How motivation based on fear and coercion works

Each of us has goals and tasks that we want to realize in life. Often we realize the importance and necessity of a certain thing, but still we do not fulfill the planned, and our life does not look the way we would like it to look. Where can we find the motivation to succeed? There is a version that fear can become the basis for development. Let’s find out whether this is actually true and what negative aspects motivation by fear can have, together with an expert.

neuro-coach

Such motivation can form an unsafe approach to sports, disrupt the harmony of mind and body and lead to mental disorders.

What are the benefits of motivation by fear?

Fear arises when a person tries to get out of his comfort zone, to do something uncharacteristic or when he is afraid of pain. The brain perceives such an environment as a threat to safety and generates stress hormones. In this way, the organ keeps us out of trouble, which is really important when there is a threat to life.

It is important to realize that fear always trumps any positive emotion. And a person will do much more when there is the possibility of experiencing pain than when they are enjoying themselves. For this reason, many coaches and trainers consider fear to be the best motivation for achieving their goals.

Negative impact on the psyche

Psychologist and leadership expert Kristen Bunch says that using fear motivation to achieve life and career goals can create a stressful environment and turn the mind against you.

For example, if a trainer at the gym tells you to work harder to burn calories from a heavy holiday dinner or brings up your cellulite, your brain generates this into an image of a group of people making fun of your body condition.

Relying on negative thinking is a fear-based motivation problem. It causes us to focus on what is wrong, or what could go wrong, instead of moving towards what is right. This, in turn, shifts our focus of attention.

Kristen Bunch

Bunch explained that this type of thinking is stressful for most of us and can lower our energy levels and ruin our mood.

Neuro-coaching

Motivation by fear is often used by coaches of the boomer generation. This is the most historically traumatized generation, they had to literally survive and it left a huge imprint on their worldview. They see sports as a way to keep themselves in shape to survive in any conditions and to stay healthy. They try to instill in their pupils a love for grueling sports that build stamina and endurance. This destructive behavior can still be seen in rhythmic gymnastics and ballet, where girls are constantly told to lose weight.

Love motivation as a healthy alternative

Bunch advises replacing motivation by fear with a healthy alternative – motivation based on love. To do this, there are three basic rules to follow.

Think about what you would say to a friend

Kristen recommends talking to ourselves the way we would talk to a friend. When dialoging with a loved one, we tend to choose the right wording. For example, instead of “you better starve yourself and go to the gym three times a day to look good on the beach,” we’ll support our friend and recommend that he or she not exhaust themselves working out.

It is important that all points are based on self-love. For example, suggest that your friends take scuba diving lessons before their vacation. This way, you’ll have fun, feel more love for yourself and your friends, and lose weight.

McGregor’s theories of motivation

Motivation by fear has been studied by psychologists for a long time. The most famous theories were formulated by Douglas McGregor. In Theory X, the scientist argued that workers are people who do not want to take responsibility for their labor activity, and it is possible to influence them only through fear, threats or financial levers of control.

After some time, Douglas concluded that such motivation is not effective, as it goes against the understanding of human nature. Therefore, over time, Theory Y emerged, according to which McGregor envisioned the staff as hardworking people who are willing to take responsibility for their activities and honestly work for the good of the team.

According to Theory X, approaches to managing people are based on coercive methods, implicit threats and strict control. This rigid approach leads to hostility, deliberately low productivity.

Fear is not meant to be used for long periods of time, and eventually you will tire of it and give up on your goals. Love, however, is eternal. Finding motivation in love will help you achieve your goals, whether your goals involve feeling good in a bikini, getting a promotion at work, or not being afraid to speak up about what you believe in.

Kristen Bunch

The same thing can happen in an athletic environment, so it’s important to create a green training environment and focus on the mental state of the athlete to achieve high performance.