Looking for motivation and online study tips? You’ve come to the right place! While online study has many benefits it also requires personal commitment and self-discipline. If you’re considering gaining professional development online, it helps to plan for success, and motivation is crucial. Motivation is the driving force that will help you overcome challenges, stay engaged and achieve your professional development goals.

1. Set clear goals

The first step to staying motivated while studying online is to set realistic goals – and stick to them. First, make sure your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-sensitive). You can learn more about setting SMART goals here. It’s also important to visualise your end goal to stay motivated throughout your course. Perhaps you plan on changing careers or gaining a promotion after completing your studies. Whatever your ‘why’ for studying should stay top-of-mind to keep you on track.

2. Set up a productive workspace

It’s also important to have a dedicated workspace where you can ‘switch on’ while working through your course. The physical space should be conducive to productivity and help you block distractions. You can learn more about creating a beautiful and productive home office here. Make sure you pay attention to ergonomics so that you’re not compromising your posture, which impacts productivity. Good posture contributes to physical health, mental alertness, and focus.

3. Create a strict study schedule

Maintaining a strict study schedule will help you achieve your study goals. Consistency in studying is key to reinforcing what you’ve learned and helping memory retention. A study schedule also encourages time management and discipline, both valuable skills in your academic and professional life. It’s also a vital way to balance your life, making time for work, study, sleep, and personal time, which reduces stress.

4. Learn your self-motivation strategies

What motivates you will be unique. Positive reinforcement of your progress through reward is another great way to stay motivated when things get difficult. It’s a good idea to set benchmarks for earning rewards. You might reward yourself for reading course materials up to a certain point or for completing an important assessment or assignment. While rewards work well to push through challenging parts of your online course, drawing on intrinsic motivation is still crucial. So, remind yourself about your end goal to stay the course!

5. Stay engaged

If you’re stuck, ask questions to get back on track. Our tutors and course consultants are always eager to help. Seeking feedback and asking questions throughout your course will ensure you stay engaged, which is vital for motivation.

6. Take regular breaks

One major online study tip is to take regular breaks! Why? Because prolonged periods of intense focus lead to mental fatigue and reduced concentration! Regular breaks will recharge your cognitive resources, optimising your learning efficiency and reducing exhaustion. Everyone is different when it comes to how often you need to break and for how long. But generally, it’s a good idea to take a break from studying every 50 to 90 minutes to help maintain productivity and break for between 10 and 25 minutes. So, make sure you schedule breaks into your study routine.

7. Manage stress and burnout

It’s important to recognise signs of burnout in an online learning environment. If you’re feeling exhausted (no matter how much sleep you’re getting), irritable, bored, anxious or depressed, you might be experiencing academic burnout. There are many ways to combat burnout, including focusing on a healthy diet, regular exercise and self-care. You can learn more about beating study-related stress here.

8. Overcome procrastination

If you struggle with procrastination, you’re not alone. This online study tip will hopefully help you tackle difficult – or boring – tasks that trigger a procrastination reaction. If you’re avoiding doing an important task in favour of something more enjoyable, it’s procrastination. Most of us will procrastinate when we’re bored, tired or overwhelmed. So, how do you minimise procrastination for maximum productivity? As well as recognising procrastination to stop it in its tracks, you should have a ‘priority list’ to go to when this happens. Take the least challenging study task on your list and work your way up to bigger, more complex tasks until you get in the flow. You can learn more about getting into a flow state to increase your productivity while studying here.

9. Seek inspiration from success stories

Real-life examples of people who have excelled in a career or business to which you aspire might inspire you to push ahead with your studies when you’re feeling stuck. Drawing motivation from other’s experiences and how they overcome challenges may help you find the strength to continue with your studies despite the setbacks you might encounter.

10. Celebrate achievements

Finally, make sure you recognise and celebrate your achievements. If you finish an important assignment, treat yourself to a relaxing weekend with friends or buy that new outfit you’ve been coveting.  Recognising and celebrating milestones and accomplishments will motivate you to complete your studies – so celebrate!

 

Hopefully, these online study tips will help you stay motivated and achieve your professional development goals. We encourage you to reach out if you need any help with your studies, as we want to ensure your professional development journey is smooth.