Just when you were getting used to the sweet relaxation of Thanksgiving break- BAM! Back to school! And, with only a few weeks left in the semester, it’s a major grind time.
Unfortunately, some evil combination of the short days, dreary weather, daunting amount of work, and being right smack in the middle of the holiday season, it’s also a major slump time for a lot of us. Here’s a few tips to keep you motivated all the way through finals:
1. Break big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones
No one is going to be motivated to write a whole lab report. Writing the introduction, though, that seems doable. Then the next section, then the next, until *ta-da!* you’re done! Same goes for studying for finals- don’t try to motivate to study an entire semester worth of material all at once. Studying one unit at a time is way less daunting and much more likely to actually happen!
2. Take breaks, both as rewards and sanity savers
You are NOT the Energizer Bunny! You cannot just keep going endlessly! Taking breaks is key to not getting burnt out, plus knowing that a break is coming soon can make doing work less miserable! A lot of people find it beneficial to take a short break (Facebook check, coffee refill, etc) every 30-45 minutes and a longer one (workout, one episode of a show, etc) every few hours.3. Don’t let motivation define your work
Let’s be real: sometimes motivation just ain’t gonna happen. Sometimes you have to just sit down and grind out an assignment even if it is the last thing you want to be doing. Working doesn’t need to be pretty and you don’t always have to have some profound motivation about getting the most from your education. Sometimes, the grind means a messy bun, big hoodie, large coffee, and doing the work just so you don’t fail the class. As long as it gets done, who cares!
Now close this tab and get started on whatever it is that you’re procrastinating! You got this!!