How to Stay Motivated in Today’s World

By Laura Barker August 19, 2020

Navigating the uncertainty of our new normal—and staying on track

The words “nothing is constant except change” have never felt truer during these last several months.

As the world copes with the COVID-19 pandemic and ever-evolving guidance on how to stay safe, many of us have put our goals on the back burner (whether out of necessity or out of exhaustion). While our communities begin to reopen and establish a new normal, you may be wondering how to plan for tomorrow when we’re still dealing with the uncertainty of today.

We want to share some of our favorite tips for taking care of yourself and staying motivated in our rapidly changing world.

Self-care

Before you skip this paragraph because you’ve heard about self-care before, stop!

Thanks to the self-care trend and social media worthiness, many people might think of bubble baths, spa days or a fancy cocktail as the definition of self-care. But the truth is that self-care is simply doing something to care for yourself instead of putting your needs last.

Self-care can look like skipping an unnecessary webinar to make a healthy meal instead of grabbing fast food for lunch. It could be setting a limit on how much TV you watch so you can take a walk around the block or read the book you haven’t managed to get around to. Self-care might be taking two extra minutes after the kids are in bed to lay out your own clean clothes for the next morning.

Try this: Set aside ten minutes each day to turn off the screens and check in. What do you need today to feel like the best version of yourself? Maybe it’s quality time with your spouse, an extra hour to get that next assignment completed, a quick living room dance party or just a quiet cup of tea to calm your nerves. Identify what would make the biggest difference for you and make it happen.

Compassion

We’re all in this together, and that means we have a real opportunity to come together as a community. How you define that is up to you: It may include your family, friends, classmates, professional network and/or neighborhood.

Many studies have shown how giving back can benefit yourself, too. And in a critical time like this, even the smallest gestures can have a big impact. Offering to pick up groceries for an immunocompromised neighbor, sharing an extra word of gratitude with the person working at the pharmacy, sending a note in the mail to an old friend—these can each provide a bright spot in someone else’s day. And if you’re like many who are dealing with depression, anxiety or loneliness this year, that can make a world of difference.

Try this: Instead of relying only on text messages or social media to stay in touch with a loved one, give them a call (or video call) to have a casual conversation. Spending more time at home and less time socializing with others can take its toll. A conversation in real time can promote feelings of connectivity.

Bonus tip: Compassion goes both ways, and you should ask for help when you need it. Struggling with your coursework or with staying on top of your budget? Online resources and student support services are available!

Routines

With so much of our typical routines decimated by COVID-19, it is easy to feel untethered and anxious. Without our familiar boundaries, our work and personal lives may seem like one and the same. Many of us have had to transition to working from home, have lost work or faced cut hours, or are suddenly full-time caregivers or educators to our children. This can make it feel next to impossible to keep up, and can  even lead to feelings of analysis paralysis: when you feel overwhelmed by what needs to be done and can’t figure out where to start.

If the word “routine” leaves you cold, fear not. There’s no need to force yourself into a strict or inflexible schedule. You can make your routine as simple as you need to feel safe and secure, and to maintain that student state of mind.

Try this: Simply getting up at the same time every day or staying in the habit of getting dressed for work can help you create a clear start to your day. Likewise, actually shutting down your computer at the end of the workday or going on a short end-of-day walk can help you make a clear delineation between work life and home life.

Goals

It can be easy to lose track of our goals even in the best circumstances. But don’t let the COVID-19 situation derail all your progress.

Put an hour (or however much time you can manage) on your calendar to look back at your pre-pandemic goals. Start with deciding what still feels relevant and what no longer feels important. Make peace with the goals you decide to let go of and turn your focus to what you want to accomplish moving forward, including any new goals you might want to set for yourself.

Plan ahead for how you will achieve those goals and continue to strive for success in school. Be careful not to set overly aggressive milestones or rely on the same roadmap you had before, however. It’s OK to take smaller, slower steps. Incremental progress is still progress!

Try this: Set a reminder on your phone or calendar to check in with your goals every week. There’s no need to make a big production of it—just take five minutes to take stock of any progress you’ve made over the last seven days, and then choose one or two actionable steps you can take in the coming week.

Are you looking for a new program to help you meet your educational and developmental goals during this global transition? Grantham University offers a variety of 100% online undergraduate and graduate programs at an affordable rate. Get started today!