How to Maintain Motivation During Long Study Periods

Studying over an extended period can gradually wear down your focus and enthusiasm, even when you’re committed to your goal. As revision drags on, it’s common for energy levels to dip and for progress to feel slower than expected. Understanding how to manage these low-motivation phases is an important part of sustaining effective study over the long term.

This article is correct as at 12 January 2026.

When it comes to studying and exam preparation, it’s entirely normal that you’ll occasionally feel as though you’re losing momentum and motivation, especially if you’ve been studying for long periods. There are many potential reasons for this, ranging from stress and anxiety to burnout or a lack of focus to simply feeling overwhelmed.

Perhaps you lack clear goals and a proper plan, or you’ve become disconnected or disengaged from the material you’re studying, or you’re distracted by something completely unrelated. Alternatively, you may have set unrealistic expectations for yourself.

It can also be hard to remain motivated if you don’t understand the subject matter’s relevance to the real world, or if for some reason your learning environment isn’t as positive as it could be.

The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to stay motivated. Here, we take a look at some of them:

1 – Start with a task you enjoy

While the received wisdom is often that you should tackle your most challenging task first, you may get back into ‘study mode’ more quickly (for example, when you’re easing yourself back into revision following a holiday) if you kick off with a topic or task which you find interesting or enjoyable. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much this boosts your motivation – not to mention by how much less daunting the next topic then seems.

2 – Try a new revision or study technique

If you always study every subject in an identical way, it can be easy to lose momentum. One way to counter this study slump is to swap; for example, you can move from the active recall method (where you retrieve information from memory rather than just rereading it) to spaced repetition (where you review information at increasing intervals to bolster long-term retention). NB: The latter method is particularly effective for long-term memory.

Another approach is to try ‘blurting’, where you write down absolutely everything you can recall about a topic without looking at notes, and then identify any gaps revealed. Flashcards and mind maps are other tools to try; another is the Feynman technique, where you explain a concept in a simple way, as though to a child. Again, this pinpoints any knowledge gaps. Additionally, working through past papers under timed conditions is helpful for identifying gaps in knowledge and improving time management.

With long-haul studying, trying out several different approaches will certainly help you identify how you work best. But, whichever method you choose, remember to prioritise the most important jobs and try not to multitask.

3 – Take productive breaks

We know we’ve said this before, but even the most focused student will struggle to remain motivated without regular breaks. You may have heard of the Pomodoro technique, whereby you work for 25 minutes then stop for five minutes, or the 52/17 rule, in which you work for 52 minutes then take 17 off. Either of these approaches may well help you structure your time more effectively whilst remaining efficient at absorbing and retaining information.

The notion of ‘productive’ breaks may sound counterintuitive, but you genuinely can make your breaks count. If you’re stopping for five minutes, move around and rehydrate. During a 10 to 20-minute break, listen to some music, doodle or try meditation or breathing exercises. For a full recharge of half an hour or longer, take a power nap or eat a balanced meal.

One tip is not to look at your phone during a short break; seek to refresh and reset your mind rather than draining it further by scrolling through social media.

4 – Acknowledge your resistance

You may find it helpful to acknowledge to yourself your own loss of motivation,  or even to write it down. But stay committed – running away or avoiding work can be more demotivating and demoralising than actually getting on with the task that awaits. Above all, don’t start questioning your own abilities or comparing yourself to others.

If you do find yourself procrastinating, you can be sure that you are not alone. Be kind to yourself and gently persuade yourself to return to the task sooner rather than later. If it helps, talk to someone else about how your study is going and externalise your feelings.

With so many practical ways available to get back on track, if you feel you’re starting to flag, there’s no need to panic. It won’t take you long to get your study mojo back.