Seeing a Dip in Motivation? Ace Your Semester Finals With These Motivation Tips.

It's the end of the year, and motivation is running low. 

You're not alone - this time of year is tough for everyone. Between the cold weather and the busy holiday schedule, it's tough to stay motivated. 

But there are some things you can do to help yourself- and your kids- stay on track.

Your first step? Recognizing that dips in motivation are totally normal. Everyone experiences them from time to time - which is something we’ll address in more detail below.

Just because you’re feeling low, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent (or that your child is a bad student). 

While there are ways you can try to boost your motivation (or your child’s motivation), sometimes, the reality is that it’s just not going to be there. 

And that’s okay! You can still help your child succeed regardless. Here’s what you need to know.

What Causes Dips in Motivation?

At some point or another, we have all experienced a dip in motivation. 

Whether it's because of a change in circumstances, like a pandemic, or just something that happens naturally over time, dips in motivation are totally normal. The important thing is to recognize when they happen and to take steps to fix them. 

One of the most common causes of dips in motivation is a change in circumstances. For example, if you've been learning remotely at home for months and suddenly have to go back to the classroom, that can be a big adjustment. 

Even something as uncontrollable as hormone fluctuations can cause dips in motivation, as this can lead to feelings of lethargy and low energy; both of these can make it hard to stay motivated. 

Of course, it can be tough to find the motivation to work on something that doesn’t interest us - or something that’s challenging, too. It may be much more difficult to encourage your child to work on his mathematics homework if he’s just not interested in the subject. 

Finally, this time of year, it’s not uncommon to see dips in academic motivation because there is much more motivation in other areas of life. 

We’re all socially motivated to spend time with family and friends (doing fun activities!) during the holidays. With the school break just around the corner, it might be hard to stay focused on the task at hand (like studying for an exam). 

How to Be More Effective With Your Study Routine - Even When You’re Lacking Motivation

It happens to the best of us. You sit down to study, but you just can't focus. Your mind wanders, and before you know it, you've wasted an hour scrolling through social media or watching TV. If this sounds familiar, don't worry. 

You can get back on track with these tips for being more effective with your study routine - even when you or your child is lacking the motivation to do so. 

Set a Timer

One of the easiest ways to procrastinate is to tell yourself that you'll study 'just a little bit.' But then 'just a little bit' turns into an hour or two, and before you know it, it's time for bed, and you haven't accomplished anything. 

To avoid this scenario, set a timer for the amount of time that you want to study and commit to working until the timer goes off. This will help keep you on track and focused on the task at hand. 

Take Breaks

You might think that taking breaks will make procrastinating easier, but that's not the case. In fact, studies have shown that taking brief breaks every 20 minutes or so can actually help improve your focus and concentration. 

So, if your child is struggling to stay on task, set a timer for 20 minutes and work until it goes off. 

Then, have them get up and walk around for a few minutes before sitting back down to continue working. Repeat this process until the study session is finished. 

Work Smarter, Not Harder 

With such a significant portion of students feeling bogged down by homework, it's no wonder that many simply give up and don't even bother trying. However, there are ways to help your child be more effective with his study routine, even when he is lacking motivation. 

One of the best ways is to set mini-goals.

Mini goals are small, attainable goals that your child can set for himself in order to complete his homework in a more efficient and effective manner. In fact, studies have shown that the brain enjoys a boost in dopamine by accomplishing even the tiniest of tasks. So start small! 

For example, rather than telling himself, he needs to finish all of his math homework in one sitting, your child can set a goal of completing five math problems every 20 minutes.

Or rather than saying he will study for his history test for two hours straight, he can set a goal of reading one chapter of his textbook and then taking a five-minute break. Breaking down the overall task into smaller chunks makes it seem less daunting and helps your child stay on track.

Plan Ahead - and Start Planning Early 

One of the best ways to help your child (or yourself) be more effective with studies is to plan ahead. This means creating a schedule or routine and sticking to it. 

Sit down with your child and figure out when would be the best time for him to study. Maybe he works best in the morning, right after school, or even at night before bed. Once you've figured out a time that works best for him, try to stick to it as much as possible. 

It’s smart to start planning for a big exam - like finals - long before the date of the test actually arrives. This will allow your child to work on bite-sized chunks of studying leading up to the test, which serves two purposes. One, it reduces the workload immediately before the test, and two, it actually helps your child’s brain retain the information a bit better. 

To that end, another important part of planning is setting goals. Help your child break down his material into smaller goals that he can accomplish over time. This will help him feel more motivated because he can see himself making progress. Each time he completes a goal, he'll be one step closer to mastering the material. 

This all goes along with the idea of "spaced practice." This means spreading out studying over a period of time instead of trying to cram everything in the right before a test or exam. 

When we try to cram, we often forget what we've studied because we haven't given our brains enough time to process the information. Spaced practice helps prevent this by allowing our brains some time between study sessions to process what we've learned. 

Take Steps to Limit Your Anxiety

There’s a lot of pressure on kids to do well in school, and it shows. Especially in girls, but in all kids who feel pressure to go above and beyond, anxiety can cause damaging physical, mental, and emotional systems that harm the motivation and make it tough to get anything done. 

While the study linked above references girls, in particular, it’s important to note that anxiety can be harmful to any child. Therefore, it’s important to understand its underlying causes and take time to address them.

Some kids believe that they need to go 110% in all classes because that’s what it takes to be a good student. That might be true even if they already have good grades. 

Later in this post, we’ll give you some information on how you can encourage your child to be more “energy efficient” in their studies. But for now, understanding the damaging impacts of anxiety may help you find your own motivation when it comes to helping your child relax a bit about their academics.

If your child is anxious about grades, encourage them to set realistic goals. One bad grade will not ruin an entire academic career. Talk to your child’s teachers about the anxiety, as they may be able to offer helpful advice and encourage your child to break work down into smaller chunks.

Of course, taking time to rest and relax is important when it comes to reducing anxiety, too. 

Make Lasting Connections 

As any student knows, studying for exams can be a daunting task. There is a lot of material to cover, and it can be difficult to know where to start. One approach that can be helpful is to focus on making connections between ideas.

Rather than simply memorizing definitions, try to understand how the concepts fit together. Then, test your knowledge by closing the class materials and seeing if you can recall the information on your own. 

This method of study may take more time upfront, but it will pay off in the long run when you are able to better retain the information come exam time.

Be “Energy Efficient”

If your child is feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do at school, it’s not surprising. It can be tough to manage time and energy when there are multiple classes and extracurricular activities. 

But just like we focus on being more energy-efficient in our cars and in our homes, we can also be more energy efficient at school. 

Being energy efficient simply means using your time and energy wisely. For example, if you have a class that you're doing well in and doesn't require a lot of effort, don't spend too much time on it. Instead, focus your efforts on the classes that need more attention. This will help you stay on top of your work without feeling overwhelmed. 

When studying, start with the hardest class first. Getting the most challenging class out of the way first will give your child a sense of accomplishment and boost your confidence for the rest of the day.  Once they've finished one class, take a few minutes to relax before starting the next one. This will help them clear their head and refocus their energy.

Final Thoughts

If your child has been struggling with motivation, don’t despair. There are plenty of simple steps you can take to help him, or her get back on track - even when the holidays are right around the corner.