Staying motivated while working independently is a common challenge for anyone who is self employed, works at home, looking for work and now students. Home has traditionally been that place where you go to retreat, rest, feel safe and at peace, a sanctuary of sorts away from the stresses and strains of life. But now with work and school being brought into the home, even in part, that sanctuary has been compromised. So how do you stay motivated while studying at home? That is a good question. It is a learning experience for everyone so modification will have to be along the way.
Below is a short list of some things to try to maintain the motivation and moral while studying at home.
Studying at home tips
1. Get dressed in your “school” or “work” clothes each morning.
This seems like a no brainer, but you will be surprised how many people start to become less fussy about their appearance when they realize they do not have to leave the house first thing in the morning!
2. Eat breakfast.
Whatever your regular morning routine was when you went to school, keep it. This includes eating. Do not eat at your computer during your online class but eat before. Get that fuel and energy into you so you can be away and ready to learn and work.
3. Get up and moving.
This is such common problem with the people in an office environment, not getting up and moving enough during the day. It eventually leads to compromised posture, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, repetitive strain injuries from working at computer for long periods and so much more. Schedule in those “body breaks” every 30-45 minutes. Even if you have an online meeting, class, or lecture, stand up and move around even for 5 minutes.
4. Get out!
Yes, get out. Go outside. Get fresh air. We take for granted the benefits of fresh air, sunlight, and movement. The benefits of fresh air and sunlight are huge. There were lots of people, friends and families going for walks in the early Covid-19 days. That seems to have lessened since things have slowly started reopening. Those outdoor breaks and walks will give you a change of scenery and distance between your work and studies and your “me time”.
5. Eat meals.
It is easy to get into the habit of grazing throughout the day when you have control over your schedule. Set aside time to eat meals and separate from where you study or work. This will help create more “me time” but also provide a separation from where you study or work and where you live your life. It is too easy for the two become blended into one when you’re at home. Maintain that sanctuary. Some recipes can be found here if you’re looking for something new to try.
6. Meet up with friends, in person!
There will be many people multitasking throughout the day, socializing with people online while sitting in on online meetings and lectures or while watching videos for school. While there is an entire generation that socializes primarily online, it’s good to see people in person. Think about how often you saw people and your friends in person when you went to school or to work each day?
7. Create a workspace for yourself.
This can help in a big way. Even if you just have your own room to work with, find a corner of the room and make it your workspace. This is the space where you work, do all your online learning, homework and anything related to school or work. The rest of the space in your room is yours. Hopefully, this helps preserved that sanctuary feel of peace, rest and relaxation that your home and room had.
8. Maintain or cultivate outside activities.
With so much still not back to normal, many of the extracurricular activities that were offered at school and work socials are not necessarily being offered anymore. Sometimes we take these extracurricular activities for granted and see them as an expense, or as extra chore but they make up who we are, our lifestyle and our social life. If any of your extracurricular activities are being offered in any capacity, continue with them. If not, see what you can join. Maybe at a local gym, outdoor sports group, or league. And if there is nothing nearby, start something regular with your friends or neighbours. Something outdoors will be probably be easier to start.
9. Recharge.
Just like our electronic devices need charging when they get used excessively, we need to recharge ourselves as well. Sleep is a great way to recharge. It is easy to stay up later and later when you realize you do not have to go anywhere the next morning. But we still need sleep to recharge and be energized and ready for the next day. So, get and maintain regular sleep habits and routines.
10. Goals and reward
Set goals for yourself and aim for them. School and work will have milestones built in, e.g. test, assignments, presentations etc. But these are someone else’s goals. Make some for yourself and aim for them. Start with small goals. For example, get all your homework done by the end of the week. For every goal you make and achieve, have a reward. If you achieve your goals, reward yourself and enjoy it. If you do not make your goal have real consequences. This is hard to do because we must be honest with ourselves as to what will really be something we do not like. Maybe you can get help with the consequence from someone in your family. If you do not have this as option, try having a chore you really dislike as the consequence, like cleaning the bathroom!
Bonus: Do not be hard on yourself.
It will take time to adjust and get used to a routine that works best for you. Do not be hard on yourself it it’s taking awhile to find your “groove”. Keep trying and changing things up from time to time to keep it interesting and fun.
Eventually we will all find the right combination of “tips and tricks” to keep motivated with studying at home.
