How to motivate yourself to study during winter

You’ve got a hot coffee in front of you, the heater blazing, and a good study playlist cranking. Your toes are toasty, and so are your fingers. But for some reason they won’t seem to work!

Studying as the temperature drops is trickier than it sounds. We assume that being locked indoors on a rainy day lends itself to making your way through a book or three, but research says otherwise. 

It’s science: Finding motivation to study in winter is harder

A study published by the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Science found that it’s much more difficult to keep your mind on task during the winter months. 

During the study, participants were able to tackle activities requiring sustained attention with much more ease during summer. During winter on the other hand, the participants had the worst levels of concentration recorded.

How to get the motivation to study when it’s cold

There are a few things you can do to defrost that brain of yours and make a solid dent in your assignments while it’s frosty. Here are a few ideas:

Exert energy first

When studying from home, it can feel like your legs don’t get much of a stretch. You might make your way from your bed to your desk and the couch and back again during a day of intense assignment-writing, but not anywhere else. 

If this is you, it’s no wonder you’re finding it difficult to maintain concentration. Your body may have pent-up energy that needs to be exerted. Try rugging-up and going for a jog or walk around the block before you knuckle-down. You’ll get the energy out of those restless legs, and the boost of endorphins will do wonders for your mood. 

Find strength in numbers

Winter is often thought of as a solitary time. Bears hibernate. Children stay indoors. And sports pitches remain empty until the sun shines again. But just because it’s quiet outdoors, it doesn’t mean it has to be so lonely indoors. 

Meet up with a friend in a local library or café to tackle your tasks in company. You can set a timer for working sessions, and then discuss difficult theories. And why not treat yourself to an outing afterwards? Which leads us to our next point. 

Dangle the carrot

While staying inside during winter is comforting, the monotony can be difficult. If your only reprieve from tackling an assignment is a hot cup of tea, it’s no wonder you’re dragging your heels. That’s why we recommend setting some small rewards to motivate yourself. 

Your reward doesn’t have to be big or expensive. But ensure it’s something outside of the home. A hot chocolate from your favourite café or an oozing jam donut could do the trick. Or maybe it’s taking yourself to the movies? 

Motivation study quotes

Finally, if you’ve done all of the above and just can’t get out of your freezing-weather funk, we suggest checking out these motivation study quotes. Find your favourite, write it on a post-it note and pop it on your laptop screen or desk for a rainy day.

• If you really want something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
• One day you will say, “I made it.”
• Wake up with determination, go to bed with satisfaction.
• The best way to predict your future is to create it.
• Remember why you started.
• The expert in anything was once a beginner.