Self-Determination Theory of Motivation to stay Healthy

What if we could simply bring together the smartest brains in one subject and facilitate a workshop for them to share the most practical conclusions in their field of research?

I'm just overly excited about such possibility, and I'm even more excited that prof. Pedro Teixera did exactly this for Self-Determination Theory of motivation. One that is shared over and over in training programmes on motivation. But do we use it properly?

Let's explore it by going through some of the techniques that boost autonomy, competence and relatedness according to the smartest. When considering these practices, keep in mind that the discussion was held in the health-related context - how using SDT can help promote healthy behaviors. I think these practices can be used beyond that in multiple opportunities when we want to motivate close ones as well as team members.

Techniques supporting Autonomy

1. Life aspirations and values: Discuss important life aspirations, values, long-term interests and explore how individual actions can influence them. Both the behaviors you want to start and the ones that you would like to get rid of.
2. Provide choices: Generate different opportunities of actions and goals, that can be adjusted to individual needs of the person you want to support.
3. Enable experimentation: Create a space for exploring different approaches to achieve the target goal. If needed, support with learning and feedback opportunities during this experimentation phase.

Techniques supporting Relatedness

1. Acknowledgement and respect: The relatedness can start with you. Express empathy, acknowledgement, and understanding of the other person to show they have someone to relate to.
2. Unconditional regard: Express positive support regardless of success and failure. Show that you distinguish person from results and have respect, care, support for them.
3. Support culture: Acknowledge challenges when people are searching for external support and build a system that makes it easier.

Techniques supporting Competence

1. Addressing obstacles: facilitate a discussion on the challenges and barriers during work on the goal and build together solutions to them.
2. Assist in setting optimal challenge: help making sure the goals are realistic, meaningful and challenging, but not boring or overwhelming.
3. Explore ways of dealing with pressure: make sure that delays, criticism, negative feedback, failure and setbacks are processed in a way that doesn't diminish the feeling of competence.

My insight from this research

I think it is one of the most practical research pieces written in the topic of motivation in the past years. The interventions listed in a swift table are ready to be experimented with to build your own support system in your training, coaching or managerial practice. A true gem and I'll certainly come back to this paper more frequently, whenever coming back to the topic of motivation :)

Would you like to learn more?

I highly encourage you to read the entire list of 21 best practices listed in this study, as the ones above are my subjective list of insights :) You can find it here:

Teixeira, P. J., Marques, M. M., Silva, M. N., Brunet, J., Duda, J., Haerens, L., La Guardia, J., Lindwall, M., Londsdale, C., Markland, D., Michie, S., Moller, A. C., Ntoumanis, N., Patrick, H., Reeve, J., Ryan, R. M., Sebire, S., Standage, M., Vansteenkinste, M., . . . Hagger, M. S. (2020). Classification of techniques used in self-determination theory-based interventions in health contexts: An expert consensus study . Motivation Science.