How to motivate yourself to study when the inner “I don’t want” takes over

Sign a contract with yourself

You do not need a lawyer to implement this method. You need to be honest with yourself and take a little time to think. First, think about what motivates more - reward or punishment? Once you have found the answer, follow these steps:

1. Set goals. State in writing what you want to achieve in your studies.
2. Make a plan to achieve these goals.
3. Determine the reward with which you will reward yourself after their implementation, or choose a punishment for failure to fulfill the plan.

It is important to do all this in writing and in the future for motivation to keep the agreement in a visible place. You can also tell your family and friends about it so that they know about your obligations and can help monitor their implementation.

Why are you lazy to study? Causes and solutions

In principle, such a concept as “laziness” should not be used - many modern psychologists deny it. Laziness always translates into a lack of motivation and willpower. Therefore, it is necessary to fight with them, and not with some abstract quality, which many consider to be an innate or acquired vice.

The most common reasons for reluctance to study:

1. Lack of motivation.
2. Weak willpower.
3. Procrastination.
4. Disorganization.
5. Constant failures.

These reasons are the main ones, but not the only ones. You may suffer from poor concentration, low levels of responsibility, or subconsciously seek to put yourself in difficult situations in order to try to achieve a huge victory in the fight against problems that you yourself created. However, we propose to consider the main reasons for reluctance to learn, which are relevant in 9 out of 10 cases.

Don't miss: How to get rid of fatigue, laziness, apathy and drowsiness

Lack of motivation

You don't understand why you need to study, and you don't see any real benefits from your efforts. If, in addition to this, the process itself does not arouse the slightest interest in you, then it is incredibly difficult to force yourself to do it - every time it looks like meaningless torture.

What to do:

Find motivation. Explain to yourself the real benefits of a job well done. It is advisable that the incentive is not the achievement of banal goals, but significant benefits for you. That is, an “A” on a test in itself has no meaning for you, but an “A” as an indicator of knowledge of a subject that will later be useful for entering a university or passing a state exam is a more significant motivation.

Weak willpower

The very concept of “willpower” is quite abstract and even theological. Psychotherapists are increasingly suggesting replacing “lack of will” with a state of “lack of self-control and internal discipline.” The latter consists of learning to control psychological impulses and resist temptations.

What to do:

Willpower becomes weak with insufficient development of the inner “I” and total dependence on algorithms with the least resistance, when developing automatic behavior. Other reasons for low levels of self-control are a lack of emotional energy, as well as its ineffective use. You need to start working on yourself and eliminating the causes of your lack of will.

5 effective ways to gain willpower:

1. It is better to do the most difficult tasks in the morning - start classes immediately after breakfast.
2. Learn self-compassion - praise and encourage yourself, constantly repeat: “I can do this, I will do this.”
3. Reward yourself - buy yourself something you want for successfully passing a test, go to the cinema or cafe after another “A”, allow yourself a little more pleasant things on the days of your local victories.
4. Calm yourself – in stressful moments our body goes into autopilot mode, so breathe, drink aromatic tea and calm down as often as possible.
5. Ensure healthy sleep - it will give you enough energy and strength to spend it effectively.

It wouldn't hurt to read a couple of books on developing willpower. Naturally, there is no “magic pill” in them, but you can glean a lot of interesting thoughts.

We can recommend to you the book “Willpower: Rediscovering the Most Powerful Human Ability” by R. Baumeister and John Tierney.

Procrastination

In the process of fighting this “illness”, you will understand how to start studying if you are always lazy and you constantly put things off until later. In essence, procrastination is the tendency to constantly put off things, especially important and urgent ones. Among the reasons for this condition are low self-esteem, perfectionism, a spirit of contradiction and toxic psychological attitudes (“a bird in the hand is better…”).

What to do:

There is no universal way to deal with procrastination - you will have to try all existing methods and look for the one that suits you.

The most effective techniques:

• Categorization . It is proposed to divide all matters into “important and non-urgent”, “important and urgent”, “unimportant and urgent”, “unimportant and non-urgent”. Realize the importance and urgency of all the things you do. Force yourself to put things in categories 1 and 2 first, saving time on the first two.
• Cultivating hard work . You need to learn to enjoy your studies at school or university, and also get rid of the “spirit of contradiction.” The obligation to study is not imposed on you - it is your choice. No one will shoot you for leaving your studies. Therefore, you are not “obliged” to exercise, but you “choose” to exercise – it is an act of good will.
• Time management . If you have significant problems with time planning, take up time management and start scheduling your day. Plan all the necessary things and allocate a certain amount of time for them, taking into account possible delays and rest breaks. However, you cannot start the next task until you finish the previous one. Every evening, make a schedule for tomorrow.

You also need to start distributing your efforts, leaving time for a complete breakdown. Learn not to take on more than you can handle. Start with small study loads and gradually increase them, trying to find your limit. Remember that you spend much more energy and develop psychological disorders when you leave some things unfinished.

Look for interesting things

Motivation: Pixabay
It is completely normal when you like some subjects more than others, and practical problems are more interesting than theoretical ones. Nevertheless, in every even the most boring subject you can find something interesting, says psychologist Pavel Zygmantovich.

Set yourself the following task:

• look for associations;
• rely on analogies and examples;
• pay attention to the practical application of theory.

Try to interest yourself. Perhaps you came across some incomprehensible point. Select it and ask your teacher for help. This way the material will be remembered better.

How to prevent academic burnout

If you start to notice some of the symptoms above, it's time to make a change.

Enjoy your break

If possible, take a real break from work and school, and try to rearrange your schedule to give yourself at least one day off each week.

Find time for enjoyable activities

And not just on weekends! Fill your calendar with things you enjoy doing during the week, and you'll find yourself more motivated on days that require the most of your attention on academic tasks.

Exercise

Try to exercise at least three times a week, stay hydrated, and eat healthy foods to keep your body and mind active and healthy.

Take a walk

Research has shown that time spent in nature reduces stress levels, so spend your free time outside.

Find time for social activity

Not only do friends and family provide a positive support system, but spending time in a fun social environment will make you happier and give your mind a rest.

Set reasonable goals

And stick to them—use your calendar and daily reminders to stay motivated to meet your deadlines.

Avoid procrastination

When you're feeling stressed, it's tempting to put tasks and projects aside, but this will ultimately lead to sleep deprivation, frustration, and even more stress.

Take a step back

Take a look at your educational situation as a whole. Ask yourself, have you chosen the right direction, course or program? Is there another direction you could go in that would better suit your career or interests? Maybe you just need a change of scenery?

Be consistent and constant

In learning, it is important to follow a pattern that is designed for a particular subject. It is not by chance that training programs are developed. Therefore, you should not skip over topics; it is important not to miss classes.

Consistency most quickly leads to success in learning, and it is precisely this that is the most important motivating factor. It is worth remembering that strong knowledge will always come in handy. It would not hurt to remember the statements of famous people about motivation for every day.

Motivating children to study

To motivate a child and restore his interest in learning, it is worth understanding what types of motivation there are. According to the Encyclopedia of Children's Motivation, there are several of them.

Internal and external

External motivation influences the child from the outside: parental admonitions, control by teachers, promises of reward, evaluation or punishment.

Internal motivation depends on the child himself and is based on interest, curiosity, pride and self-esteem. In another case - on a feeling of shame and expectation of punishment.

Positive and negative

Positive motivation is based on receiving a reward: moral (pride and satisfaction) or material (a good grade, affection, goodies or a gift).

Negative is based on internal dissatisfaction, shame, fear, pain, debt, excess negative feedback.

Permanent and temporary

Constant motivation is one that does not require additional reinforcement such as praise or rewards to maintain. Temporary, on the contrary, requires constant reinforcement and warming up of interest. She will disappear without regular encouragement.

As a rule, children are more focused on external motivating factors, and their interest in learning requires regular reinforcement, just like an airplane requires refueling. At the same time, internal motivation is much stronger and more stable than external motivation, and positive motivation is more promising over the long term than negative one. To form constant positive internal motivation, it is necessary to instill in the child a sense of success and show that he can easily cope with his studies.

Dream about the future

Study: Pixabay
In order to motivate yourself, focus not only on the current moment of gaining knowledge, but also on more global goals. Think:

1. Why are you studying?
2. What prospects will this open up?
3. What dreams will it help you achieve?
4. What will your life be like if you achieve all your learning goals?

A clear understanding and vision of the result will help you overcome even the most difficult path. The desired goal can be visualized, as the writer Vadim Zeland talks about, using a wish map or description, mental representation.

Celebrate every victory

If you have made a study schedule and follow it, be sure to reward yourself for strictly following it. In addition to having a global dream and goal, it is important to praise yourself for small victories and remember that each of them brings you closer to the desired success.

Let the learning process become fun and exciting, bring pleasure and joy. Encouragement will tune your mind and help you overcome internal resistance.

Why do children go to school?

We know why: to get an education, go to college, become a full-fledged member of society, etc., etc. All this is clear to us, but is it clear to a child? At what age is a conscious concept of why knowledge is needed formed? After all, you can attend classes for various reasons: under pressure, out of inertia, because everyone is learning, in order to match the environment or surpass it, in order to achieve success or avoid failure, simply because it is interesting. All these reasons are called motivations, external and internal. Not all of them are equal. The most talented will not demonstrate their full abilities if they do not want or are not interested in learning, if there is no confidence in the existence of a direct connection between study and success in life.

Extrinsic motivation : Parents need their child to learn. So they force him to do this, using the famous principle of carrots and sticks: they punish him for deuces, treat him with candy for fives. The question is - how effective is it?

Internal motivation : the child declares: “I want!” and doesn’t go to the movies with everyone else, but sits down to draw. Or read a book. Or even solve problems. The child is interested in learning new things, realizing his abilities, and overcoming difficulties. The stimulus in this case is the subject of knowledge itself - interesting and fascinating. For each one.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

Motivation during study, as in many other things, is often reduced by mistakes and failures. Reconsider this attitude to business. When you learn something new, mistakes are inevitable, because you acquire new knowledge. Consider them as experiences that you won’t repeat in the future, so you will become smarter.

Treat failures in your studies as a challenge, as if you are passing another level in a computer game and you need to do some actions several times in order to understand all the difficulties and learn to avoid them.

How to form motives for studying in graduate classes

In the graduating classes, the workload increases sharply, and classes oriented towards higher educational institutions are allocated. The old abstract messages: “a lot of money”, “a lot of knowledge” - are no longer suitable. Success is achieved by those who clearly know what they want and who made an independent, specific professional choice early on.

“In 11th grade, I decided that I would enter MGIMO. Mom and dad thought that I couldn’t do it and advised me to choose another university. But I still got in! I did it myself!” Lydia G., first year student at MGIMO.

“I wanted to finish school as quickly as possible and become independent. Now I’m studying as an evening student and earning money myself.” Tatyana K., first-year student at Moscow State University of Technology and Technology.

“My mother was a teacher. Maybe that’s why I felt my calling back in the seventh grade. At the same time, I organized patronage for the lower grades and help for those lagging behind.” Teplova O.I. Honored Teacher of the Russian Federation, two-time Soros grant winner.

Question : How to solve the problem of freedom to choose goals and school curriculum? Some objects will still be a burden, perceived as an unnecessary burden.

Psychologist : In this case, the following motive will work: these lessons need to be done in order to do what is interesting, so that they do not spoil the certificate when entering a chosen university.

Remember a healthy lifestyle

To study well, it is important to have adequate sleep and diet, and leave time in your schedule for rest. Our brain cannot work under constant stress. You shouldn’t set unrealistic goals for yourself and not rest at all. This threatens exhaustion. Cheerfulness and good mood help and motivate to study.

All these tips on how to motivate yourself to study are best used together. Start with small steps and gradually move towards a big goal with self-confidence and sincere desire.

Original article: https://www.nur.kz/family/self-realization/1591299-kak-motivirovat-sebya-uchitsya/

How to force yourself to study if everyone is lazy? TOP 10 effective ways

These methods are not shockingly new, but are extremely effective in increasing motivation and self-organization. In fact, each of them is an integral element of creating an ideal environment and gaining internal discipline for studying.

Understand your desires

It's important to do what you really enjoy. If you entered the university by inertia or outside advice, if you are trying to master subjects at a high level that are frankly disgusting to you, you will not only not be able to gain full motivation, but also become a happy person. Understand your desires and do what you really like.

Find benefits

Realize the real benefits of achieving every small task and major goal. Understand how successful study can change your life. At the same time, do not suffer from perfectionism and try not to devote your free time to just activities. They should not become an end in themselves - they should remain a tool to achieve the goal.

Come up with incentives

Reward yourself if you don't receive external rewards. Think of any affordable gift you can give yourself after achieving the goal. It could be a trip to the cinema, a beautiful pen, or even aromatic tea.

Plan your day

Try effective time management techniques. Every evening, make a schedule for the next day and plan it taking into account possible fatigue, delays and unforeseen matters. Act consistently, try to study in the morning and leave entertainment and housework for the evening.

Set up your workplace

The workplace should be comfortable - dim light, plenty of shadows, objects in the way of your elbows and unwashed cups will distract you. Be sure to keep it clean: it is important to feel comfortable when exercising; this cannot be achieved in a mess.

Get in the Right Mindset

You are not obligated to study - it is your choice and only yours. Therefore, the word “must” should be replaced with the word “I choose.” Awareness of this fact will help you free yourself from the burden of imposed activities and understand that you are doing it on your own initiative.

Achieve your goals every day

Set small goals for yourself and achieve them every day. This way you can track the progress of your progress and gain stronger motivation with each successfully completed task.

Stop being distracted

Eliminate any objects that distract you - sharp sounds, voices from open windows, social networks and even food. Don't be distracted by frequent snacking, try to follow a normal diet.

Learn to organize yourself

Create a daily routine until you realize that you have learned to do important things in a relaxed manner and leave enough time for rest. Eliminate all unimportant activities - they are just a reason for procrastination.