Stay motivated this term.
Term 4. It has a way of getting away from us pretty quickly and while it’s nice to have the summer break in sight, there’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.
It’s this imbalance of work and time that often makes it tricky to stay motivated all term. Plus, there’s the warmer weather, the countdown to Christmas, the end of year parties... It’s no wonder our to-do lists feel harder to get through.
To help you keep your energy up for the remaining weeks of the year, we’ve put together our top eight tips for staying motivated.
Sure, you’ve just come back from a ‘break’, and you have another lined up, but it is always important to have something specific to look forward to. Having a holiday or a day with friends locked in for the summer will give you something fun to work towards. So make some plans, pop them in your calendar and keep them in mind when you feel like the days are dragging.
Term 4 is a great time to run some fun activities with the class. Perhaps you could do a maths project for a few weeks? Or incorporate some more Rich tasks into your lessons. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our Rich Learning tasks.
Does this sound familiar: you have zero motivation to clean your house until you’re supposed to be report writing. Then ‘bam!’, mopping has never seemed so fun. We get it.... But what’s not fun is pulling an all-nighter because you left reports to the last minute. It’s hard, but just do it. Mark the assignment. Write that report. Send that email. You’ll probably feel pretty good when you start adding ticks to your list.
You know that feeling when you’re working on something, then you hit a snag and get stuck? Sometimes it feels easier to just leave it and work on something else. Next time this happens reach out to your colleagues and ask for help. This will prevent you from placing the task in the ‘too-hard basket’ where it could sit for weeks. You might find that talking about it out loud is all you need. The same goes if you need another perspective or an extra set of hands for 10 minutes. Don’t be afraid to ask!
You must remember to prioritise sleep. Cliche? Yes. Accurate? Also yes. Getting your 40 winks is good for the mind and body. It’ll give you the energy that you need to tackle the day and stay on top of that to-do list. Before you ignore this advice (we know, sleep is the first thing to go when you’re busy or stressed) remember: the hours of potential work you lose at night will come back as energy the following day. So you’ll power through, rather than running at half pace for a little longer.
I know you’ve got a few solid weeks of time off ahead, but if you want to enjoy the holidays you need to get through this term without burning out. Make sure you give yourself a break on the weekend. Leave school on time a few times a week. Spend time with your family and friends. Those little things can really build your energy back up when it’s getting low.
This one is more of a practical tip. When times get busy, cooking can be the last thing that you want to do. If you know you’ve got a busy few weeks with reports set aside some time on the weekend to prep some meals. You can make a few big batches, pop them in the freezer and grab them out on the nights that you're short of time. Not only will you not have to worry about cooking, you’ll also be eating nutritious food, rather than ordering take-away.
This one may be just as cliche as the sleep suggestion. But eye rolls aside, getting outside can really help you feel refreshed. Use short walks as a break, or do some laps around the school in the morning. That vitamin D will do good things!
Those are our eight tips for staying motivated this term. We hope they help! But, if all else does fail, maybe break into the chocolate stash...
