Hey everyone. How are you doing? I mean really? It’s been so long since the lockdown started and I mentioned in my previous post (on how to create a good learning space at home) that, as I’m homeschooling my children, I’m always thinking about how I can stay motivated.
Studying while you’re at home can be really difficult as there are so many distractions – your favourite shows on Netflix, catch-up TV on BBC iPlayer and if you’re in my boat, there’s usually a little person wanting something on demand – haha.
So today, I wanted to talk about motivation a bit more because it’s the one thing that I’m lacking some days and if you’re feeling the same way, I’m hoping to give you a few pointers.
I’ve figured out that staying motivated at home isn’t just about creating the right learning space to help us stay on track, but there are other factors too.
First thing is getting rid of distractions, and I don’t mean locking the kids in a room for the day with a constant supply of bread and water! Seriously, if you’re having to choose between your binge-worthy watchlist on Netflix or your laptop, don’t turn the TV on. If it’s a question of going on social media or typing up your next assignment, fight the feeling and put your phone in another room for a few hours.
Okay, so if you’ve got rid of the distractions for now, good, but these things can act as rewards when your work is done. There’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself. In fact, sometimes I give myself 30 minutes to an hour to complete a task and then I know I can sit and enjoy the rest of my evening in front of my favourite TV shows, and it’s the best of both worlds then, isn’t it?!
I mentioned in my previous post that studying has to be intentional – and I stand by it. Set yourself some small achievable tasks rather than trying to bite off more than you can chew. I’ve made it my priority to chip away a little at a time because I know I’m facing a mountain of work and the mountain can seem impossible to climb.
Don’t procrastinate! It’s been so easy for me to put off doing tasks that are a bit more complex than some of the others. To help you get into the flow of things, try doing the tasks that you can do and then follow up with the more complex tasks. At least then you’ll be in study mode and will have the drive to tackle it.
Make good use of online resources too, that’s definitely helping me along the way. Some of the people on my course have been keeping in contact through WhatsApp and helping each other so if you have support, great, or if you’re able to help others in the same position, then do.
There’s nothing quite as motivating as a cheeky little bedside snack – haha. If you’re like me, snacking while I’m working can definitely provide a good ‘pick me up’ to get me through my studies – healthy snacks of course 🙂
For me, I know what I’m working towards so I often remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing, and that too is my motivation.
Happy studying!
SBS