Procrastination - How to defeat your completion nightmare
09 Apr2019 Tagged as
Posted by Evolve College News
Completing items, tasks and to-do lists is a great feeling, but too often we get caught in the cycle of procrastinating and delaying getting things done. Most people experience procrastination in varying degrees and the unwanted stress and strain that comes with it. Studies show that people who procrastinate generally achieve lower grades, report higher amounts of stress and illness and often experience some form of anxiety, depression and lower self-esteem associated.
When it comes to study, people may start strong but lose commitment and focus midway - this is when the mastered skill of procrastination comes in. Procrastination is the delaying, postponing or ignoring of something that you need to get done, either by focussing on unrelated tasks, or by simply ignoring what it is that you need to do. But procrastination doesn’t have to be a constant struggle - Here are some simple and practical tools that when applied, can support you to banish procrastination from your study week for good!:
Remove distractions
By removing any possible distractions from your work space, minimising the clutter and keeping your computer files organised, you are providing a clean and clear learning environment that may assist in bringing more focus to your work.
Make a plan
Get organised and set a plan or schedule to allocate when you will complete certain tasks. Eliminate the overwhelm by outlining the small steps needed for larger projects and stick to it! Stay focused and apply self-discipline and consistency to keep on top of it.
Pace yourself
Don’t try to achieve more than what is possible in a study session and don’t let yourself fall into old patterns of delaying a study session with the excuse that you will do extra time tomorrow. Stay on schedule, pace yourself and take regular study breaks when needed.
Self-forgiveness
An important factor to stopping the cycle of procrastination is self-forgiveness and not holding onto past experiences of procrastinating with shame or guilt. Let go of the past and focus on what you are working towards now.
Don’t be a perfectionist – you can’t fail
Recent studies indicate that procrastination can be an issue of self-regulation and that it is connected to emotional reactions to the belief that one might fail. Let go of any pre-conceived ideas or concerns that you are going to fail. Give yourself space to draft your work first and develop it from there. There is no such thing as a perfect answer.
Goals and rewards
Set yourself goals and aim to complete the bigger assessments first as they tend to need the most amount of time. Rewarding yourself when you complete a goal has been known to help encourage focus on completing a task and can provide motivation to keep going onto the next. Find ways to give yourself a reward to work towards when achieving your goals.
Just get on with it
At the end of the day, there may be no other remedy for your procrastination than just taking a deep breath and getting on with it! Teach yourself the no excuse approach, and when there is a task in front of you - just do it! Actioning tasks without hesitation can feel like a weakened muscle that hasn't been worked out in a while, so like anything, practice and consistency is key.
The reasons for procrastination can vary from person to person, so a beneficial approach is to try different support methods and uncover what works best for you. Whether procrastination occurs once a month or daily, you will benefit enormously from the ease and focus that your study can offer you without it.
That said, our excuses for procrastination can sometimes be quite entertaining! Comment below with the best excuse you have used to delay your studies.