How to regain academic motivation.
Do you feel like you’ve lost your motivation? Your drive to learn? Your drive to succeed in exams? Well, you’re in the right place. Simply by recognising that you have lost your motivation is the first step to getting it back. I know right now you probably feel stuck, perhaps you’ve given up, most likely you’ve adopted the attitude of “I can’t do it anyway so there’s no point working hard”. Don’t give in. Don’t let that little voice in the back of your head get to you because it’s wrong. Whether you're a student who is struggling to revise or simply can’t get yourself to sit down and do your homework, look right here- as I am about to tell you 3 easy tips which can help you find your motivation, find your spark that encourages you to learn and succeed.
1. Walk the extra mile.
A national survey found that nearly 1 in 3 teenagers admit to being bored “most or all of the time” in school. Sometimes the things taught in class aren’t always super interesting, or maybe just not your cup of tea, and I’m assuming if you’re reading this right now you likely feel this way, and that’s okay. You don’t have to be passionate about what you learn in school, that is allowed! However that doesn’t mean you should disengage in lessons. One of my biggest pieces of advice in this situation is to “go the extra mile”. In simpler terms what I mean is, do more than what is asked of you. This doesn’t have to look like studying 4 hours a day after school to get extra credit from your teacher, but rather can be doing that extension task in class if you’ve finished the set work, independently researching a topic you are intrigued by from class or even just making your work look organised (yes, that can be highlighting every single word on your page if you like 🙂). By doing this extra work that isn’t necessarily asked of you, you will feel rewarded, proud of yourself for doing that little bit more- therefore creating a sense of enjoyment even if it’s not in the classwork itself but just in the achievement of completing so much. Give it a try!
2. Find your study balance.
According to a FE news article, nearly two-thirds (65%) of UK children report feeling anxious, nervous, or stressed due to school work. If you feel the same, just know you are not alone in your anxieties. Finding a balance between life and studies can be really tricky. The biggest piece of advice I can offer here is to find your balance. Don’t let studies become your life, but don’t let your life ignore your studies. Yes, this sounds contradictory, but, there are many ways you can do this such as:
Create a realistic study schedule
break your day into sections- meals, school, study, breaks, exercise etc
Use a planner or app such as Google calendar or Structured to visualise your schedule
INCLUDE BREAKS! Don’t burn yourself out (e.g. 45 mins work, 15 mins break)
Set boundaries between school and personal life
Have a dedicated study space separate from your rest area
Put your phone on DND while you study or use apps such as flora to track your studying also
Take care of your physical and mental health
Get 7-8 hours of sleep! Eat nutritious food and exercise (even just a 10 minute walk down your street)
Practise stress management, don’t just let it all build up (journal, meditate, message a friend, pray) anything that makes you feel calm do it.
Take time off. Evenings, even full days (no you’re not going to fail because you took a day off) your brain and body must recharge to work properly.
3. Use the 10-minute rule
Tell yourself:
“I’ll just revise/ start my homework for 10 minutes. If I still don’t want to do it anymore, I’ll stop.”
More often than not, once you start, your momentum will kick in. Since you’ve already started you think “eh, what’s another 10 minutes” then quickly after you’ll look at your work and it’s all done!
Once the mental barrier stopping you from starting your work is broken, this previously huge, scary task becomes a lot less scary.
