How To Motivate Yourself To Study (Proven Results!)

Need to study but don’t feel like it?

Don’t know how you’re going to pass this exam because you literally don’t have it in you to study?

Yea, I get it.

That’s why I made a sure-fire guide on how to motivate yourself to study when you’re tired. No bs. No fluff.

So let’s get right into it because you need to get to studying after this.

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How To Motivate Yourself To Study

1. Just Do It

I’m sorry to disappoint some of you, but there is no secret recipe to feeling motivated, and I don’t think it’s right to lie to you either.

The only way for you to feel motivated is to move.

Remember this: Movement = Motivation

Everyone has moments where they feel super motivated and other moments when they don’t feel it at all, even the most driven and motivated people you know.

The “trick” is, you just do it.

Movement creates motivation, not the other way around. A lot of people think it’s the other way around but it’s not.

When you start to move or do something, you will feel motivated, and the more you do it, the more motivated you will be.

Get up, and go to the library. Read one page in the book you need to study. Write one flashcard. Rewrite one definition you need to remember. Just do something.

Tips On How To Motivate Yourself When You Are Tired

So now that we know what motivation really looks like let me give you some tips on how to motivate yourself to study when you are tired.

This saved me, and many others, through most of school and any other goals I’ve set out to achieve. It is science-backed.

1. Start Off Small

If you don’t do any other tip from this list, make sure you do this one.

When you don’t feel like doing something, always start off small. This will do two things:

It’ll make you more likely to do it because your mind is like “Oh that’s not that bad”
You’ll be more likely to finish the task because movement = motivation

Read one page of the book you need to read. Study one flashcard. Write one sentence. It sounds counterproductive at first, but I’m telling you this works like a charm.

2. Go To A Space Where You Can Focus

This may be a quiet space like a library or your room or a shared space like a study group.

Some people prefer to be somewhere quiet and other people prefer to study in a group. Whichever one will help you focus better, do that.

For me, I always studied better in a study group because one, it helped me stay on task and two it helped me if I got stuck on a question.

If you’re the kind of person to get distracted and off task in a study group, then don’t do a study group.

how to motivate yourself to study when depressed

3. Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To

Giving myself something small to look forward to always helped me when I didn’t feel like studying.

Bad habits don’t count for this one, though, because that’s reinforcing something bad in your life. Bad habits aren’t something to look forward to; they’re ruining your life.

Try to make it something at least semi-healthy.

Your favorite meal or restaurant
Your favorite snack or dessert
Watching a new episode

Anything that makes your mind go “Oooo I can’t wait for this” so that way you will be more likely to do what you need to do and have something fun at the end.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

4. Remind Yourself How Important This Is

Lastly, you need to remind yourself how important this is.

If nothing else on this list works (I doubt that will happen and if it doesn’t then contact me so we can get to the bottom of this), then at least kindly remind yourself how important said test, quiz, exam, etc is important to you.

Sometimes a simple reminder and reality check is all you need (for some people).

How To Get Discipline To Study

1. Put Your Feelings To The Side

Feelings need to be put to the side because they don’t matter for the time being. Your feelings are irrelevant when you have something to get done.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like doing it.

This is about what you need to get done, not what you feel like getting done, so for right now, put all feelings to the side.

No whining. No complaining. Just get it done.

Do one small thing and then go from there.

2. Get A Blank Notebook Specifically For This Subject

A blank notebook will help create a better structure because this specific notebook is for this specific subject, and each time you pick that notebook up it’s a physical reminder for your mind to get into that mode of studying.

3. Write Down Your Tasks

Get a blank piece of paper
Title the top whatever it is you’re focusing on “1st Semester Projects” or “Biology 101 Exam” whatever
Write down every single task/project you need to get done
Write down the due date for each task/project next to it

4. Break Down Each Task

After you’ve written down all of your tasks for that class, semester, exam, etc, break down each task (one task at a time) into small manageable tasks.

Keep breaking that task down until it’s so small and manageable you’re like “I can do that right now”.

Once you finish breaking down the first big task into smaller tasks, continue on to the next task and break that one down.

Keep going until you’ve broken all of your big tasks down.

Smaller tasks are much better than bigger tasks because they’re not as overwhelming and you’re more likely to do them.

Note: If you find that one of your bigger tasks is not possible to be broken down, then leave it and keep moving forward.

Go back and do it if you can, if not then whatever.

5. Determine

Determine how you are going to break those tasks down throughout the semester or how much ever time you have until your project/exam is due.

If you only have 30 days until that project is due, then plan out how you’re going to tackle those smaller tasks you just broke down in 30 days.

If you have 60 days until your project is due, then do 60 days, or how many every days is best for you.

Assign at least 3 small tasks per day.

Day 1 – write down your top 3 priorities and do it – no excuses
Day 2 – write down your top 3 priorities and do it – no excuses
Day 3 – write down your top 3 priorities and do it – no excuses

6. Set A Time Each Day And Do It

Set a specific time each day to study this specific subject and stick to it every single day, no excuses.

It’s okay if something random pops up in your day and you have to shift your schedule, that’s fine.

But as much as it is in your control, each day, make sure it’s around the same time every single day.

This will help you lock in that habit.

Be flexible enough to have “life things” (for ex an emergency) come up but also be rigid enough to have iron-clad discipline, balance.

Don’t fall to pieces if something pops up, but do hold yourself accountable and make sure you get this study session done every day at least once a day around the time you set.

7. Get Rid Of All Distractions

Lastly, you need to get rid of ALL distractions.

Put your phone in another room. Go where there are little to no temptations.

Let your friends/boyfriend/family know you’ll text them later and put your phone in a different room, or if you’re in public put your phone in your bookbag, and get to work.

No distractions. No excuses.

Conclusion On How To Motivate Yourself To Study

Learning how to motivate yourself to study when you’re tired is a lot more simple than some people think.

Again, there is no secret recipe to being motivated all the time. It is simply a matter of doing, or not doing.

Even the most motivated people you’ve ever seen, do not feel motivated all the time. They just take action, consistently, even on the days they don’t feel like it.

So, no you’re not a failure because you don’t feel motivated, and no not all hope is lost either.

You will gain the energy to study because movement creates motivation, not the other way around.

And even if you don’t gain the energy to study, you will still do it because you have enough discipline to do so.

All that being said, thank you for reading, let me know in the comments what class you’re studying for, and make sure you don’t keep scrolling after this because you need to get to it!

Peace out

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