The study of health psychology seeks to understand how our ability to cope with stress can help us to prevent illness and promote health. Some of these coping mechanisms are naturally inborn but may be taught to those who lack them. Motivation is one of the tools that researchers are trying to use as a combatant of negative stress reactions.

Motivation is something that we use every day. It’s what enables us to survive - to get food because we’re hungry, to go to work to pay the bills or to educate ourselves in order to pursue a higher goal in life.

The same report on Psychology Online identified those who respond to life with negativity or anxiety as most likely to deal with the physical affects of anger, guilt, nervousness, frustration and fear. These emotions can cause hypertension and high blood pressure which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Other complications include ulcers, arthritis, asthma and kidney disease.

Some therapists suggest that by using positive self-talk and trying to restructure the WAY we look at events can offset the physical and mental effects of dealing with negative or stressful events in life.

Interestingly, people who tend to focus on themselves as the controller of their fate - in fact ’self-motivated’ - are more likely to feel a sense of control when stressors affect them. Instead of blaming something or someone else they have the motivation to deal with a problem and look for a reasonable solution. This positive behavior helps them to achieve goals and find personal contentment.
Therapists try to teach patients how to emulate this positive reaction to stress and use their motivation as a source of empowerment. Learning to manage stress and using motivation to set goals, work through a problem or fix it can in turn promote better mental and physical health.

Intrinsic motivation is motivation that is inspired from within a person. Below you will find different types of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors:

Intrinsic Motivation.
Happiness
Personal goals, values, and morals
Physiological, social, and self-esteem needs

Intrinsic motivation comes from within a person. While Intrinsic motivation is often strong, it is hard to maintain at times – especially when something bad is happening in a person’s life. Everyone wants to be happy, to achieve life goals, have high morals and values, have plenty of friends, and simply be able to survive in the world.

Intrinsic motivation makes a person strive for these things in daily life. Intrinsic motivation will make a person take a look in the mirror and say, “I can do it.” Intrinsic motivation will also make someone take a few minutes and reflect on what is important in his or her life. Intrinsic motivation will make them question why they are seeking out their goals and what they are willing to risk in order to attain them.