This is How To Motivate Yourself To Study Even When You Are Tired

This is How To Motivate Yourself To Study Even When You Are Tired

“Haaah! I’m tired and I have this assessment coming up soon. I need to study. What do I do?” If you are in this kind of situation, don’t fret, I have come up with different ways to motivate yourself to study even when everything seems not right – with you or within your environment.

Tiredness could be a result of stress or weather condition. This article seeks to tell you ways you can motivate yourself to study even when you are tired. Let’s dive into it!

14 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Study Even When Tired

1. Set Goals and be Mindful of Them

Setting a goal is one of the ways to motivate you to study. This is very important whenever you want to achieve anything meaningful in life. Before you even begin to read, you must have something at stake or there must be a reason why you need to study in the first place. Now that’s your goal. Tell yourself “I’m on an important journey and I can’t afford to back down at this moment”.

Even though you are tired, when you remember your set goal(s) – say your examination is coming up in a few weeks and you need to pass, or you have a presentation, seminar, workshop, or even a lecture to make on something in a few days, you will surely rise and pick up that book.

2. Want to Motivate Yourself to Study, Try Taking a Shower or Bath

Taking a shower or bathing after a stressful day is one of the ways to motivate yourself to study. This may sound funny to you, but it isn’t to me and anyone who has tried it. Freshening up has a special way of relieving you of the stress you feel. According to research, taking a shower or a hot bath can help us feel better about ourselves.

After a stressful day, take a nice warm shower and try to relax, as it’s known that when we feel better physically, we get more confident in ourselves, the more convinced we are up to the challenges ahead.

Also, I suggest you quickly look at how a hot bath can clean off a day’s stress here.

Whenever you are tired but still need to study, don’t hesitate. Just take a shower!

3. Set a Reward for Yourself

Sounds childish right? Ok fine. Consider this scenario and then we’ll see if you still feel the same:

Fatima – a customer care agent in an establishment, needed to study for an examination which she hasn’t prepared for it well the following day, but she was tired because of work. She needed rest but can’t because of what’s at stake. She recently caught her husband in an act of infidelity which hurt her so much. He has been apologizing for weeks since the incident but never did she forgive him, though deep down, she wants to so peace could reign in the family. To motivate herself, she decided “I will forgive my husband if I pass my examination”. That was all it took. She passed her exams and her family is back to normal!

Everyone wants to be appreciated when they do something good. That was her way of rewarding herself.

Do you still see it as childish? I bet NO!

4. Breakdown the Material

I remember one time during my days in the university; I had a big material on Geomorphology to study – the kind that will scare an average student. So, I kept on worrying and thinking of how to go about studying the material. Behold! I got found the way. It was like a voice came down from the sky and said to me “break down that material into chunks” which I did. Since then, I hardly get scared of studying, no matter how voluminous the material is.

You can also do that. I understand the situation where one is tired but still has to study because of a test, examination, and the likes. Trust me, I have been there. But not to worry, just try and break that material into smaller units so that reading and comprehending the content becomes less tasking, and doesn’t scare you.

You may decide to pick topic by topic or chapter by chapter. Just remember that your choice should be strictly related to your intellectual ability.

5. Study Bit By Bit

One of the ways to motivate yourself to study is by studying the material bit by bit. Because you are already tired, you will most definitely feel lazy to read even though you know you have to study because of the situation at hand, do not go for the entire material at a blow. You should consider reading item by item or paragraph by paragraph – whichever one works for you at the moment.

By so doing, you won’t be bored and at the same time, you are on the course of achieving your goals. As they say, “slow and steady wins the race”.

6. Get an Active Study Friend

Having an active study friend could go a long way in motivating you to study when you are tired. They could be messiahs depending on how keen they are to studying. They are those kinds of people that they not only love to read but have a passion for it. I bet you can’t be relaxed or lazy when you have such friends around you. Attend tutorials together, or have group discussions on the subject matter.

They are those kinds of friends that set your butt on fire to enable you to get to space regardless of how tired you are.

If you don’t have one, get one now!

7. Remind Yourself That It Won’t Last Forever

One of the ways to motivate yourself to study when tired is by telling yourself “this shit ain’t gonna last forever”. Of course, no study lasts forever, there is surely a time when it will come to an end. That’s what you should be looking at, not the stress.

This has helped me a lot, and I strongly believe it will help you too.

8. Setting a Timer or Reminder

Setting a timer as one of the ways to motivate yourself to study, is very important. Here, you don’t need to purchase expensive timers to be able to achieve this, your mobile phone can do. Unlock that phone, set the alarm on a desirable time, then relax on your comfy bed, chair, couch, or maybe sleep.

Since you are tired, I suggest you take a nap, then wake up to the alarm you set. This way, you get to study and study well without much stress.

9. Get Something to Eat or Chew

As funny as it may look or sound, getting something to eat or chew can help you get motivated to study when you are tired or sleepy. I have tried that, times without a number. A university friend of mine is like that; she made it a habit because it always works for her, whether she’s tired or not.

Oftentimes, tiredness has a tendency of making one sleepy, but by eating (popcorn, chin chin, peanuts, etc.) or chewing (chewing gum), you are hindering yourself from sleeping by keeping yourself busy – busy in a sweet way.

This will definitely motivate you to study.

10. Start from the Simple to the Complex

Let’s say, for instance, you have five materials to study for an examination. It will be in your best interest to start with topics or materials that are easy to understand, from there, you can graduate to a more difficult one. Perhaps, the simple topics or materials have a link to the more complex ones. This will give you an added advantage.

By so doing, you won’t feel the stress or tiredness because you know you are starting from easy to complex. Surely, this is one of the ways to motivate yourself to read.

11. Stay Away from Distractions

Do away with anything that can cause any form of distraction to you. You will have to make sure that you are fully focused else, negativity will set in. Make sure the environment is quiet if you want it that way, no televisions playing, no ‘clingy’ wife or husband, video game, etc. Ensure you have a clean environment free from anything capable of distracting you. This is one of the sure ways to motivate yourself to study.

12. Repeating One Thing or a Few Things

One of the fastest ways of retaining or being able to recall something is when you say it over and over again. Not to worry, it won’t be bothersome because you have only a thing or a few things to be repeating.

You could just pick up the material, determine the point where you want to study – like a terminology definition, keep repeating it while still with the material. The moment it sticks to your brain, drop the material and continue memorizing by repeating. By so doing, you are studying and relaxing. Isn’t that great?

13. Want to Be Motivated to Study, Try Sleeping

Sleeping has a way of taking off the stress and tiredness in you. You may not have enough time to do so because you have some studying to do, but believe me, no matter how little the time you set for yourself to sleep, it will be worthwhile.

The moment you wake up, you will have enough energy to deal with the situation at hand – studying.

14. Have Someone Worthy of Competing With

If you are a student, there may be probably someone you fully acknowledge they are better than you academically in your class, or if you are a lecturer, teacher, or an instructor, there is someone whom you know is better than you in whatever it is that you do or whom you are looking up to.

If you have that kind of people around you, healthily compete with them. You may be tired and/or bored or sleepy, but by just reminding yourself ‘I have someone I need to beat’, you surely will get motivated to study.

Do you want to be motivated? Have a worthy competitor!

Conclusion

Studying can be hard most especially when you are tired. I have firsthand experience. Sometimes, they become so necessary that you have to study in that kind of situation. Since that’s the case, you should have some techniques or ways which you should use to motivate you to study.

I have compiled these for you, try and use them in the best possible ways you can and wait to achieve success.

If this article is of help to you, kindly leave a comment for me in the comments section. Do you think I left out some points? Please share with us all. You could also tell us how you overcame your situation. Thank you.

You should also read these ways to Improve Your Self-Confidence with These 6 Proven Tips

Improve Your Memory and Retention Capabilities with These 10 Tips

Improve Your Memory and Retention Capabilities with These 10 Tips

I was a skilled crammer who could retain thousands of words at the same in my brain and recite them all without omitting a single word. Great!  Was the compliments that kept trolling in and at that instance, I felt like a genius. However, something was off. I discovered that once the aim of my cramming was accomplished, a few days later I wouldn’t be able to recall the things I claimed to have read. This method of reading gained a negative effect on my memory, academic, career, and everyday life. Hence, I went on a quest on how to improve memory retention without cramming.

However, cramming has its advantages, but they are short-term, with lots of disadvantages. Moreover, instead of cramming try understanding and applying the steps on how to improve memory retention which I will share in this post.

How To Improve Your Memory And Retention capabilities

1. Mnemonic Methods Helps Improve Retention Ability

These are techniques used in remembering things easily, includes Personal interpretation: Create your abbreviation for information and ideas you want to retain permanently in your memory. Perhaps, you can be more creative by changing them into songs. For instance, I read a cookbook guide on how to bake a cake. I needed a way of remembering the major ingredients needed, so, I made my abbreviation as follows; FEBS which means F=flour/flavour, E= eggs, B=butter, and S=sugar/salt. Trust me, it works like magic you should try it out.

Connect them with real-life experience: Most times people find it so hard to retain things for a long time because they only read words and information as fiction. To enhance your memory capability always relate things to real-life experience which has happened to you or someone else.

Restructuring: This implies that you group similar words and information, to avoid mixing up ideas in your memory. Also, break words down into similar categories to aid your remembrance and don’t crowd your brain with unnecessary information.

2. Focus Enhances Memory Capability

Do you want to master how to improve memory retention? If yes, avoid multitasking your brain when reading stuff you hope to remember forever. Learn to set your attention to one thing at a time and ensure you have understood it properly before hopping onto another.

Eric Phillips once said “Learning how to rein in your thoughts and focus is going to help you to achieve your goals in life. Without focus, you can never achieve anything. Hence, to improve your retention ability become more focused.

3. Visualizing The Concepts Fast Tracks Memory Retention

When learning about something new get your imaginative faculty at work and exercise them in picturing what you have just read. It’s easier to recall images of things no matter how long it might have happened.

4. To Improve Your Retention Ability Continuously Engage in Repetition

Repetition is another step on how to improve memory retention and shouldn’t be like cramming. The more you read words over and over again your brain becomes conversant with those words. Oftentimes unconsciously they begin to reply to your remembrance without struggling to recall.

5. Healthy Diet Boost Your Assimilation Ability

Medically, nutritional diets help enhance memory retention. Such as beans, tomatoes, blueberries, milk, oily fish (contains omega-3 fatty acid), Seeds, and nuts (walnut, peanut, almond). Click here to learn more about food to avoid.

6. Exercise and Rest More Often to Increase Your Retention Ability

This step might sound ridiculous to some people, but it works. Regular exercise helps to keep the brain alert and sensitive to new incoming knowledge. Likewise, rest eases the stress from the body including the brain. Both combined are effective tactics to combat forgetfulness irrespective of your age.

7. Avoid Certain Medication That Hampers Memory Retention

There are drugs that, when taken, reduce the retention capability of the brain and affect its reasoning. They include Quazepam for anxiety, clomipramine for depression, hydrocodone, and hard-drugs like marijuana, and lots more

8. To Enhance Your Memory Enjoy The Act of Meditation

Always keep your mind fixed on that which you intend to remember and dwell on it for a long time. This exercise helps you study and understand that phenomenon. As you fix your mind one fact at a time your brain adapts as you continue.

9. Reading Out Loud Improves Retention Ability

Oftentimes, the human brain seems to understand what is being read but in a real sense, we communicate what we want to the brain not what is written. Hence, there can be the omission of words, but when you read-out-loud you become conscious of every word as you come across them.

10. Taking Short Notes Helps to Active Your Brain Retention Ability

Reading directly from a book or the internet is bulky and large for the brain to assimilate all at a time. Instead of forcing yourself, make short notes on what you need to understand. Do you know that writing also boosts your retention capabilities? As you write your brain becomes familiarized with what is taken down.

Conclusion

Age is not a factor when it comes to improving memory retention. The more you practice the steps listed above you expand the speed rate at which your brain retains information, events, ideas, and phenomenal permanence. As for me repetition and mediation were my favourite steps in improving my retention and living above cramming.

Furthermore, do you have other methods which have helped you improve your memory retention? feel free to share in the comment section below.