At this point in the semester, a lot of students are beginning to lose motivation as life gets busier and more overwhelming. With midterms coming up, students are beginning to work on their final projects, all while juggling social lives and work, and it can be tempting to want to pause everything when things get to be too much. However, being in school means you’re working towards your end goals, so refreshing how you’re handling the rest of the semester can help to make sure you’re meeting your long term goals. Having motivation helps one to cope with challenges, change their habits, work towards their goals, and learn to solve problems. Reinventing or altering one’s daily or long term approach or changing small habits can help maintain one’s motivation for the remainder of the semester.
1. What Were Your Beginning of the Year Goals?
Did you have goals to stay on top of your work? To get up early to do yoga before you start your day? To go to bed earlier? Or even to read that book that’s been on your bedside table since forever? It isn’t too hard to start these goals now, or even pick them up again if you did try them out. Reintroducing goals such as these, which usually symbolise the start of the new school year, can help you to pick up that old motivation you had at the beginning of the year by having that excitement of putting something new into your day.
2. Change It Up
If your typical day to day routine isn’t working with you, then change it! I feel like there is this misconception that, if it is the middle of the semester, then it is too late to start new habits or change existing ones, however, it certainly is not. Changing and doing what works better for you can help you spark the motivation you have been looking for. Completing your least favorite task first, trying out a new coffee shop to work in, waking up earlier, or scheduling a particular day in a week to try a new activity away from work – all of these can help you reinvent your motivation to keep going.
3. Reflect
Reflecting can be a great step to take when tackling stress. Making vision boards can be a great way to reset your motivation and remind yourself what you are working towards. Print out photos, get some magazines, markers and a piece of paper or poster board and go wild with it! You can even make a fun night out of it with friends. Just spend this opportunity as a break to get as creative as you can be and really reflect.
4. Schedule in Self-Care
It is important to schedule schoolwork, so you are staying on top of your tasks, however, when making your schedule, include self-care in it. It can be a whole day event like going to a museum or exploring a new part of the city, or even a small event in your day such as going on a walk or grabbing coffee. Self-care is often put as a last priority, but it allows you time to remember why you like working so hard, and lets you continue to reflect.
5. Celebrate your Accomplishments
As it is the middle of the semester, it’s so important to celebrate how far you have come. For many of us Canadian students, it’s our first year back on campus in so long. So, it’s important to remember all the hurdles we have had to overcome, and the efforts we have made. Reward yourself by taking yourself out or treating yourself to an item you have been wanting.