Demotivation is a problem that bases its harmful nature on a very simple fact: we tend to underestimate it.
Many times, when we analyze the advantages or disadvantages of starting to work on a project, in the possible problems side we only include what has to do with the difficulties that come to us from the environment. For example, a labor market in which there is a lot of competition, an educational path in which you have to go through very demanding filters, or an environment in which it is difficult to receive financing. However, we forget that we can self-sabotage.
In order to remedy this type of situation, it is essential to be clear about what demotivation is and what we can do to combat it.
To answer this question, let’s start by briefly defining what motivation is.
Any activity we carry out, whether consciously or unconsciously, occurs because we have a series of dispositions that lead us to initiate behaviors aimed at reaching a short, medium or long-term goal. The motivation is precisely that set of provisions that act as the driving force of our actions. That is, a series of conditions (formulated in the manner “if p, then I do q”) that bring us closer to a goal when a favorable situation occurs.
What then is demotivation? This is the psychological phenomenon in which there is a discrepancy between the goal that we theoretically aspire to achieve, on the one hand, and our actual dispositional state, for the other. That is, it is what happens when there are serious problems when trying to invest enough effort in an initiative to achieve something, or when one does not even get to start that task and falls into procrastination.
Thus, demotivation not only harms us because it is associated with problems meeting certain expectations; Furthermore, where it appears we cannot even enjoy the calm or rest that comes from not doing those activities that in theory we wanted to do. And even if we do not do what is necessary to reach the goal, the mental framework according to which we should be doing that does not disappear.
In short, demotivation brings together the worst of two worlds: the discomfort that someone could experience who, despite trying hard, has not achieved what they wanted, and that which is produced by the feeling of guilt.
Types of demotivation
Demotivation can take various forms, and can also occur with different degrees of intensity. The most problematic or serious cases are those in which this lack of motivation extends to all areas and facets of life: at work, in personal relationships, etc. In these situations, it is common for the problem to be rooted in one of two fundamental causes.
On the one hand, it may be due to an unenriching environment, in which there are no great reasons to do anything, in general. For example, an environment in which there is not much freedom, even for economic reasons, and that is not associated with significant opportunities for economic or social progress, often produces demotivation in many areas of life, if not all.
In other cases, there may be a depressive type disorder that manifests itself, among other things, through a feeling of demotivation that is actually a conglomeration of symptoms. In the case of diagnosed depression, this lack of initiative or extreme lack of motivation is known as avolition, and it often appears hand in hand with other phenomena that also make it difficult for great sources of motivation to appear; for example, anhedonia, or inability to feel pleasure (without pleasure, it is difficult to move towards a specific goal).
Now, apart from general demotivation, there are also types of demotivation linked to specific contexts. Let’s see which are the most common.
1. School demotivation
School is an institution in which problems due to lack of motivation among students are frequent. The causes usually have to do, among other things, with the fact that from the first day class attendance is perceived as an obligation, which generates resistance, and with the lack of individual attention in very large classes, given that It is difficult to adapt teaching to the interests of each student. However, it is possible to intervene in many cases and enhance student motivation by modifying certain learning dynamics.
2. Work demotivation
In these cases, demotivation negatively affects both the worker who experiences this phenomenon firsthand, and the organization for which he or she works. Interventions in the work environment, workflow or work format They can help solve this, although in some cases the problem is simply that the fundamental activity carried out in the position is not meaningful to the person.
3. Social demotivation
This type of demotivation appears in cases in which the person sees the need to interact with certain social circles without this being a pleasant or stimulating experience beyond obtaining a very specific benefit unrelated to the nature of the social relationship.
The causes of demotivation
There are as many causes of demotivation as there are life experiences a person is capable of experiencing. It is the task of psychologists to recognize what the problem is in each case Although frequent causes are an excess of perfectionism, the perception of a high barrier to entry into that activity, the absence of significant challenges and a sense of progress, etc.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that demotivation is a contextual phenomenon: it is not located “inside” the person (beyond pathological cases), but rather has to do with their relationship with the world. Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to reorganize priorities, let go of some goals and aim for others, instead of doing everything possible to reach objectives that have sometimes been imposed by the company, family, friends, the media. communication, etc.
