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I distinctly remember my own struggles with motivation growing up. I've never been a huge fan of the cold weather. Winter has always had a negative impact on my overall spirit. So, each year when the cold weather set in, my enthusiasm would start to wane. The excitement of the first few months of school would fizzle out, and by February, I’d be exhausted. Not just physically tired from the lack of sun, but emotionally drained by the weight of schoolwork, deadlines, and the growing pressure to perform. I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until later in life, but looking back, it’s clear that my executive function struggles played a huge part in my mid-year burnout.
For kids like me, and for many of the neurodivergent students I work with today, the February slump is a very real and challenging experience. It’s not just about the weather or the lack of daylight. It’s about the complex web of factors that combine to make motivation so much harder to come by. When you’re already struggling with executive function skills like initiation and persistence, the idea of pushing through the post-holiday slump can feel impossible. That’s when some kids often shut down, avoid tasks, or get frustrated by their inability to find the energy to keep going.
As a child, I had a hard time knowing how to address these feelings of exhaustion. I didn’t have the vocabulary or the strategies to understand why I couldn’t stay focused or why I felt like I was constantly dragging myself through schoolwork. I also had a perfectionistic streak, so when things didn’t go the way I expected or when I didn’t meet my own standards, the frustration piled on. I remember staring at assignments I knew I should complete but feeling completely unable to start them. And the longer I avoided them, the harder it became to break that cycle.
It wasn’t until much later in life that I started to understand what was happening inside my brain. School was a thing of the past and I had developed a mix of coping mechanisms, some more destructive than productive. What helped the most was having a mentor who believed in me and helped me learn how to appreciate the process, rather than focusing solely on the end result. This shift in perspective helped to reshaped my thinking about work and motivation, but it also highlighted just how much of a struggle it had been for me to keep going during those mid-year slumps.
What I’ve come to realize is that the February slump is not just a phase that happens to kids who are struggling. It’s a natural part of the school year, and it’s something that every student, neurodivergent or not, has to navigate. For neurodivergent students, though, the challenges can be more intense. When a child is already battling executive function difficulties, it can feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders during this time. The task initiation and time management skills that might come more naturally to other students can feel like mountains that can’t be climbed.
As I reflect on my own experiences and those of the students I work with, I can’t help but feel both empathetic and hopeful. The February slump is real, but it’s not permanent. With the right support, the right strategies, and a bit of patience, we can help our kids navigate this challenging time. For me, it’s all about meeting kids where they are, listening to their struggles, and helping them discover ways to reconnect with their motivation.