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HEalthCare with Riyaaq Ahmed

How to Hack Your Brain So You Can Stay Motivated and Achieve Your Full Potential: The Neuroscience of Motivation.

By: Riyaaq Ahmed
November 25th, 2019


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Every semester, students go through a very physically demanding, emotionally taxing, and stressful period. We suffer through countless all-nighters and, dare I say, multiple breakdowns. We consume ridiculous amounts of caffeine just to get us through the week. This dreadful period, also known as finals week, can leave us unmotivated and unable to see past the week or the semester. So the question becomes, how do we stay motivated during such a trying time so we can pursue our long term goals? How do we train our brain to prioritize our success? 

The answer lies in a special chemical network known as dopamine systems. These networks are connected to the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) through the Mesocortical Pathway (MCP). They release dopamine, a vital neurotransmitter responsible for executive functions, motor control, motivation, arousal, reinforcement, and reward. An experiment conducted  by Vanderbilt University examined the brains of “go-getters”  and the brains of “slackers.” The study showed that the “go-getters’” brain had higher dopamine levels compared to the “slackers.” The “go-getters” were willing to work hard for rewards. This activated the dopamine systems in their brains which, in turn, produced dopamine to keep them motivated. The little dopamine that the “slackers” produced was saturated in the Anterior Insula. This area of the brain is associated with emotions, specifically fear and risk perception. 

Motivation levels are related to our deduced difficulty of a task and the perceived rewards that come from completing the task. If the perceived rewards are low, then the willingness to complete a task will be low as well. Additionally, if the task gets harder, then the motivation will go down even further and which will lead to a downward spiral. 

So, how do we overcome this? How do we hack our brain. so it perceives every task with high reward and produces more dopamine? Dopamine gives you the “push.” The more dopamine, the harder the push. Additionally, the way you perceive a task affects how much dopamine is released. There are a couple ways to increase the release of dopamine in the brain.

Step 1: Set goals and visualize your reward.
Step 2: imagine yourself fulfilling the goal and the process it will take you.
Step 3: Set mental triggers and signals that remind you to get to work.
Step 4:Avoid chronic stress and pain. This decreases the brain’s sensitivity to dopamine.
Step 5 GET ADEQUATE SLEEP. Your brain can’t perform well without sleep.
Step 6: Add some surprise and spontaneity to your life. Uncertainty of a reward causes the release of more dopamine. This is why gambling is addictive. 
Step 7: Have a beginner's mindset. Fall in love with learning and realize there is always potential for growth.

Although finals week is the worst period of the semester for many students, the best way to make it at least bearable is to increase one’s motivation levels. These steps don’t just apply to students; they apply to anyone who wants to increase the performance and achieve their full potential. 

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  • NexGen
    • About NexGen
    • Ateea K
    • Artem Africa
    • Riyaaq Ahmed
    • Ian
    • Sign Up (NexGen)
    • Artem Ambassadors
    • Evan Binkley
    • Consonance_3.0
  • Featured Content
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