The Truth About Staying Focused And Keeping Motivated

Oh wow, it's my second blog post! I actually cannot believe how much I enjoy writing these. I'm currently at my favourite cafe, with the best coffee, a pecan cookie, and an incredible view of the sea. No better way to escape the stress of exams!

And that brings me to today's topic; FOCUS and MOTIVATION. It can be incredibly difficult at this time of year to stick to a study schedule instead of going out in the tempting sunshine... especially after a tough year of assignments, practicals, placements, lectures...I could go on but I'll spare you! It all starts to get a tad overwhelming. So that is why I am going to share a few pointers that keep me going (in hopes that it might help at least one of you).

First, a little bit about my situation. This semester has been particularly difficult, more than my usual "but there's a new season of love island" excuse. Why has it been so hard? Well, as I mentioned in my first post, I was studying psychology before i decided to change to Sport Science. Now, this smart girl behind the screen, didn't realise just how much she HATED the subject until she was half way through second year and submitted her thesis proposal. SMOOTH one Pia!

*smiles guiltily*

This meant that i had to wait till the next scholastic year to start a new course. Meaning that right about NOW all my friends are about to graduate whilst I'm still in first year. You might think, "it's not SUCH a big deal", I thought so too. But seeing everyone submitting their thesis in the past month got me overthinking "I could have stuck through the last year of psychology and been done by now" " I could have studied sports for my masters instead" "Maybe this was all a mistake"

So how do I keep myself from overthinking and focus on my current goals? These are a few of the things I make sure to do when my brain won't cooperate.

1. Remind yourself of your long-term goal.

Make it a point to constantly think about why you are studying that particular subject. It could be for the pure love of the subject, to get your dream job, to get a scholarship for a masters, or to be chosen for Erasmus. Reminding yourself of the satisfaction you will earn in the long-run will re-focus your thoughts. Write it on a paper, stick it on your bedroom wall or make it your phone wallpaper.

2. Do it for yourself.

I always justify studying for those straight A's by saying "this is what I want to achieve for myself", "I changed course because that is what I felt I needed to do". If your motivation to study is to please others, it will fade quicker than James Charles lost and gained his followers, NO DOUBT!

3. Turn off that distracting phone! You might think that u have enough self control if leave it on silent. Darling there's a higher chance that the sun won't rise tomorrow. Put your phone in another room or you might as well be watching Netflix at the same time.

4. Do something fun. OK, so I learnt this the hard way! Putting yourself on lock-down 6 weeks before exams is a BAD idea. Give yourself at least one exciting thing to look forward to everyday. Even if its just going for a hair cut, or to the car wash. It counts as a break. For me it's usually coffee by the sea or a trip to the supermarket.

5. Exercise!!! You're rolling your eyes i can see you! Yes, I know that it's an extra thing added to

the to do list, but even exercising twice a week will help u press the reset button on your concentration levels. Trust me!! It can be a jog, a gym session, abs, 20-minute HIIT, swim OR maybe just a walk. Anything to get that body moving! Here's a short clip of how I like to workout:

OK, so I've hit the bottom of my coffee cup and finished my cookie (almost) so ill take that as a sign to wrap it up and wish u all good luck for what's left of this modern day torture. I'm off to the gym and then will inevitably hit the books. Only 15 days to go!

From one sports geek to the next,

Pia x