Getting Motivated to Study When You’re Distracted or Procrastinating
It’s totally normal for athletic training students to get distracted and procrastinate instead of studying. We all have a part of our brain (our ‘monkey brain’) that craves excitement, novelty, and instant gratification, which can work against us when it comes to studying for things like the Board of Certification (BOC) exam. But don’t worry, there are some simple steps you can take to regain control and motivate yourself to study.
Find a quiet spot away from your phone and turn off notifications on your computer. Take a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. In the first column, write down all the good things that could happen if you do well in your studies. In the second column, write down all the bad things that could happen if you don’t study enough. This exercise does two things:
- First, it helps you imagine what good things could happen if you do well, which can motivate you to study.
- Second, it helps you think through the consequences of not studying, which can help you avoid bad outcomes.
If you find it difficult to focus while studying, here are four simple techniques that can help you stay on track:
1. Combine work and fun: Try to make studying more enjoyable by bundling it with something you like doing. For…
