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How to find motivation and create functional study routines?
The post was written by the guest blogger Alexandra Ohls who works as study coach at Hanken.
The last few years have been challenging for many students and when we finally started to see the light, suddenly we woke up to a reality where there is war in Europe. Our sense of security has been shaken and our ability to handle crises and worries is tested once again. As a result, the studies might feel daunting or even meaningless, or you might find yourself having difficulties concentrating.
What can you do then to find motivation and move forward with your studies?
Creating functioning study routines is one answer to this question. By creating or maintaining
routines, you will feel better and have an easier time finding motivation for your studies. Below, I
will give you some tips that have been useful for students I have met for study coaching.
Prioritise sleep
Today we know how essential sleep is for us. The American sleep researcher Robert Stickgold
describes it as follows:
“Sleep is the most productive time of our day. We get more work done when we are
sleeping than when we are awake. It’s just a different kind of work, but equally or more
important.”
What can you do if you know that you sleep too little or if your sleep rhythm has a negative effect on your studies?
- Try to create regular sleeping habits. It is often easier to fall asleep if you go to bed at about the same time every day and it will also be easier to wake if you wake up at around the same time.
- Remember that a small change can make a big difference. How would it affect you if you slept 15 minutes more per night in the coming week?
- Unwind before going to bed at night. Avoid screens if you notice that you easily get caught up in them or notice that you have more difficulty falling asleep after using screens. It can also be a good idea to avoid strenuous exercise in the hours before going to bed. Alcohol also has a negative effect on sleep quality so it may be worthwhile to try other ways to relax in the evening.
- Do not stress too much about sleep but try to provide enough room for it.
Take breaks
To maintain your energy and your concentration during the day, it is important to take breaks. When we have a lot to do, we often tend to skip the breaks because we feel that we do not have time for that and instead we push on. This is, however, counterproductive and hinders us more than it helps. Both your efficiency and your ability to concentrate will decrease if you continue working for several hours without a break.
Some tips on how you can make sure to include breaks in your study day:
- Use the pomodoro technique. Decide what you are going to work on, set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on the task until the timer goes off. Take a 5-minute break before you continue with the next 25-minute work shift. You can of course adjust both the length of the work shift and the breaks according to what suits you but remember that it is important to take breaks often enough.
- Download the Break Pro app. As a student at Hanken, you have access to the Break Pro app for free. Break Pro reminds you to take breaks and offers brief exercises that will help you maintain your energy and counteract stiffness from sitting a lot in front of the computer. There are also mindfulness exercises that you can benefit from for example if you have difficulties concentrating or feel stressed.
- Book a lunch date or a coffee break with a friend or take a walk. I also recommend that you try co-working with fellow students, it works great online as well. I am writing this text during a few “pomodoros” while co-working online with some colleagues. I enjoy having company during the breaks and knowing that the others are also working adds a little pressure to focus on my own work – win-win!
Getting started
A common challenge among students is the tendency to postpone things even when you know that it will have negative effects for you, such as a bad conscience or stress. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.
What can you do to avoid procrastination?
- See your studies as your job, you need to do it regardless of whether you feel like it or not. It is not always fun, but it usually feels much better once you get started.
- Divide larger projects into smaller parts. Working on a large project, such as your thesis or a paper, can feel overwhelming, but it will be easier if you divide it into small parts and focus on one thing at a time.
- Plan your week and set realistic goals: I will start studying at 9 every morning. This week I will study for the exam in subject X for one hour a day. On Tuesday at 10-12 I will do this week’s assignments for course Y. The clearer and more concrete and specific your plans are, the easier it is for you to stick to them.
- Test the 3-minute rule to get started. Decide that you will work on a specific task for three minutes. Three minutes is such a short time that it feels doable, and the advantage of the method is that it will help you get started. In addition, three minutes easily becomes five minutes or maybe 15 minutes and by then you are already well on your way.
- Become aware of what you have done. Have you tried to end the day by writing a “have done list” where you list everything you have done during the day, big or small? This will help you become aware of the progress you have made – no matter how small. Taking note of what you were able to do in one day can also help you make more realistic plans for the coming days and weeks.
Finally, I would like to remind you that you are welcome to book a study coaching session with me if you are struggling with your motivation or would like to improve your study routines or your everyday habits in general.
The post was written by the guest blogger Alexandra Ohls who works as study coach at Hanken.