I had trouble motivating myself to write this article. Staying motivated or not procationating is a habit that a lot of students struggle with. There are many ways to help motivate and stay on track. I’ve compiled some ideas below.
- Have a schedule – and stick to it. It could be starting the day by making your bed, showering, brushing your teeth, and other daily tasks in order. After school, grab a snack and some water, watch an episode of a show, work on homework, go to practice, have dinner, and then pack your backpack for the next day. Have a consistent routine.
- Have a friend. If you struggle with completing homework, start a virtual study group with a friend or two. Having those people to work with/have on in the background when you’re doing assignments can help keep you accountable. Surround yourself with people who have good grades and study habits. They must have some successful system that’s working out.
- Separate your school work environment and relaxation environment. Although it’s convenient to grab your computer and lay in bed but it doesn’t set you up for success. Sit at a table, spread out your school books, and set your mind to school. It’s easier to complete quality work when you’re in the right mind set.
- Write down a list of tasks you have to complete. Write down when assignments are due, test dates, sport practices/games, a reminder to do laundry, or any event that should be done in a reasonable time frame. Start with the easy stuff to get going and make it easier for yourself to complete the harder stuff.
- Exercise regularly. It’s great for mental health and physically making you feel better.
- Take a break. Go for a walk after an hour of homework, get up and get a drink of water, or pet a dog. Studies show that after a long time the brain’s productiveness decreases.
- A little bit at a time and set yourself up for success. If there’s a big task at hand that isn’t due right away, work on little chunks of it at a time. It sucks having to do all of it at once so breaking it up into doable parts is very helpful.
- Reward yourself for hard work. Once you complete the English project get some Starbucks, after an hour of studying terms for psych take time to scroll through Snap stories or other rewards that are important for you.
- Practice. Trying to self-monitor and not procrastinating takes time and requires practice. You won’t magically just start studying for 2 hours every single day right after school on the first day. It’ll take time to get into a rhythm and sometimes you’ll miss your goal but that doesn’t mean you should quit. Work hard and know that failure is inevitable.
I hope these ideas have helped. If you are struggling with workloads, reach out to your teachers, parents, and peers. If you don’t believe in yourself, find someone who does because the encouragement and mindset can be all the difference in the world.