How To Stay Motivated

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I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it can be incredibly difficult to maintain their motivation and I think it has become increasingly difficult in the situation we are in currently. Being thrown out of routine and forced to adapt quickly to in a different environment can have huge strain on students productivity and mental state. Even if this is the case, remember that it is okay not to be productive all of the time, you should never feel guilty if you need to take a break for yourself as it is so important, now more than ever to look after yourself and your mental health.

"Your productivity is not equivalent to your worth. Your worth derives from your human qualities of kindness, thoughtfulness and vulnerabilities." - @selfcare4yu

This being said, I am going to provide you with my favourite advice on how to remain motivated and how to manage your work load, whilst not getting too overwhelmed.

I for one have a brain that works at a million miles an hour and often tries to do multiple things at once. One of the things I have found incredibly helpful when trying to control my thoughts and ideas is simply by making lists! It seems like such a simple thing but it has completely changed the way that I do things. I write lists to know exactly what I have left to do and then write a smaller list of those things as goals to complete during the day. This helps to prevent me from feeling overwhelmed at any point with the work load and means I can spread my tasks out accordingly over the days; it also is very accomplishing when you can tick something off your list and that in itself makes me feel motivated to keep going.

Another thing that has helped me to stay motivated is making a habit out of a morning routine; this way you're already completing set tasks without even thinking, which will often leads to a productive day. Even by doing small tasks like making your bed when you get up and drawing your curtains, even opening the window to let fresh air in; these things may be small but are all things that can contribute to your positive outlook on the day and kickstart your motivation.

It is also important to stay active, especially when being cooped up inside like we are at the moment. It is a fact that a lack of mental motivation is often linked to a lack of physical movement; it can often be very difficult to find the energy to do any form of physical activity but even just going for a leisurely walk makes all the difference. The most important part of any task of course is starting it. If you can’t get motivated before the task, then you’ll find that motivation often comes after starting. A good morning or 'pre-game' routine starts by being so easy that you can’t say no to it; for me, I start my running/walking routine by simply putting my trainers on. After this, it motivates me to start my uni work routine which simply always starts with making a cup of tea and putting my headphones on! Such easy tasks that you can't say no to them! So, if you're physically moving and engaged, it's far more likely that you will feel mentally energised and engaged too. Hence why I try to start my day off with a walk/run or any type of workout.

Overall, the primary purpose of your 'pre-game' routine is to create a series of tasks that you always perform before doing another specific and bigger task; it tells your mind that this is what happens before you do something else, which in my case is uni work. Eventually, the routine will become so tied into your daily life that it automatically pulls your mental state into one that is primed to perform.

Ending the day day is just as important as starting it; I for one suffer from insomnia and have struggled with sleep for a long time. It is so important to get a good nights rest as ensuring you have sufficient energy levels throughout the day really helps you to focus. I have used sleep hypnosis as part of my bedtime routine for over a year now. My favourite is Michael Sealey, he has hundreds of different videos of varying lengths on YouTube and they have helped me so much to stop my mind from being so active at night, whilst allowing me to stay relaxed and get to sleep quicker. I obviously still struggle to sleep often but they mainly just ensure that I am relaxed, not overthinking and also helps to control my anxiety. If you struggle with sleep too, I would highly recommend you try this out as it has been incredibly beneficial for me.

These techniques have helped me so much and just by completing my simple tasks in the morning already makes me feel as though I have achieved something. Although starting this routine seemed like it would be hard, now that I have made a habit out of it, it's easy for me to get into a positive mindset; so don't give up!

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I hope this blog post has helped just a little in maybe providing you with a new technique to managing your work better! If you need help and advice with anything, Amelia and I are always here for support; just send us a message and we will be happy to help. We are in very challenging times and we need to look out for each other. Take care!

Millie Xx