Duotone NOW Magazine No.03 2022

The deep motivation from within. Psychiatrist Dr. Simon Senner knows why kitesurfers are so passionate about their sport and why kiting is a healing power for the psyche. Simon, in your medical field you deal with the human psyche, thinking and feeling, allmental abilitysuchasemotion, perception, sensation, intuition or motivation. In your free time you are a dedicated kiter yourself. Where does this motivationof kitesurfers topractice their sport so passionately come from? This deep drive that every kitesurfer feels is this famous virus of wind sports, that out of an incomprehensible motivation you say: I have to do this, I want to experience and feel this again. That comes from a deep self. This is called intrinsic motivation, the motivation that comes from deep within a person. There‘s a fire blazing inside you that leads you to set out for the spot, perhaps even in spite of a mediocre forecast. So this can‘t be rationally explained in medical terms? Intrinsic means to do something out of ‚oneself‘ and we only do that because we feel deep inside that it makes us feel damn good. Kitesurfing releases happiness hormones, endorphins, in the brain that leave such a lasting impression on us that we can‘t help but want to do it again. This distinguishes kitesurfers from extrinsically motivated people, who do not strive for a feeling, but for a concrete thing. For example, they subordinate everything to a promotion at work or the pursuit of a company car and in doing so, they sometimes don‘t realize until it‘s too late that they themselves are falling by the wayside. A company car doesn‘t give them the experience that kitesurfers feel. A company car is only a confirmation from the outside. So intrinsic motivation is clearly the stronger one? Out of an intrinsic feeling, I go to the spot ten times even if every time there is no wind. It is precisely because it is sometimes so difficult for everything to fit together, the wind, waves, material, physical and mental condition that we need a lot of „deep drive“. But I still go for an eleventh time, because the drive remains. I‘ll give it a try, it‘ll be a good session today. I‘m confident because I want to have the feeling of being on the water again. With extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, something may not go so well and I give up very quickly. The intrinsic drive, the experience, is infinitely stronger, makes you much more satisfied, lasts longer and also carries you over setbacks. The motivation is fed by the experience itself again and again. Can I also get this feeling from videos or pictures, or do I really have to go out on the water for it? In the long run, you can‘t create this feeling artificially. You have to go out on the water. But the idea of a kite session can also inspire. For example, when I look at the forecast on Windfinder I go into a spiral of my own, I see the forecast for 15 knots at the spot, I have mental images of putting on the wetsuit in the parking lot, pumping up the kite, and where I’ll make the first jump. Then that feeling builds up and the endorphins are widely released. It only takes a small trigger to kick off the whole spiral. The nice thing is these mechanisms are very resistant to setbacks. Maybe I have the feeling it‘s a bit too cold, but 15 knots are the order of the day and the prospect of wind beats the negative arguments that might stop me. The overall effect is to push us beyond our limits. I have been drawn to the beach with such strength that I accept even challenging conditions. The waves might be really big, but I still try because I know that when I come off the water, it‘s the best feeling. That wouldn‘t be possible without intrinsic motivation. With this motivation, we can get rid of small counter- arguments and permanently develop ourselves further. What exactly do you mean by develop further? There are various aspects that also strengthen kitesurfers in their everyday life. Many people feel a certain pressure of expectation in their lives. What does society want from you? What pressure do I put on myself in my job? What does my social environment expect from me, my family, my partner? Am I fulfilling them? If these questions get out of hand, it can be that one no longer dares to enter certain situations and avoids them more and more. Then the fear of these situations grows and grows. If you conserve your fears, you may develop an anxiety disorder. Kiting is in many ways the exact the opposite of that. I have to permanently face uncertainty and new situations. How much wind is there outside between the waves? What happens if I might not make the jump? In kiting, there are many things I can‘t predict and that ultimately strengthens your approach to complex situations and decision making, with less fear in other areas of life as well. It trains you to feel comfortable with uncertainty. If I trust myself to make decisions from 15 different parameters; wind, waves, gusts, kite size, when to jump, Interview Bernd Zerelles Dr. med. Simon Senner (36), doctor, psychotherapist and psychiatrist, studied medicine in Munich and Cape Town and, after working for many years at the Rechts der Isar Clinic of the Technical University of Munich, is now the head physician of a large clinic on Lake Constance. As a specialist in mental disorders, he advises companies throughout Europe (brains-work.com ) on how to deal with psychologically stressed employees and specializes in management training (‚Healthy leadership‘). In addition, Simon is a medical advisor to different digital health platforms (i.e. nilohealth.com , wellsterhealthtech.com ). Simon Senner is a passionate kiter, wingfoiler and windsurfer. At the age of 13 he was sailing with an 11m formula windsurfer, later he became fascinated by kiting in the waves, currently he spends many sessions on the water with his wing. His large van is always packed full of equipment for all sports. The family father of two prefers to spend the winters in his cottage in Scarborough, Cape Town. “It is through wingfoiling that I have rediscovered the appeal of getting the most out of even the most marginal conditions. I love being the first on the water with good equipment. Then when I‘m in Cape Town in the winter, the waves can‘t be high enough, preferably with the 6m kite fully powered up.” 63 E N A B L I N G D R E A M S 62 E N A B L I N G D R E A M S I N T R I N S I C M O T I V A T I O N