Knuckling down in lockdown: how to stay motivated while studying at home

Revision can be difficult and even dull, but finding out what really motivates you could make studying a lot easier

This article titled “Knuckling down in lockdown: how to stay motivated while studying at home” was written by Natasha Devon, for theguardian.com on Friday 1st May 2020 13.10 UTC

University students find themselves in strange and precarious circumstances. Fifteen per cent are stuck on campus because travel regulations prohibit them from returning home. The remaining 85% are attempting to work remotely without access to campus buildings or support from peers.

The good news is that if you’re able to self-motivate now, it’s a skill you can use for the rest of your life. Lockdown has disrupted our normal routines, and the devastating impact of Covid-19 has left many of us contemplating our own mortality. That’s inevitably led to some searching questions about what life is all about.

This is actually a valuable use of our time: people who understand what drives them are not only better placed to make choices which will serve their wellbeing and happiness, they’re able to motivate themselves even if the task at hand is unappealing, dull or repetitive (see: revision).

Most people never deeply consider what motivates them. After all, society provides compelling goals for us to aspire to from the moment we’re born – whether that’s earning money above and beyond what we need to survive, buying stuff we don’t need, making ourselves resemble society’s narrow beauty paradigms, or getting followers on social media. But as any celebrity will tell you, achieving these goals rarely results in genuine fulfilment.

Conversely, if our key psychological needs – purpose, belonging, achievement, love and connection – are being met and whatever we have dedicated our life to honours our driving force, we’re much more likely to feel content, energised and motivated.

The most common driving forces I encounter are a desire to make a difference, community and socialising, freedom and independence, fairness and justice, and competition. Most people are galvanised to an extent by all of the above, but they’ll have a dominant motivator. If you’re having trouble working out which yours is, there are two tests I’d recommend.

First of all: what’s your desert island object and what does it represent to you? If, for example, the answer is your phone, it could represent the ability to communicate with others. Your driving force might be socialising and community.

Secondly: when was the last time you were incandescent with rage over something that, in the general scheme of things, didn’t matter that much? For instance, if someone pushed in front of you in a queue two weeks ago and you’re still having imaginary conversations with them in your bathroom mirror, your key value might be fairness. Once you’ve identified your driving force, it’s a case of making the task you’re dreading match your motivation.

Let’s say you’re driven to make a difference. You could do a shout-out to see if anyone on your course is struggling with an aspect of studying or a particular module, and challenge yourself to explain it to them. You’re revising, but also helping others.

If socialising is your thing, three or four of you could pledge to go over the material and present different parts of it to one another over Zoom or Skype. If you can make it entertaining, all the better.

Competitive people are most enthused when in competition with themselves, so time yourself doing a past paper and then see if you can beat your own record. If you can get a competitive person into an online social study group they’ll also likely ensure you all remain on track.

One day, lockdown will be over and we’ll be tasked with attempting to get back to “normal”, but it’s shrewd to remain aware of your driving force. After all, as a psychologist once told me: “Your key value is freedom. If you’re chained to the same desk for 12 hours a day you’ll never be happy, no matter how many zeros are on the end of your salary.”

• Natasha Devon is an author and campaigner who works in schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK. She was previously the government’s mental health champion for schools

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