What do you do to motivate yourself?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Nov 20, 2004

TAKE A BREAK!

Go for a walk, go to the coffee shop, get a decaf something, give your eyes a break. Seriously, you have to do this to keep up the motivation.

KacyLynnRN · Nov 21, 2004

Do something nice for yourself...a small treat...exercise...go to Starbucks and have a cup of coffee alone...get a massage (if you are broke, most massage schools only charge around $20)...get a manicure...buy yourself a new c.d....read a magazine that has nothing to do with school (National Enquirer!:) ...tell your honey you need some attention and make love all night...whatever makes you feel good!!

I think as students we are so stressed because school is overwhelming, we have little time to ourselves to de-stress, we don't get to spend much time with loved ones and that increases the stress, and everything in our lives is neglected...family, friends, cooking, cleaning house...and it gets us down. Also, almost all of us are broke all through school!!!!!

Hang in there...it does get better...you will eventually be through it, even if it seems impossible right now!

:) Kacy

EarthChild1130 · Nov 21, 2004

When I'm unmotivated I have to just get away from it...I have to put the books down and go do something fun for awhile...Usually it's something simple like taking my dog out to play (she loves tennis balls lol), or else going for a long walk...If I sit and stress over it I just feel worse and worse, but if I get away from it for a little while I can think about it more objectively when I come back to it.

PS: Candles, Nag Champa incense, and Enya in the CD player work wonders too! :)

mariedoreen · Nov 21, 2004

I have discovered that I have a breaking point. I can have chapters upon chapters to go through or skills to practice, but once I've been at it for hours and hours I hit a point where I can see that the time I'm spending on it is no longer productive. Actually, happened to me about two hours ago! I decided there was just no point pushing myself to continue because I just wasn't taking much in anymore. I threw the books aside and went to the store and bought myself ingredients for my fav meal (quesadillas) and then gave myself permission to be done for the day. I'll come back to it in the AM. Now I'm off to pick up my house a little and then I'm going to go to bed and put on a good movie!

Work time into your schedule for yourself, take little breaks while you're studying. If you're having a problem with motivation, make out a schedule for yourself regarding things you need to accomplish. Sometimes I make one out for the week, sometimes for the weekend, sometimes for the day... whatever I need to remind myself what I want/have to get done. My biggest motivator though comes from the fact that I will do anything to avoid the stress I would feel if I went into an exam or a check-off unprepared... I would literally beat myself up from here to tomorrow for not having done the work to prepare myself... and I can be vicious! So I do myself a huge favor and I do my papers and assigned projects sooner rather than later, I keep on schedule for the assigned reading and check-offs, and I study pretty much daily for my exams.

Jo Dirt · Nov 21, 2004

Think of what the future holds if you DON'T keep your nose to the grindstone and finish. You are libel to be wearing a funny hat and flipping hamburgers for $6.50/hr.

What really keeps me motivated is to think that my RN diploma will be a major stepping stone on my way to becoming a psychotherapist. I realize that with my nursing license I will be able to make a liveable wage to support my family while I go to school (because I don't want to be stuck in nursing my whole life) to complete my PhD in psychology...I could not do this working some menial inflexible job making minimum wage. So think of it in terms of what life will be like 5 yrs. down the road...Mcdonald's or ICU?

not now, RN · Nov 21, 2004

Think about the fact that I cannot financially support myself at this moment.

I had to move back in with my parents after four years of marriage that left me with nowhere to go. By the kindness of their hearts they gave me a place to live and food to eat. My father recently bought a new car and allowed me to take over the payments on the one he previously drove (no down payment). If it wasn't for them I'd be in a dead end job barely getting by.