Every generation experiences its own unique version of the teenage years. Each adult will say they understand the teen struggle because they’ve been there before and gone through their own hardships.
Unfortunately, teens today have to navigate more complexities than ever before. There are heavier academic demands and pressures, lofty social standards, rapidly evolving technology, and stressful current and political events.
It’s no wonder many teens struggle to find motivation. Boosting their motivation is not solely about pushing them harder. You want to help them build confidence for handling challenges, find purpose and growth, and develop the tools they need to navigate stress.
Foster Autonomy
Teens are actively trying to build identity and independence. While there’s still a good amount of work in progress here, give them opportunities to make choices when and where appropriate. Invite them into conversations and ask for opinions on important matters.
Don’t be afraid to be honest about your feelings towards their opinions. This will also be a sign of respect and value. Having some sense of control will allow them to start building more intrinsic motivation.
Celebrate Effort and Progress
When working towards goals or on projects, teach your teen how to have a growth mindset. There are lessons to be learned in the efforts made and throughout the process itself. Give them praise for their hard work rather than just for outcomes.
Receiving recognition for milestones along the way, small wins, improvement, and putting in effort can go a long way. This positive reinforcement will build confidence and boost motivation.
Connect Learning to Interests
Academics and skill-based learning may not always be considered fun, or even interesting, to teens. There will be phases where it’s more of a chore than anything else, which is perfectly normal.
If your teen needs an increase in motivation, try relating these subjects back to something that they are passionate about. Use music to help with studying and sparking creativity. Sports can be related to math or physics.
We all know that technology plays a significant role in almost all aspects of life nowadays. Capitalize on that and find ways to incorporate technology into learning. Look for educational apps or games that can be interactive to help promote effective learning.
Use Real World Tie-Ins
In one way or another, this academic period is a stepping stone to what comes next. If motivation is lacking, one thing you can do to help reverse that is to use real-world applications. Show them how certain skills will be relevant to their future goals. Teach them how school subjects or extracurricular activities can relate to career choices in the future.
Use Positive Role Models
Your efforts to boost motivation can be better aided by those who are in their circle. Surround your teen with positive role models and mentors who promote confidence and motivation. Encourage relationships with peers who are motivated and supportive.
Make sure you check your behaviors as well. Your teen is always watching what you do and how you interact with your situations. Show them motivated actions and behaviors.
Promote Self-Care Activities
There are key wellness and lifestyle factors that can help or hurt teens where motivation is concerned. Exercise is an influential factor for energy and mood, but also for motivation. Eating a well-balanced diet and getting proper sleep can help the mind and body rest and recover. A healthy mind and body can support motivation.
Explore Professional Support
In some instances, there may be additional underlying factors that are causing your teen to have low motivation. If there’s something relating to mental and physical health, you may want to consider exploring professional support.
Teen therapy can be a useful tool to explore any root causes and develop strategies to increase motivation. If you feel your teen may benefit from therapy, or you would like to explore individual therapy to better equip yourself to help them, reach out to us today.