PSYCHOLOGY

■ What were you imagining? And how were you imagining it? In other words try and identify exactly what you did to feel that way.

For example - with motivation a person may first picture themselves having achieved their goal in their mind in a big bright colourful way, then talk to themselves in an energised voice, before getting a specific feeling, and then act upon it.

Every behaviour that we have, just like a computer programme, can be represented as a sequence of identifiable sensory-based steps. NLP provides verifiable, sensory-based descriptions of subjective experience. In simple terms, NLP is the study of how the way we think affects our behaviour and performance. The way that we think about something impacts our motivation. What and how we say and imagine to ourselves affects our behaviour.

Exercise 3

Close your eyes and think about something that you are motivated to do. Notice how big any images are, whether they are colour or black and white, how close or far away they are, whether you are seeing from your own eyes or watching on a screen, notice any sounds, where they are coming from, volume, tone, and be aware of any feelings that you have.

Now, make your pictures bigger, more colourful, brighter, bring them closer, and see things from your own eyes. How different does that feel?

Now step out of the picture, fade the colour, shrink it, and move it far, far away until it disappears into the distance. How does that feel in comparison?

Take a moment now to return your pictures to their starting point. The way in which we think affects the way in which we behave.

WHAT AND HOW IS YOUR CLIENT THINKING The way in which a client is thinking about the rehabilitation process will affect their behaviour, for example their motivation, towards it. Clients who fill their heads with negative thoughts, in weak tonalities, and with small, unappealing pictures will hardly feel motivated will they?

Change how a client thinks and you will change their behaviour. Big bright colourful close up images of themselves doing what is impor- tant to them after their recovery is motivating. Imaging themselves feeling stronger and stronger, and hearing themselves saying in a positive and enthusiastic voice how well they are progressing, and how excited they are about recovering, will be motivating!

Challenging a patient’s negative self talk, and associated imagery, around the rehabilitation process is important to maintain motiva- tion. This can be achieved by helping them to reframe perceived negative situations into positive ones, to channel negative energies and thoughts into positive ones, and by encouraging them to be more optimistic and positive.

CONCLUSION Motivation of your clients/patients is a prime concern during the

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rehabilitation process. Using the techniques presented in this arti- cle will enable you to better motivate the patients that you are working with, and it is possible through training in areas such as NLP to gain skills that will allow you to understand how to elicit a patients values, motivational strategy, and thinking patterns, and to be able to use this to more effectively positively influence and motivate them during the rehabilitation process.

THE AUTHOR Steve Ward has a bachelor of education honours degree, is a Sportsmind Elite Performance Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, Master NLP Hypnotherapist and Stress Management Trainer. He has written extensively for several leading sports, fitness and physical education publications, has featured in the Scotsman, Independent and Times Educational Supplement, and has been a part of broadcasts on both Radio 4 and Talk Sport Live. Steve runs Maximum Potential UK Ltd working with elite and professional sports people and teams, corpo- rate businesses, teachers and pupils in schools and colleges, helping them to develop the skills and strategies required for high achieve- ment, peak performance and personal and team excellence.

References 1. Andreas S, Faulkner C. NLP The New Technology of Achievement. Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd 1996. ISBN 1857881222 2. Chavet SR, Words That Change Minds. Kendall/Hunt Publishing 1997. ISBN 0787234796 3. Hodges J. Sportsmind. Sportsmind Institute 1999 www.sportsmind.com.au 4. Hodges J. Champion Thoughts, Champion Feelings. Sportsmind Institute 1999 www.sportsmind.com.au 5. Knight S. NLP at Work. Nicholas Brearley Publishing Ltd 2002. ISBN 1857883020 6. McDermott I, Jago W. The NLP Coach. Piatkus Books 2001. ISBN 074992277X 7. Robbins A. Unlimited Power. Ballantine Books 1996. ISBN 0449456692 8. O’Connor E. Goal Setting For Optimal Performance In Sport and Rehabilitation. sportEX medicine 2003;15:7-8 http://www.grsportscenter.com/rehabgoals.pdf

16th March 2006 - Strategies For Improving

Motivation In Rehabilitation (1 day) Tutor: Steve Ward, B.Ed (Hons) Venue: South Bank Club, Vauxhall, London Course covers: Would you like to find out more about how you can learn practical techniques and strategies that will enable you to motivate more easily the people that you are working with? In this workshop you will learn through prac- tical experience models and strategies from NLP - which will enable you to: ■ Improve a person’s motivation by eliciting and utilising their values

■ Understand the difference between, and utilise, positive and negative motivation

■ Work out people’s motivational behaviour strategy ■ Create compelling goals to aid motivation ■ Understand how to gain motivation at an unconscious level

■ Use language that is positively motivating and influential Delegate fee: £89 for subscribers, £99 for non-subscribers For more information tel. sportEX on 020 8287 3312

www.sportex.net