You can learn to use remotivation in your communication and relationship with a member of your family to help them cope with loss and adjust in a positive manner to illness and disability.

 

Remotivation inproves your parenting skills and your caregiver skills.

 

If you parent a child or care for a member of your family who lacks interest or motivation in life due to grief or traumatic injury or has difficulty adjusting to a mental or physical or illness, he or she may benefit from remotivation techniques used in conversations with them. 

 

Remotivation is a discussion of a topic in a way that focuses those involved on the healthy, normal aspects of life and people.  It is NOT problems focused.  It does not discuss what is wrong with people, the person or the world at large.  For example, a person may suffer from any of these problems:

 

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)

Grief

Alzheimer's

Parkinson's

Autism

Diabetes

Cancer

Schizophrenia

Depression

Anxiety

Developmental Disabilities

Or any other problem or difficulty

 

But, remotivation discussion does not focus on the symptoms or disability caused by the disease or loss.  It does not focus on the problem or loss.  If focuses on what remains that is well and healthy in the person and their life.

 

Remotivation, as its name implies, creates interest in the activities of daily living.  It rekindles a person's activities in the things they "love", his or her talents, hobbies and social relationships with family and friends.

 

As you may have experienced, your relationship with someone may have evolved, because of things that have happened, to be dominated by a preoccupation with what is "wrong" or what is unhealthy or not "right".

 

For example, a typical friendly greeting we use when we start a conversation with someone is to ask the questions "How are you?" or "How are you feeling today?" or "How is it going?".  Normally, a person responds in a positive manner and do general small talk about the weather or other simple things about the day.  But, for some people, the questions lead to a negative response and a continual and constant description of everything that is wrong with them and their lives.

 

People generally know that to maintain a relationship with someone that they cannot always complain and focus on the negative.  This is even true when our lives have many problems.   We know we must BALANCE the conversation between positive things and negative things.  But, when a person becomes overwhelmed with problems of any kind, they can become discouraged, depressed and unnaturally focused on the negative.  They become unmotivated, apathetic.  Sometimes they are angry.  Sometimes they withdraw from other people.  Sometimes they can be generally difficult and uncooperative.

 

 

If so, then learning and using remotivation to create positive focused conversation can help the person you parent or care for to change their perspective and acknowledge their strength and normal healthy abilities.  It helps them get BALANCED or re-focused on the future with a positive perspective on life.

 

Remotivation creates a conversation using five steps. 

 

1.  Create a Climate of Acceptance (respond to all answers and ideas with a non-judgmental attitude)

2.  Creating a Bridge to the Real World (a positive, non-threatening topic of discussion which uses a short story or poem)

3.  Sharing the World We Live In (a positive discussion about everyday things, ideas and activities, not problems)

4.  Sharing the Work of the World (a positive discussion about the topic as it relates to work, jobs and community)

5.  Create a Climate of Appreciation (respond to all answers and ideas shared with thankfulness and acknowledgment of its value)

 

These are common sense actions that can be learned by both children and adult family members.  It is not complicated.  It is designed to by fun and enjoyable.  Successful applications have involved elementary school children visiting the elderly in nursing homes to have motivating topical discussion which greatly benefited the elderly and the children.  It taught the child how to related to a person with problems, disability or illness in a positive, constructive manage.  It helped the elderly to see the positive, potential that still remained in their lives.

 

NRTO offers online training by web cam to individuals and family members.  It can be scheduled to fit the schedules of working family members.  Call or email to ask questions or to arrange a training for yourself or family.  Go to: