How to Stay Motivated in College
Motivation is a tricky thing. Sometimes a lack of motivation can be a symptom of a deeper problem. Your lack of motivation may not simply be laziness coming out.
The alternatives to being motivated don’t look promising for your future, so while you’d likely prefer to be at college experiencing in-person classes, take the time to discover why you’re feeling so unmotivated.
Why You Are Feeling Unmotivated
Do you know why you are feeling quite so unmotivated? You may be feeling unmotivated for many reasons. Some of these reasons may be a mystery to you, hiding below the surface. Before going into introspective mode, consider that your lack of motivation may be due to not taking care of yourself.
As a busy and overwhelmed college student, you can easily form bad habits. Staying up far too late, napping for long hours in the evening, skipping meals, and neglecting exercise may seem like a good idea but often contribute to a lack of motivation. Before you know it, you will feel burnt out and lacking the energy needed to complete simple assignments.
Don’t let a lack of self-care be the reason you have no motivation! Be sure you are taking care of yourself in these 5 areas:
Sleeping: Having consistent and sufficient sleep is key if you want to have motivation. Keep your sleep hours as regular as possible, even if it means maintaining sleep times that make you look forty years older to your friends. Go to bed at a consistent time each night and wake at a consistent time each day. Be careful about taking long naps during the day that will throw off your sleep at night. If you do choose to nap during the day, make those naps last 20 minutes or less and keep them early in the afternoon.
Eating: Depending on how your family functions, you may have complete control over your meals. Having complete control, however, means you have to be the one to choose what to eat and when to eat. If you do not enjoy cooking, you are likely to grab the quick and easy options which incidentally are usually not the healthiest options. Try to find food options that make it easy for you to eat consistently and healthily.
Taking breaks: You read that correctly. If you are consistently pushing through to the point of exhaustion or utter frustration, you are contributing to your lack of motivation. Throughout your day you should be taking little breaks. Not only can this help keep you motivated, but it can also cause extreme productivity. Try setting a timer for 20 minutes, remove your phone and other distractions, and see how much you can get done. Afterwards, take a 5 minute break. Then try it again.
Maintaining routine: Routine sounds boring and restrictive, especially if you are someone who prefers to go with the flow. The reality is that having some routine and structure in your day will actually help you stay motivated and get things done. Try to keep your daily schedule routine throughout the weekdays. Get up, eat, exercise, watch classes, and complete homework around the same times each day.
Checking on your mental health: If you are a person prone to anxiety and depression, you especially need to be careful in these days of quarantine. While you may feel like isolating from your family, be cautious about removing contact with social connections. Be sure you are speaking kindly to yourself and being patient with yourself. Most importantly, contact medical professionals if you find yourself having suicidal thoughts. Please do not be silent if you are struggling.
What Motivates You
Understanding why you are unmotivated is only part of the puzzle. You now need to discover what activities help you to feel motivated. Every person is different when it comes to motivation. Things that motivate your parents, your siblings, or your friends may actually decrease your motivation.
Below are three things that may motivate you. Read each carefully to discover which one or ones motivate you:
Achievement: If you are more perfectionistic or type-A, you are likely motivated by achievement. Students motivated by achievement have a strong desire for excellence. They likely are students who aim for an A classes. They are often competitive with themselves and others considered to be excellent students.
Relationships: If you are socially-oriented to the neglect of schoolwork at times, you are likely motivated by relationships. Students motivated by relationships value these relationships for the sake of the relationships. They do whatever possible to preserve the relationships, even if it means neglecting their grades.
Empowering others: If you are constantly overcommitting to assist a friend or classmate, you are likely motivated by empowering others. Students motivated by empowering others work to make others feel better, be stronger, and increase their ability. They tend to value relationships for the purpose of helping others succeed.
Which one or ones describe you? Likely you are a combination of the three listed above. Below tips for finding ways to stay motivated in each category:
Staying motivated through achievement: As an achiever, you need to find little tasks that give you a sense of accomplishment each day. Choose tasks that you can easily excel and accomplish throughout the day. Forming a small checklist at the beginning of the day may help you truly feel accomplished as you check off each item. Remember to include many small, achievable tasks.
Staying motivated through relationships: As a socially-oriented person you need to find ways in which you can connect with other students and collaborate. Schedule appointments to video chat with friends. Identify others who would enjoy studying together (even if it’s over a video). Identify friends you can message throughout the day and hear back from throughout the day. Find activities (like gaming) you can do long-distance to stay connected, and don’t be afraid to be the first to reach out.
Staying motivated through empowering others: As a problem-fixer, you may have a hard time identifying people who you can help outside your home. Though you can be a tremendous help to a sibling or parent, identify peers or friends who may need assistance with their classes. Offer to lead study groups or be an accountability partner for a struggling student.
Identifying why you are unmotivated and how you can get motivated will help you make the best of taking in-person classes online. Motivation will come and go, but you can use these tips to make smart choices each day. You’ve got this!
