavior and the
new behaviors.
 Example:
 I want to start eating better.
 Benefits…
 Drawbacks
 Solutions to Drawbacks…
 If I decide to NOT change my eating habits
 Benefits…
 Solutions/Alternative ways to meet the same needs…
 Drawbacks…

10. Stages of Change
 Precontemplation
 Contemplation
 Preparation
 Action
 Maintenance

11. Precontemplation
 Reluctant precontemplators do not have sufficient knowledge
or awareness about the problem, or the personal impact it is
having, to think change is necessary.
 How is your addiction and/or mental health issue impacting you and
your family?
 Rebellious precontemplators are afraid of losing control over
their lives.
 What things are making you feel forced into recovery or change?
 How can you reframe those things, so you feel less angry/annoyed ?
 What can you do to make the best of this situation?
 Resigned precontemplators feel hopeless about change and
overwhelmed by all of the energy required.
 Identify all the times you have tried to change and been successful,
even if only for a day.

12. Contemplation
 Accept that it is normal to be ambivalent
 "Tip the decisional balance scales" toward change by
eliciting and weighing the pros and cons of substance
use and change.
 Visualizing Change
 GOD collages
 Drawbacks to staying the same
 Pretend you have built this awesome community called
Recovery Place. It has everything people need to be happy
and healthy in its’ walls (doctors, grocery, housing,
recreation, support, jobs…). You are selling houses in
Recovery Place and have to convince people to buy. Why is
it worth the money now? What kind of returns can people
expect to see on their investment over time?

13. Contemplation
 Visualizing Change cont…
 Overcoming Obstacles
The three things that could take my focus off of my
recovery are… I can deal with them by…
In the past, when I have tried to stop using, these three
things have derailed my recovery. I can prevent this by…
The thing I am most afraid of about recovery is… I can
deal with it by…
The part of recovery I dread the most is… I can deal with
it by…

14. Preparation
 Clarify goals for change.
 Create a menu of options for change or treatment
 Where can people find information
 Connect with others in recovery
 Identify and deal with barriers to change.
 Get a commitment from those close to you to not expose you to
triggers
 Review what has worked in the past for you, or people you know.
 Plan for handling finances, childcare, work, transportation or
other potential commitments. (Why? How?)
 Publicly announce plans to change in order to help yourself
become accountable as well as aware of any inner resistance.
 Continue to refine your vision of a RML.
 Write a letter to yourself from the future

15. Points to Remember
 Change is a gradual process. Your behaviors helped you survive until
you were able to start getting other tools.
 Focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses.
 Develop two or three sober, sane social supports.
 Before you criticize yourself, ask yourself if you would be as critical of
your best friend. You are likely much more critical of yourself than
anyone else
 Recognize that you are a probably addicted to many things, and when
deprived of your addiction of choice, may seek out other behaviors to
help you escape.
 Recognize that you may have other coexisting mental health and
physical disorders that require attention
 Anticipate possible family, health, system, and other problems.
 Identify high-risk situations and develop appropriate strategies to
overcome these.

16. Energy Balance
 Emotional/Happiness
 Ways to improve:
 Ways to reduce stress:
 Mental/Creativity/
Concentration
 Ways to improve:
 Ways to reduce stress:
 Physical/Pain/Sleep/Nutri
tion
 Ways to improve:
 Ways to reduce stress:
 Social/Relationships/
Hobbies
 Ways to improve:
 Ways to reduce stress:
 Environmental/Comfort/
Organization/Appearance
 Ways to improve:
 Ways to reduce stress:

17. Summary
 Motivation is Multidimensional
 Mental
 Emotional
 Environmental
 Physical
 Social
 Spiritual
 It is just as important to understand why a person is motivated
to do the current behavior as to understand why he wants to
change
 Part of developing motivation is addressing obstacles and
creating a clear destination that is meaningful for the person.