All Things University: How to stay motivated during lockdown

Staying motivated in the current climate isn't easy, our lives have changed and daily movements have been massively restricted. Many of us will still have some responsibilities, whether it's assignments, employment or taking care of family members. But when it comes to academic work, many people are struggling to find the motivation as the end goal is vague, especially for final year students, with many institutions cancelling/postponing graduation. In most cases, assignments still have to be completed just in a slightly different format, this includes revision for upcoming examinations.

As I've mentioned in my previous posts, I swear by the use of a weekly planner and this has worked wonders for me since the beginning of lockdown. Every Sunday, I plan out what I want to achieve in the week, I start off by scheduling in work sessions where I complete any upcoming deadlines, even if it's only a small amount of time, getting the ball rolling on work will help you to feel more motivated.

Try keeping to the schedule that you had when you were at uni, for example, I would always go to the library and work with friends. Although this isn't possible at the moment, I could have a similar study session on Zoom with my coursemates and friends. Working with other people who also have deadlines can be a great motivator as you're in this together, it can also make the time away from friends a little easier.

Taking time out of your day to go for your daily exercise can be a great release from work or get you motivated to start. You could either go with people from your household or on your own. I usually go out for a walk with my Mum and we use the hour to have a catch-up and a natter about anything and everything. If you prefer you could just go on your own, put some headphones in and listen to some music or a podcast.

Understanding that it's okay not to be productive all the time, it's healthy to have some you time, whether it's binging a Netflix series or having a pamper day. Under these difficult circumstances, it's completely fine not to want to do anything, you shouldn't put pressure on yourself to take on additional responsibilities like learning a new skill or working out every day. Whilst these things are good for your mental health, they can also add unnecessary stress to your life. The main thing is especially when working from home is being able to carry out your day in a similar format to the way you would have prior to coronavirus and lockdown.