How to Stay Motivated During Exam Season

To some of us, exams are over! To others, we’re still trudging through.  But both of these groups can agree that even when you study day and night, you still need some semblance of balance to stop from burn out.

So, I’m going to share my ways of staying motivated while also rested and rejuvenated.

It’s key to remember that no matter how hard you push, if you push with an empty fuel tank, you’ll get nowhere.  You can try to force it into your head, but the key here is to work smart not hard, and a factor to working smart is rest.

1. Comics

One of my go to’s is comics.  Fun and light hearted, sometimes all you need in the moment is something short that you can divert your attention to.  There’s a lot of comic hosting websites, from Tumblr, Webtoon, or even Deviantart.  Currently, I’ve been hyper fixated on the manhwa The Tyrant wants to Live Honestly and I was the Final Boss.  On Webtoon, I take solace in shorter content such as My Giant Nerd Boyfriend and Vampire Husband.

Reading comics gives me that short break that I desperately need after a long study session.  If you’re still not done with exams, you should definitely try it out.

2. Purposeful Walking

Sometimes all you need is to get out of your chair and go somewhere.  If you need to get new groceries take the time to go get them instead of putting it off to the end of the week.  If you’re craving a drink or snack go get it.  The key point here is to get out of your study space and live a little.  Confining yourself is great if your aim is to shove information into your head and hoping it sticks when you’re mentally not there.

If you’re not mentally available to study then stop forcing it and walk around and do things first.  This way you can come back with a fresh mindset and absorb the information easier rather than brute forcing through.  While it’s tempting to neglect your physical health in favor of academics, you have to remember that everything is linked, if your physical and mental health aren’t sound, then your academics won’t be either.  Life is all about a balance, and so are your grades.

3. Friends

Believe it or not, friends are actually really important to someone’s mental health!  While yes I am half-joking it’s no laughing matter how much they affect your perspectives.  While your mind can bash you and cause you to feel like you’re studying the wrong thing or that you can’t do anything right, friends are there to counter your thoughts. 

It’s no wonder why most therapists say to treat yourself as you would for your friends because what you say to yourself is definitely not something you would say to your friends.  Having that support network to help you know that you’re doing great and that you’re improving is key to not burning out.  So, meet up with friends and talk to them frequently.  Go out to study together and get lunch or drinks.

Conclusion

While these won’t help everyone out, they’re what have helped me survive so far and I hope that they can help you too.  So, remember!  Take frequent breaks, the worst thing you can do while studying is forcing yourself to study when you’re clearly not fit to study.  It’s like cutting through bone with a spoon.  It’ll work, but it’ll take a really long time and with a lot of unnecessary pain.