Over the last year, students have been adjusting to online school and the new challenges that come with it. While we’ve had plenty of time to adjust to this new style of learning, we still struggle to stay motivated during these difficult times and often lose focus.
Because of this, here are six ways to help you stay motivated while learning online that will not only benefit you in school, but also with other aspects of your life.
- Stick to a Routine
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Even if it doesn’t seem like much, sticking to a routine is something that can have a huge impact on staying focused and creating a good work ethic. This doesn’t mean that each day has to follow the same pattern. However, simple things such as maintaining a consistent sleep and academic schedule help you stay focused when you feel lost or overwhelmed.
- Go outside or be active for at least twenty minutes a day
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For most of us, online classes mean we rarely leave our bedrooms. However, as nice as it is to have an occasional lazy day, it’s still important to move your body. Even a brief walk outside can work wonders for your motivation and wellness. If going outside isn’t an option, standing up and stretching helps just as much. As long as you move your body, you will do yourself a favor and feel better.
- Don’t do homework in bed
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I know how easy it is to wake up, grab your laptop, and do your homework or have Zoom meetings in bed, but trust me, don’t. Try to create a space specifically for school, whether that’s at your desk or a corner in your room. When we do homework in bed, we’re more likely to train our brains that when we’re in bed, we should be working. As a result, it’s harder to fall asleep at night. It also helps you stay on task and motivated to do work when you’re in your designated workspace rather than your bed.
- Eat actual meals instead of snacking all day
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This might not seem like something that can help you stay focused with school, but our bodies need good nutrition to get us through the day and to help us stay on task. When you’re at home all day, it’s easy to snack throughout the day and not make breakfast or lunch. Even making a bowl of cereal or a sandwich for lunch is better than snacking on junk food all day. A healthy mind requires a healthy body, and good nutrition is one of the best ways to help.
- Set goals for the day
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Setting daily goals helps you feel like you’ve accomplished something, even if it’s simple tasks like making your bed or finishing an assignment. Being able to check off a task or goal for the day helps to keep you motivated and feel like you’re accomplishing things rather than being stuck or stagnant.
- Remember the end goal
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It sounds cheesy, but remembering your end goal is a great way to stay motivated and on top of things. We often feel as if we haven’t progressed, and this can cause us to feel demotivated. Remembering the “why” is something we often forget to do, and we get sidetracked from our end goal. If we can remember our “why” and what our end goal is, we can stay motivated during the difficult challenges we face with online school and other aspects of our life.
Each of these tasks can help with staying academically motivated and being able to face our other daily challenges. They are simple but beneficial in the long run.