5 Steps to End Procrastination From a Procrastinator
Being a procrastinator isn’t a bad thing if you know how to do it right. I learned that the hard way this past semester and learned a lot of lessons. These are my top 5 steps to follow if procrastination is your motivation!
Start early, even if it’s just with little things.
My Communication Research Methods professor, Dr. Joyce Wohlburg always says “Start this paper a week early, you will be happy you did later!”. And you know what? She’s right. Starting whatever assignment or task it may be, either two weeks, one week or even one day in advance will help alleviate the stress later on, even if it’s just doing the little things. Make an outline, create a study guide, put a header on your paper, even write a reminder to do it! By doing this, you will already be one step ahead of the game and you will know that it has to get done. If you see a deadline in your planner, you will be more inclined to tell yourself “Oh, I should probably get working on that” compared to if you do not physically see that deadline and your realize that it is 8 P.M. the night before and all you can tell yourself is “Oh, shit.”
Stop coming up with excuses! Don’t let it dwindle!
You know that feeling of having a ton of metaphorical bricks on your shoulders? Yeah that sucks. But don’t let it suck! It only sucks if you don’t take action right away. It’s ok to prioritize other things that are more important before something that is still a week away. However, before you know it it’s going to be here and that pile of bricks will take you down. Instead, don’t let it dwindle over your head and don’t make an excuse not to do it. BE PROACTIVE. That last episode of Friends? It will still be on Netflix tomorrow. That pile of dirty laundry? You can do it later. Get the things that NEED to be done, done and worry about the stuff that SHOULD be done, later. Having an excuse will only make the bricks get heavier.
Make a schedule.
The Marquette Office of Educational Services says that by “breaking larger tasks into smaller chunks, you won’t feel as overwhelmed doing a little each day rather than doing it all on one day”. By giving yourself something to do every day, you won’t feel as overwhelmed. At the beginning of every week, I go through all my class’ syllabi and figure out what is due that week. I will then priortize each assignment. A three page paper compared to a six page paper will not take nearly as much time to write, therefore, you don’t have to allow as much time.
Another key point to remember in this step is to KNOW YOURSELF. Just because your friend says it only took them an hour to write that paper doesn’t mean that it will take you an hour. It might take you five hours. Get an idea of the type of studier you are, do you like to work straight through, take lots of breaks, work with others or alone? This will help you in scheduling and prioritizing how much time tasks will take during your week. It also helps to have a cute planner to make scheduling more fun!
Music, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.
And in that order too. There have always been rumors about how when classical music is played around babies, they will grow up to be smarter. Now, I’m not sure if that is necessarily true, but I am sure that music certainly can help you get work done. Just as the right kind of music can get you pumped to exercise, finding the right music to motivate you to study is key. If you’re someone who can’t study and listen to music at the same time, that’s ok. Try listening to it right before you begin to study because having that little bit of extra motivation can make all the difference.
Next, don’t forget to eat or over-eat! Whether you be a stress-eater (like myself) or just don’t eat because you are too stressed, filling yourself with healthy snacks to keep you full and focused during your studies is major. Eat an apple, not a bag of chips. If you know you have to study all night for an exam, I wouldn’t touch that Mexican food. By choosing to eat light snacks that pack energy, the food you eat won’t hold you down and make you feel like a slug on a log.
Lastly, DO NOT FORGET TO SLEEP! In a recent study published by the journal Child Development, it states that you actually retain less when you are tired, so staying up late to cram for a test is counterproductive. “Reduced sleep accounts for the increase in academic problems that occurs after days of increased studying, Although these nights of extra studying may seem necessary, they can come at a cost.” said UCLA scientist, Andrew Fuligni. Maybe that all nighter isn’t your best idea.
Get comfy.
Last, but certainly not least. Where you study and who you study with could have the biggest impact on your procrastination. You want to set yourself up in a place where you know you will get work done. If you get distracted easily, maybe you shouldn’t study in a spot that is noisy or has a lot of people. If you study better with others, a place where you can talk with others and not worry about disrupting people might be better for you.
That brings me to who you decide (if anyone) to study with. You might love your best friend to death and want to spend every second of the day with her, but if she is going to keep distracting you by making you laugh or tagging you in memes on Facebook, don’t do it because it will only make you procrastinate more.
Lastly, DRESS COMFORTABLY! There is nothing more distracting than being uncomfortable in your own clothes. If you hate wearing jeans, don’t wear jeans. If you know you get cold easily, dress in layers! Being uncomfy decreases your focus level and might make you say “I can do this later, I need to get home to take off these pants”.
Source: http://www.marquette.edu/academic-services/procrastination.shtml
Source: https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/01/11/why-sleeping-may-be-more-important-than-studying/
