Motivation: Tips for Young People

Motivation can sometimes be hard to come by. Sometimes motivation can occur by itself, but often we have to work at it. Doing something small can create a positive feeling and a sense of achievement, resulting in our motivation levels to increase. This usually leads to us wanting to do more. So motivation can increase from doing something small.

Here are some tips on how to start becoming motivated:

Goal setting

• What is it you are trying to achieve? What is the end goal you have in mind? Having a clear idea of what you are setting out to do can help you understand the task in hand.
• Is your goal very big? If so, it may need breaking down into smaller tasks or manageable chunks.

For example:

Need to revise for my exam>> Need to revise for Science exam>> Need to revise biology>> Need to revise the respiratory system>> Look at the three major parts of the respiratory system

• Breaking the task down can help us to feel less stressed and keep us motivated
• Remember to reward yourself when you have completed the task, such as going for a walk or taking a break

Taking breaks

• It is important to take small, frequent breaks. These can be short 10-15 minutes breaks.
• Try to take breaks away from your working area. Perhaps go into the garden for some fresh air whilst having a drink, or into a different room.
• If you think it would help, set a timer on your phone to remind yourself that your break has ended
• The danger of not taking breaks is that we become overworked, stressed or overwhelmed. This could result in us becoming de-motivated.

Still feeling unmotivated?

• If you have tried the above and still struggling to be motivated or struggling to know where to start, then it may be time to ask for some help
• Talking your goals through with someone else can help put a different perspective on things and may give you ideas of how to make a start. They can also give you moral support and encouragement and help you not to feel like you are alone with this.
• You could ask from support from a parent/carer, sibling, friend or relative. You could also ask a teacher, mentor or other professional.
• It is common to want to hang around in bed if we have not got much to do, however making an effort to get up, showered and dressed can prevent us from lying in bed, making us more likely to get things done

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