The Psychology of Success

Transcription

1 Overview of Lecture The psychology of motivation The Psychology of Success Emma Butler, Psychologist Anxiety Mindfulness meditation Hypnosis Health and well-being Tips for performing effectively in VCE How can we explain the difference? States of Emotion High arousal Which corner are you sitting? Pleasant Unpleasant Low arousal Increasing activation, energy levels or arousal: Positive self-talk: I can do it!, Let s go! Increase breath Listen to energising and/or motivating music Burn essential oils that create energizing smells Have a cold shower or dive into the swimming pool if you have one to wake yourself up. Visualise yourself doing what you need to do Increase task challenge begin with a more stimulating and interesting tasks and then do the more monotonous and/or boring tasks later Always reward yourself with a stimulating activity after you complete your desired tasks. Exercise = energy Choose an energy promoting diet with low GI foods and good hydration Drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day Sleep between 7.5 to 9.5 hours per day (work out what you need Still having problems with energy levels? Go and get a thorough examination from your General Practitioner Energy levels are effected by many health conditions: Hypothyroidism Food sensitivities Hormone imbalances Glandular fever and other viral infections Adrenal insufficiently Depression 1

2 The Importance of Happiness and Satisfaction Research shows that when we feel good, our performance is better Positive psychology is the branch of psychology that uses scientific understanding and effective intervention to aid in the achievement of a satisfactory life. What determines happiness and satisfaction? Committed Action, 40% Environment, 10%, Genetic Makeup, 50%, Committed Action, 40% Genetic Makeup, 50%, Environment, 10%, 2

3 Is anxiety motivating? Anxiety and Performance High arousal Where are you on this curve? Pleasant Unpleasant Low arousal What is Anxiety? Emotional / cognitive effects feelings of apprehension or dread, trouble concentrating, feeling tense or jumpy, anticipating the worst, irritability, restlessness, hyper-vigilant behaviour, poverty of thought (mind going blank) worry thoughts of negative future events What Situations in VCE may Trigger Anxiety Oral exams General exams or SACS Time pressure Asking for help Perceived pressure from parents or teachers Working in groups Contributing during class 3

4 Reducing unwanted anxiety and arousal Slow deep breathing Progressive muscle relaxation (tensing and releasing different muscle groups in your body) Visualise yourself doing what you need to do Self hypnosis (discussing later) Yoga Mindfulness / Mediation (discussing later) Change your thinking Self-instructions Reduce the level of difficulty (start with an easy task and work your way up to more challenging tasks as your confidence increases). Make sure that you follow a period of academic work with a fun, easy and rewarding activity (e.g., X Box, Facebook, TV, Reading a book, etc.) Mindfulness Mindfulness has been shown to: improve performance reduce anxiety improve concentration and attention improve ability to regulate emotions reduce depression relapse improve ability to cope with a range of illnesses improve health and wellbeing Mindfulness Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, -Jon Kabat-Zinn and nonjudgmentally. Choose your own personal negative thought: (e.g., I don t understand, I m going to fail, I m stupid.. I m hopeless ) I m I m having the thought that I m I m noticing that I m having the thought that I m a 4

5 Defusion is what happens when we step back and create psychological distance from anxious thoughts You can either be your thoughts or experiences Or, you can use mindfulness to be the observer of our thoughts and experiences Hypnosis How hypnosis or self-hypnosis can help strengthen positive thinking and positive attitudes can reduce anxiety help you develop better behaviour improve your performance help you give up bad habits improve overall relaxation help you go to sleep there are many self hypnosis scripts or guided relaxation / hypnosis audio files or YouTube clips you can access on smart phones or the internet. Health and Wellbeing The three most important physical factors for improving your performance and motivation in VCE are: Sleep Diet Exercise 5

6 Sleep Diet Optimal sleep for most teenagers is between 7 ½ to 9 ½ hours per night. Myth 1: Getting just one hour less sleep per night won t affect your daytime functioning. Myth 2: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue. Myth 3: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends. The impact of diet on energy levels is very important to consider. Many of us use food to increase our energy levels for work and study Focusing on short term energy gains (with chocolate and other high GI foods) overlook the longer term energy sapping effects of these foods Stick to low GI foods that will sustain your energy throughout the day Hydration Are you drinking plenty of water? Research has shown that people who were only mildly dehydrated experienced significant energy crashes. You need at least 1.5 litres per day Exercise Exercise = energy It s essential for managing stress and improving motivation to exercise regularly One study found that 20 minutes of low intensity exercise three times a week decreased feelings of fatigue by 65 percent Tips for being effective in VCE Be effective and efficient about VCE Remember it is how and what you study, not how much time you spend doing it Maintain a motivated, positive and energised frame of mind Be mindful about your values and make sure you are acting is a way that is consistent with what you care about Balance your priorities. Giving up everything other than VCE related activities this year is not a powerful move Find the strategies that work for you to reduce unwanted anxiety, and consider mindfulness and self-hypnosis as options Use effective strategies to consolidate your memory (rewriting a text book for revision is not a good study strategy). Make good use of your notes and develop a good set of notes. Utilising available resources Develop a good set of notes throughout the year and use these as the basis of your revision Form study groups and support each other Use your teacher Tell your parents how you want to be supported Welcome all feedback (whether positive and negative) Find a tutor if you need extra help Practicing past exam papers is key to success If needed, utilise the lectures and resources offered by TSFX they are excellent. 6

7 Tips for exams Develop an exam ritual that works for you considering all the concepts we have covered Manage your health and wellbeing and emotional state During the exam: Manage your time effectively Make sure you read and answer the questions asked don t just regurgitate the information you have memorized Don t go off on tangents Write clearly and legibly 7