Emotions, Values, Motivation & Procrastination PV236 – TIME MANAGEMENT & EFFECTIVENESS JOSEF SPURNÝ The “Abigail” Group Activity Žena s bránou Žena s vázaným vlasy The “Abigail” Group Activity •Abigail – emotional principle •Courage, willpower... vs. instability, suggestibility, manipulability… •Ivan – assertive principle •Objective, just … vs. uninterested, selfish, buck-passing… • Ahmed – business principle •Good deal, keeps his word vs. cynical, abusing… • Jeffrey – orthodox principle •Has believe in good values… vs. selfish, ruthless… • Rambo – aggressive principle •Protector of weak, knight… vs. aggressor, looking for incentives to fight Emotions • Emotions have evolutionary value •To promote beneficial behavior (increase survival) •To avoid harmful or threatening stimuli • • Emotional Brain •MacLean Triune Brain Hypothesis •Limbic system (amygdala, hippocampus, hippothalamus…) • • Experience à Neuronal network à DNA Attachment Theory • 0-4 years • Child needs à parents’ responses • Attachment types •Secure •Insecure •Anxious – Ambivalent •Anxious – Avoidant •Fearful – Avoidant (Disorganized) ◦ àStructure of Personality àEquifinality Equifinality Strength + - •Different initial setup results in the same outcome •Emotional responses tend to repeat themselves •Emotional responses are unexpected, irrational… •People do not change (…just like that…) Are humans rational or emotional? Emotions § Emotions bear energy (stimulation, activation) § Reason does not bear energy § Emotions provide meaning §“I’m gonna kill you!” § § § Long-term emotional patterns give rise to (abstract) values Theory of Human Motivation Motivation, Will § Actions require energy § Emotions bear energy § “Only dead fish swim with the stream” § Maintaining “emotional metabolism” allows one to swim against the stream §Will is a higher-order emotion, token of emotional metabolism § Metabolism has to be provided with resources § Narcissistic Equilibrium § A balance between “wants” and “musts” § In psychoanalytic terms: ego and superego ◦Ego = your values, attitudes, desires ◦Superego = internalized authority (parent, boss, teacher…) ◦“guilty consciousness” ◦ ◦ ◦In order to deliver duties, your ego has to be saturated ◦ àLong-term disequilibrium leads to burnout syndrome àManage your narcissistic equilibrium (resources vs expenses) Emotional saturation – focus on resources § There is no universal guide – you have to know yourself § §Do hobbies §Relax in a way you enjoy §Do anything what would bring you positive emotions §Reward in form of acknowledgement / appreciation Free time is not a wasted time! Procrastination Do you procrastinate globally or locally? § Everyone procrastinates, from time to time § Do I have a problem? ØOngoing, recurrent procrastination ØProcrastinating enjoyable activities ØStruggling to deliver school/work tasks in time ØSubjective feeling that something is wrong, but I can’t help myself Two aspects of procrastination § Emotional ◦I must do things that I do not like ◦à Do I even know what I enjoy? § Cognitive ◦I must do vaguely defined tasks ◦I am not sure how to solve it ◦Choice paralysis ◦ à at the end of the day, it is still an emotional problem ◦ – uncertainty, lack of self-confidence ◦ = impaired ability to make decisions Know yourself to ride the procrastination horse § It’s in your personality ◦Self-awareness ◦Self-development (vs personal development) ◦Therapy / Coaching (aka “guided introspection”) ◦Seek meaning ◦ § Do you need stress to get to “your” performance level? ◦Concept of “psychological hardiness” ◦ Time management paradoxes § Using TM tools and techniques to advocate procrastination § Applied TM leads to increased pressure instead or reducing it § Investing more willpower to self-motivate instead of changing “the system” §Forming habits §Removing distractions ◦ Caution: teacher’s subjective opinion! In the long term, you cannot “solve” procrastination just by pushing yourself to do things you do not want to do (by using tools/techniques) ◦This way you are only getting more efficient at discharging your battery à Burnout syndrome à Psychosomatic symptoms / diseases à Stress, aggression, easy irritation ◦ ◦These techniques should be combined with maintenance of narcissistic equilibrium, and self-awareness ◦ ◦ Homework assignment Resources Expenses ? ? Hints: What charges and discharges your battery? Can one activity both charge and discharge you? What prevails? How much time do you invest in these activities? Does the greatest expense also take the most time? Can you recharge the battery without guilty consciousness?