Dear Alex: How do I regain my motivation to do my schoolwork?

– Discouraged

Dear Discouraged:

Let me start by saying that I completely understand the challenge of feeling motivated to do anything, especially after a year of COVID-19. So many kids including myself have struggled with having the energy to work, so you are not alone. Per your request, here are some simple solutions that I find incredibly helpful for increasing your motivation to do your schoolwork.

BUY A PLANNER:
Before I owned a planner, I forgot 50% of my assignments. Depending on whatever grade you are in, having a planner is very helpful. Making one thing clear, the planner you should get is not like the ones we got in elementary school. This planner should be used to help you as a student specifically. For me, it’s an online planner. For someone else, it might be a physical booklet. For another, it might be an app on your phone. Writing everything down, making a checklist and keeping track of due dates in itself will really help you regain some of your motivation you had before COVID hit. If you have a planner on your phone, receiving notifications can be really motivating because you will be held responsible for completing those tasks to check them off in your planner. Click here to see the best recommended planners.

CHOOSE A HOMEWORK DAY:
Completing 20 assignments in one day can be daunting for anyone. It can also make you lose motivation to do them. To be honest, I’ve watched Netflix instead of doing my homework when I have 20 assignments because it seems like a lot of work. I was struggling with procrastination so I began doing a majority of my homework on one specific day. This day became my “Homework Day.” Now, every week I know that on that specific day, I have to complete all of my assignments for that week that I have not yet completed. I buckle down and complete them instead of worrying about them and waiting until they become missing assignments. This method works for me but it might not work for you. Click here for some other options for being motivated to complete your homework.

LISTEN TO MUSIC:
I think the thing that motivates me the most when doing my homework is listening to music. Whether it’s heavy metal rock or quiet jazz, listening to music can really help motivate you to complete assignments. If you are feeling distracted or discouraged, listening to your favorite band or solo artist will get you through the day.

Hopefully these suggestions will be helpful to you and help you regain your motivation to do your schoolwork. I know how challenging and draining it can be to do homework when you don’t feel like it but there are solutions like these mentioned here. With these small suggestions, hopefully you will be able to regain your motivation to succeed in school. Just take it one baby step at a time.
– Alex