All college students eventually reach a breaking point, where their to-do lists are infinite and their hopes of getting all of their homework done start to dwindle. There may be no magic word that makes you motivated enough to sit down and write a 10-page paper, but there is a temporary cure for lack of motivation.
Going to the gym is more than just working towards a physical goal. Although the incentive for most people to go to the gym is to look better, there are an abundance of reasons why the gym can save your happiness and your overall sanity, especially when it feels like there’s no hope of ever being able to relax again. Sure, physical goals are important too – look good, feel good, right? However, the feeling that you can get from doing even the most basic physical activity at the gym can put you in the mood to get sh*t done and feel like you might be able to act like a productive human being after all.
When endorphins kick in, so does the motivation to take on the world. Taking on the world might simply consist of writing a paper or studying for a test, but it is one step closer to bettering yourself as well as your self-esteem. As little as 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill can get your blood flowing, your endorphins buzzing and your happiness increasing. Once you get into a routine of going to the gym, you are motivated to get into a routine for other activities, too, like doing your homework at a specific time every day or going to bed at a reasonable hour. Going to the gym is that first domino in a long line of positive effects.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I have never gone to the gym a day in my life and I’m not going to let this random college kid on the internet tell me otherwise.” If you’re that person, then have no fear – there are other things you can do to release endorphins that don’t involve running on a treadmill. Any physical activity is a step in the right direction. Have a bike? Go for a ride! Is it too cold for a bike ride? Get on Pinterest and find a good yoga video! There’s no excuse for not being able to do a physical activity at least once a day.
It is true that during that one hour at the gym there are probably a million other things that you could be doing. In which case, I say the more endorphins you release in your brain, the more composed you are to get more work done for longer periods of time. So don’t be afraid to take the time to work on yourself and on your happiness before working on an endless pile of homework. You might be surprised by how less torturous it is.