Teen Motivation: 9 Things to Do to Stay Motivated (During a Global Health Crisis)
Teen motivation is at an all time low.
For everyone, here in 2021. COVID is still happening. We’re still worried about the novel coronavirus. We’re still locked down. Schools are still mostly virtual. Meet ups are still mostly online. There’s a ton of stress, anxiety, and burnout roiling around for everyone.
So how on earth can you still be motivated, as a teen, during this pandemic?
Well, there are a few options - but it’s important, throughout this blog post, to remember that you can’t expect yourself to be as motivated as usual. Burnout is to be expected.
Finding a way to be a motivated student, even with anxiety and burnout:
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash
We need to figure out how to still get enough done, in a good enough way - rather than focusing on getting everything done, and doing everything perfectly.
We also want to make sure that, while we’re used to celebrating our big wins (sports games, getting into college, aceing a test) it’s SUPER IMPORTANT to celebrate the small wins, too.
What’s a small win? Something like, I remembered to put on deodorant today. I don’t always remember that!
Or another small win? I actually didn’t spill my coffee on my shirt, and about 90% of the time I risk it by wearing a white or cream-colored shirt, I end up spilling my coffee on it. So yeah, that’s small, but that’s still a win!
Along with acknowledging your small wins, recognize that this is a hard time for all. Your feelings and your lack of motivation are valid.
These 9 things to do to build motivation and manage burnout are tools that you can try. They’re not there to shame you, or tell you that you need to be “fixing your attitude.” They’re here as helpful suggestions.
9 Things to Build Motivation and Manage Burnout:
Normalize burnout:
It’s important to shift expectations. Recognize that what you did in 2019, and even in 2020, is not the same as what you can do in 2021. As more months stack on top of one another, stress takes a toll. Step back and recognize that you can’t do it all. Bring compassionate awareness to this really tough situation. Empathize with yourself.
Visualization board:
Things are not going to be like this forever. Grab some art supplies, and create a collage, picture, painting, etc. of your future. Think about how you want life to look like in a year from now and in five years from now.
Reward the small accomplishments:
Create a list of small rewards you can give yourself for completing the little tasks. Each task adds up to a bigger accomplishment. So, after every paper you complete, maybe rent a movie. Or each worksheet you get done means you get an extra five minutes of screen time. You may need to coordinate some of these rewards with your parents - and they may have some awesome ideas, too.
Change it up:
Any small changes you can add into your day keeps things interesting, and can help with your motivation. Use different colored gel pens when you’re taking notes. Sit on a yoga ball. Do work outside. Get carry out for lunch. It’s so easy to be in a rut when we’re all keeping safe at home - so doing anything outside of the norm can really increase your happiness level - even if it’s small.
Accountability partners:
Which of your friends seems particularly motivated? Find an accountability partner for your homework. Check in regularly about assignments and update each-other on your progress and your challenges. It’s not a competition - it’s a collaboration. Help one another out.
Rest:
Yep, you’re going to need more sleep when your body is stressed. You might even want to try taking a 15 minute nap during your day. Set a timer, and wake up. If this just makes you more sleepy, maybe leave it out - but tons of teens feel well-rested and ready to move on after a little cat nap.
Validate your feelings:
Don’t shove things under the surface. Acknowledge how you feel. It’s ok to be overwhelmed. It’s ok to be bored. It’s ok to be sad, or angry, or nervous, or anxious. All of these feelings are ok. Make sure that you’re regularly checking in with your body and your feelings (try doing a body scan at least once a day).
Coping skills:
You know we love coping skills here! Make sure that you’re taking care of your brain and body by building in a lot of coping skills usage throughout your day. Do a Progressive Muscle Relaxation, add in some yoga to your weekly routine, come back to your breath whenever you’re feeling stressed, and try out some of our guided meditations.
Talk to a therapist:
The biggest tip is to find a professional who can help. Our therapists are helping with stress, burnout, and motivation issues with all of our clients. You’re not alone.
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash
Therapy for stress and burnout:
If you do decide to pursue counseling, your therapist will help you create a plan for managing your stress and burnout. They’ll help you build up your motivation - to a reasonable level - and can be a release for your pent up emotions.
Right now, everyone feels like a shaken up bottle of soda. If we don’t find a way to release some of that stress, we’re all going to explode.
Because our therapists specialize in anxiety and anger management, we know how stress directly impacts your motivation. We know how to help. You can learn more about our therapists here, and schedule a free consultation call to see who is the best fit for you.
You’re not alone.
You’re not the only one struggling.
This is a hard time for everyone.
So let’s get you the help that you need.
Compassionate Counseling St. Louis provides specialized anxiety and anger management therapy for kids, teens, and college students. We work in Clayton, MO and serve kids, teens, and college students throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. You can set up your free phone screening to see if we’re a good fit for your needs right on our website
Header image provided by: Kinga on Unsplash