Well… it’s that time of the school year when students start to become unmotivated, cranky, and overall just tired of coming to school for full five day weeks and hardly any breaks. Though it’s hard to make it through the school day, it’s important to stay motivated and look forward to the fun things ahead in the spring time. Here are five tips and tricks to tackle the third quarter slump, or any slump you may experience in the future. 

Plan out your week

Use a journal or even a post it note and write down what you need to accomplish every day of the week. Planning out your week can ease your anxiety on what you have upcoming because it simplifies each and every task. After you check off something off your list, you’ll feel instant serotonin and accomplishment from yourself even from the easiest of tasks. Try this one out and see how much more productive you feel. 

Prioritize yourself

It can get hard to come to school every day with countless tests, projects, and assignments. Sometimes you just need a break from the array of events going on. Don’t feel bad for taking time for yourself and sometimes taking mental health days off from school. According to Mayo Clinic, mental health days allow the brain to recharge from stressful situations such as school. As long as taking days off don’t prevent you from getting your necessary assignments and tests completed, they do many positive things to relieve stress and stay motivated.

Look ahead

While it’s important to live in the moment, think about all of the fun things you have ahead of yourself. After March finishes, we have a week of vacation for spring break, prom (for upperclassmen), and the start of the fourth and final quarter. Use these events as a way to stay optimistic and have a goal to get everything done so that you can enjoy spring break even more. Making a countdown can give you the specific amount of days you have left to get to the event you have been working for. 

Mix up study techniques

Studying for hours at a time and cramming for a test is not the best technique to grasp the information you need to ace a test. Use different techniques such as the Pomodoro technique and Feynman technique which allow you to study in different ways than just memorizing and practicing to get a better understanding of the material. If studying at night isn’t for you, wake up a little earlier and study before school. Studying is different for everyone, so try out new things to see if your grades go up. 

Stay moving

According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can increase your energy and improve your mood throughout the day. Exercising can directly relate to accomplishing your goals and staying motivated to get through the day. Moving your body isn’t just strictly going to the gym. It can be as basic as taking a short walk after school, pulling up a Youtube tutorial, or ending the night stretching/ doing yoga. You’ll likely see an increase in productivity because you’ll feel better about your self image if you exercise regularly.