5 Alternative Ways to Motivate Yourself

5 Alternative Ways to Motivate Yourself Feeling unmotivated is something that everyone experiences at some time in their life. But if youre beginning to feel it more and more, then it may be time to make a change, that will boost your productivity, your motivation, and ultimately, your happiness. Weve all heard the typical motivating quotes or tips, but what are some more alternative methods of boosting motivation? Weve put together our top 5 tips on how to motivate yourself, each one with a slightly different twist from usual. 1) Pit yourself against the competition: Competing against others can be a great method of motivation for some, but often it ends up killing motivation in the long run. Instead of comparing yourself to a colleague, employer or peer, think of yourself as the main competition. Try and beat your personal best each time, and use yourself as a benchmark for results. Youll look back and be pleasantly surprised by your progress, and you wont be beat down with trying to compete with anyone else! 2) Start  as soon as you wake up: Motivation and positivity go hand-in-hand. Thats why you should use your morning to create the basis for a productive, motivated and positive day. As soon as you wake up in the morning, list in your head at least three things youre thankful for in your life at that point. It may sound corny but setting your day up with a positive spin will help you stay motivated and your whole day will already have got off to a good start. Try it! 3) Move like you mean it: In a recent study, it was found that standing in a certain way/ changing your body language not only effects how youre perceived by others, but also alters chemicals in your brain, meaning youll actually feel different. Stand in your power pose, no matter what that may be. It will release chemicals in your brain. A famous piece of advice for when youre feeling down is to smile, even if its a fake one. This actually releases endorphins in the brain which make you feel happier! The same can be said for power poses. So stand like you mean it! 4) Look at failure and rejection in a new light: Some of the most famous successful people were hit by a whole lot of failures before they made it. If you hit a roadblock, try not to think of it too negatively, instead look at it  as a sign post pointing you in the  right direction. Use it as a motivator by changing your mindset. 5) Physically list your goals: Making lists is useful for everyday tasks it can help visualise your day and allocate your time efficiently. Lists that are made up of your long term goals are important as well display them somewhere that you look everyday, such as a bathroom mirror or on your desk, as it will keep them at the forefront of your mind throughout the day. Let us know what you think of the tips over on Twitter, @UndercoverRec. [Main image credit: Shutterstock]