Life’s unique challenges undoubtedly affect us all differently. Maybe you’re going to college and struggling with leaving home for the first time. Perhaps you went through a tough time in life and used alcohol to numb the pain. Or, you dealt with family trauma as a child that led to anxious feelings and intrusive thoughts as an adult.

Are you having a hard time getting motivated? Are you curious about what leads to greater self-motivation or how you can boost yours? Then you’re in luck. ​In this article, you’ll learn science-based tricks to boost your self-motivation.

Why do you do the things you do? Why did you brush your teeth this morning, go to work, or click on this article? And is it possible to change the way you behave?

As we will learn below, motivation underlies all of our behavior. Self-determination theory is a widely recognized framework for understanding motivation and the impact that different types of motivation can have on different aspects of well-being. Read on to learn the fundamental principles of self-determination theory and how to live a more self-determined life.

Another way to understand happiness is with the concept of eudaimonia, which combines eu (good) and daimon (spirit). Eudaimonia has been defined as a life well-lived or human flourishing.

Emotional health is defined as a lack of mental disorders, but it also includes positive emotional characteristics, like resilience, self-efficacy, and vitality. Given how many different aspects of mental and emotional health there are, there are actually lots of different things we can do to improve our emotional health. Here are a few things you can do.

It's human nature to fight for things that matter to us. We might long for the past, wish that someone we love hadn't left us, or hold onto anger from the times that we were treated unfairly. But holding onto things and people that we can no longer have isn't good for us. It keeps us stuck in memories of our past and prevents us from noticing and appreciating what we have now. So, let’s talk about how to let go of all the things that we tend to cling to—the past, anger, love, fear, and more.​

Self-worth is essential to well-being. Why? Because your views of yourself not only affect how you feel; they also affect your thoughts and behaviors. When we feel bad about ourselves, we unconsciously act in ways that end up confirming our beliefs. For example, if we feel like we are not worthy of a good relationship, a good job, or financial stability, we stop pursuing these goals with the intensity required to reach them, or we sabotage ourselves along the way.

You need challenges in your life to develop resilience. You must get knocked down in order to learn how to pick yourself back up. Over time, being knocked down can even make you stronger.

When uncertainty stresses us out, making us wonder which path to take, what decision to make, or whether to respond at all, it can be crippling for some of us if we have not developed emotional resilience.

High self-awareness is a solid predictor of success in life, perhaps because a self-aware person knows what they want so they can more easily take the steps that get them there.

The answer to why we engage in a particular behavior or have a specific thought or feeling can be found by tapping into our unconscious mind. Self-reflection is one way we can tap into our unconscious minds.