How to Stay Motivated When Studying, Even on Bad Days

How to Stay Motivated When Studying, Even on Bad Days

Having trouble focusing on your studies? Here are 10 practical tips on how to stay motivated while studying, even on bad days. You'll learn about simple methods of building discipline, maintaining focus, and effective studying.

Introduction

We've all experienced those days when sitting down to study feels impossible. You could be tired, distracted, or just not in the mood to study.

Staying motivated while studying is one of the biggest challenges that students face, especially when exams are around the corner or assignments are stacking up.

The good news is that motivation is not only about "feeling like it." It can be constructed through habit, mindset, and strategies. No matter how far you are having a bad day, there are real and practical ways to keep yourself focused and keep going.

In this article, we'll provide you with 10 practical tips on how to stay motivated while studying, even when you feel unproductive and unmotivated.

1. Set Small Attainable Goals

One of the biggest blunders students make, is when they set astronomically huge goals like “I am going to finish the whole chapter today.” When a goal is monumental and massive, motivation is non-existent.

Think about breaking your work down into smaller pieces. For example:

Read 5 pages of your textbook

Write 1 paragraph of your essay.

Review 10 flash cards.

Each smaller win creates momentum and keeps you motivated to keep moving.

✅ Pro tip: Consider breaking work down into chunks using the Pomodoro method - 25 minutes of studying, 5 minutes of break.

2. Have a Study Routine

Motivation is at its highest when combined with consistency. A set study routine provides specific times in your schedule that you will study. A routine tells your brain that you are about to start studying.

For example:

1 hour of studying after breakfast.

Revisiting notes before bed.

Setting times on the weekends for deeper learning.

When studying becomes a habit you have to use less willpower and more routine which helps you stay motivated.

3. Use Rewards to Stay Motivated

Rewards can be a fantastic tool to help you trick your brain into liking study time. After completing a study related task, give yourself something to look forward to.

Guidelines:

After finishing a chapter → reward yourself by relaxing with your favorite show.

Once you complete your practice questions → reward yourself with your favorite snack.

After you finish revising your notes → take a walk outside or take a guilt-free scroll through social media.

This way you know you will have a reward waiting for you at the end of a study task. Studying very quickly turns into a reward rather than a chore.

4. Study in the Right Environment

Some of you may not think about how much the environment we study in can affect motivation. If you study in a messy, noisy, or otherwise unfocused environment - you will find studying as a whole more difficult.

To help stay motivated:

Study in a place that is quiet and has plenty of light.

If possible, your study desk should be clean and free of distraction.

If your studying area is messy or cluttered, it's likely to distract you from the study task at hand.

Keep your phone out of reach - or use apps that keep you from being distracted.

If you have a positive study area, it will tell your brain "It's time to study".

5. Remember Your "Why"

On tough days, motivation can sometimes drop significantly when you forget why you are studying in the first place. Remembering your bigger goal can really help you to see beyond the study task.

Passing exams.

Getting into your preferred university.

Building your future career.

Grab a sticky note and write down your ultimate goal (ie., pass all your exams, get into your favorite university) and stick it somewhere on your desk. Whenever you're on the verge of giving up, look at your goal and remind yourself why (and how much effort) it takes to achieve success.

6. Mix Up Learning Strategies

Sometimes you become bored, and with that boredom goes your motivation. If you repeatedly read textbooks and/or lecture notes, your brain becomes tired of that learning activity.

To keep up your motivation, use strategies like these:

Watch study videos.

Use index cards for quick revision.

Teach the subject to a friend.

Create mind maps and/or mind diagrams.

By changing your learning strategies, you can keep learning new information fun and enjoyable, which in turn allows the information you learn to be put into long-term memory.

7. Heal and Repair Your Body to Help with Motivation

Motivation isn't only mental. It is also physical. If you are stressed, exhausted, or hungry, studying will be that much harder to manage and be motivated to do.

To be motivated you need to:

Get between 7 - 8 hours of sleep each night.

Eat healthy snacks instead of junk food and soda.

Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Stay physically active (even just walking or stretching).

If your body feels good, your brain will function better.

8. Surround Yourself with those Who Motivate You

Motivation can also be developed by just surrounding yourself with the proper influences (and limiting the improper ones).

Study with a friend who is serious about learning.

Participate in online study and learning groups.

Follow study-related podcasts and vlogs with people you admire.

Avoid people who distract you, or discourage you.

If you surround yourself with the good people, they will help motivate you to keep your focus.

9. Accept Bad Days but Keep Moving Forward

Truth is, not every day is going to be a great day. Some days you may end up studying less, and that is totally okay! Consistency is a whole lot better than perfection.

When you’re feeling bad, don’t feel guilty, instead ask:

Can I do just 10 minutes today?

Can I just revise a small section?

Doing something, even on a “bad” day is always better than doing nothing. Some progress (even it is tiny) every day creates discipline.

10. Visualise Your Success

Visualisation has been used by athletes and other estimated successful people. Just close your eyes and imagine:

Performing well in all of your exams.

Walking across the stage to get your graduation certificate.

Working in your dream career.

When you visualise yourself successfully completing an aspect of your study the brain feels more motivated to create the action and feeling of what you've visualised.

✅ Tip: Write down affirmations in front of you: “I can do this” or “I am getting better every day” to continue a positive self-image.

Other Tips To Stay Motivated While You Study:

Track your progress - Using a study planner or checklist will help keep track of your progress.

Listen to focus music - Instrumental or lo-fi beats can help with focusing.

Take meaningful breaks - Instead of endlessly scrolling your phone, try meaningfully breaking and going outside for some fresh air, stretching your arms and legs or having a few minutes of meditative practice.

Don't multitask - Studies show that focussing on one subject at a time gives you better efficiencies.

Why Motivation is Difficult, But Attainable

Motivation is much more than the feeling of excitement at the beginning of studying. It's about developing systems that will build an environment for you to work in, even when you don't want to.

Motivation is like a muscle — the more you build a discipline in your repertoire, the stronger discipline becomes. After a while, you realize, even if you are having a bad day, you can still make progress.

Conclusion

Learning how to stay motivated when studying is about more than just willpower. It's about committing to the habits, environment, and mindset that's right for you. We'll cover how to stay motivated on the difficult days by creating small goals, reward yourself, engaging in healthy behaviour, and remembering your "why."

The most important part is consistency. Some days may be tougher than others, just remember if you keep chipping away at it, bit by bit, you will get there. Motivation builds through your actions — so pick one small thing and do it today.