How to motivate your teenager

Helping a procrastinating teenager

Procrastination is something we can all be guilty of, and if you've landed here having searched “how to motivate your teenager”, then it’s likely your teen is no exception.

Whether it’s putting off homework or chores, it’s a common challenge teens face when tasks just feel overwhelming.

One study found that the average person spends about 2 hours and 25 minutes procrastinating each day. 

The good news is there are strategies you might want to consider to help motivate your teenager and keep them on track.

Set small, achievable goals

One helpful approach is breaking large tasks down into smaller, more manageable goals. Instead of tackling an entire school project, for example, your teen could start with outlining the main points or writing just the introduction.

If you're wondering how to motivate your teen to clean their room, our linked strategies could help.

This can prevent feelings of overwhelm and build confidence as they check off smaller tasks. 

Over time, these small wins can help them feel more motivated.

Introduce time blocking

Consider suggesting time blocking to help your teen stay organised. Breaking the day into focused time blocks, with regular breaks, can make the workload feel more manageable.

A method you could introduce is the Pomodoro technique – work for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. This structured routine can help create a sense of accomplishment.

If your teen won't revise for exams, we also have a guide offering practical advice.

Use positive reinforcement

Motivation often improves with rewards. Encourage your teenager to reward themselves after completing tasks.

For example, they could take time to relax or watch a show once their homework is done. This small incentive can give them something to look forward to and make completing tasks more enjoyable. 

Alternatively, you could offer them a reward for completing a task or achieving a goal, for example a sticker for their collection or a treat of your choice.

Encourage routine and consistency

It might help to establish a routine.

One study has shown that 66 repetitions of a certain activity can help it become “automatic” so they may want to do homework or a chore at the same time each day to help it come more easily and more naturally.

However, every teen is different! You know your teen best, so if they prefer more flexibility, that’s perfectly okay too.

Help them identify the cause of procrastination

Encourage your teen to reflect on why they’re procrastinating. Is it anxiety, confusion, or simply too many distractions like their phone?

Recognising the root cause can help them make the necessary changes – it might not necessarily be down to pubertal laziness. This can be a particularly helpful exercise when they vocalise their stress or overwhelm to you, a way to open up the conversation to start improving things. 

Limit distractions

Distractions – especially from smartphones – can easily pull focus. 

You might want to suggest they try keeping their phone in another room, putting it on silent, or even giving it to you for safekeeping. 

This might not be an easy conversation to have, but limiting distractions can make it easier for your teenager to concentrate and stay motivated – especially if you're concerned they might have a phone addiction.

Be patient and supportive

Try to remind your teen to be patient with themselves. Building new habits takes time, and it’s important to encourage them to try different strategies. Motivation doesn’t always come naturally for everyone.

That being said, if your teen is really struggling with motivation, and it’s impacting their daily life, you might want to reach out to a teacher or member of the school pastoral team for extra support – they may have some strategies to support you.

Hopefully by trying some of these ideas, you can help motivate your teenager in a way that suits their personality – though we 100% understand that every teen is different, so feel free to take what resonates with you and adapt it as needed.

Finally, why not support your teen with luna premium?

Our app, luna, has dedicated advice on this topic which can help them feel more empowered through adolescence.

You can think of luna as a modern, digital approach to wellbeing – it’s cost-effective, verified by doctors and safeguarding experts, and has a direct line into the biggest concerns facing teens today – so it’s actually addressing what they need advice on, when they need it.

If you’ve been looking for an antidote to the misinformation and negativity shared on social media or forums, you can get luna for your teen via our luna premium page for the price of a coffee each month or manage their subscription by downloading luna yourself and signing up as a parent (it's "we are luna" in app stores).