8 Strategies To Overcome Demotivation When Faced With Oppositions

Studying competitive examinations for any job offered by the public administration is an option that more and more people are choosing to ensure a stable job future. Now, this path to professionalization goes hand in hand with a stage of preparation for competitive examinations that in most cases is difficult to manage on a psychological level.

Motivation is one of the most important aspects that must be kept constant in all students, since without it it is difficult to achieve each and every one of the objectives that we set during the exam process. And since the human being is not always a “rational animal” in all aspects of life, it is very easy to fall into a dynamic of self-sabotage even when we have already decided to dedicate several months to improving our profile as opponents. That is why it is very important to know strategies that, combined with each other, help us to motivate ourselves in the face of oppositions

How to face and overcome demotivation when preparing for exams?

These are the main strategies that we can put into practice to overcome demotivation during studying and preparing for competitive exams.

1. Create a startup routine

Creating a routine for starting study sessions daily is the best way to acquire an optimal work rhythm and automate a series of habits that will be very useful in the future to ensure success during the process.

There are many ways to create a daily study routine, such as taking off your wristwatch and placing it on the table. These actions they end up becoming a representation that indicates the beginning of a study session

Likewise, by establishing a weekly routine we can leave a day of rest that allows us to recharge our batteries and rest or carry out activities that we cannot carry out during the weekly study days.

2. Take short and frequent breaks

Take very frequent short breaks during study sessions (every 40 minutes) It is essential for restoring attention span and also helps you rest your eyes and stretch your legs for a few minutes.

These breaks help the student to regain strength and briefly disconnect from studying and during them you can eat something briefly, refresh your face and many other activities such as checking your cell phone, all with the aim of increasing motivation.

3. Set short-term goals

Constantly setting very short-term goals will allow us to have future goals that can be achieved in a matter of minutes, which also helps us feel better and more motivated to move forward.

Maintain a constant rhythm of small goals that we achieve in a matter of minutes during the day it contributes very positively to our motivation, mood and mental health in general.

4. Eliminate distractors beforehand

Eliminate distracting elements before we start studying It will allow us to dedicate ourselves completely to the study and will help us maintain a constant work pace, making the study more fluid.

The main distractions that we have on a daily basis are our cell phones or other electronic devices, television, the Internet connection or other people with whom we can talk and distract ourselves during the study.

Each of these elements prevents us from being consistent in the study and takes up time during the day, making the study become tiresome and frustrating.

5. Avoid comparisons with others

During the competitive examination process, it is important not to compare yourself with other study partners, friends or anyone who is immersed in a similar study process.

Comparisons of this type can make us feel very bad, undermine our motivation or lower our self-esteem precisely because they promote a biased view of our progress, since we have incomplete information about what these people do, and if we see how others seem to study faster that we It is easy for us to begin to feed a very pessimistic framework of interpretation of reality

Instead, we should only compare ourselves with ourselves and try to improve day by day, trying to beat our own study “records” in a day or a week.

6. Apply relaxation techniques at key moments

Putting relaxation techniques into practice daily to “disconnect” from the oppositions once the study day is over or a few minutes before starting can help us achieve a state of relaxation, motivation and optimal calm that we can maintain all day.

Relaxation techniques help us overcome states of excessive nervousness, as well as symptoms of anxiety, stress, general discomfort, suffering or anguish caused by the study itself.

Some of the most common relaxation techniques can be yoga, meditation, conscious breathing, progressive relaxation and Mindfulness

7. Self-administration of awards

During the study we can put into practice a series of strategies that keep us more motivated throughout the day.

One of these strategies consists of self-administering prizes or gifts when we reach a certain objective, such as a food or snack that we like when we reach a certain number of pages studied.

8. Exercise and eat well

Eating well not only means maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, but it also has to do with allocating enough time to digestion to avoid possible organic problems that may bother us during study sessions

That is why whenever we eat at any time of the day we must make sure we take enough time to do so and not eat too quickly or impulsively. It is also important to allow ourselves some time to rest to digest.

Regarding the type of food we eat daily, we must ensure that they are not too fatty or heavy, since heaviness can be an inconvenience when studying. In addition to that, it is important to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and avoid ultra-processed, overly sweet foods or sugary drinks.

In addition to following a correct diet that allows us to stay healthy and energized, it is also important to put into practice a series of very necessary eating habits such as weekly or daily exercise.

Practice sports at a moderate level It will keep us in shape and help us reinforce our motivation by stimulating the production of endorphins.

Are you looking for professional psychological assistance to prepare for exams?

If you are interested in having professional psychological support for a personal or professional project such as studying for competitive exams, contact me.

My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I specialize in cognitive-behavioral intervention for problems such as poor stress management, problems concentrating, poor time management, and more.