Procrastination. Every student has faced the struggle: needing to do the work but not being able to stand up and get started. It’s an ongoing cycle of stress and feeling unorganised, but it is important to note that (most) procrastinators aren’t lazy.
According to the Wikipedia definition, procrastination is "the act of needlessly delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there could be negative consequences for doing so." There are several possible causes for this, but the most common one is that your brain may find a task unpleasant. Procrastination can result from our minds' natural tendency to avoid situations that could make us uncomfortable. Although our brain believes it is acting in our best interests, having to finish tasks at the last minute can actually increase stress and strain in our lives.
So how can we overcome procrastination to guarantee that we get the leisure time we are entitled to, free from the burden of incomplete tasks? According to research, starting something is the most difficult bit. We will always come up with reasons to start later because this is when the opposition and friction is greatest. Completing a task becomes easier once the initial reluctance is overcome since the brain recognises that we are safe.
To get going, you must determine the most effective method for you- this will help you maximise your time. Although it may sound strange, bribing yourself is an example of a technique that you can attempt. You are luring yourself to complete the tasks at hand by promising yourself a small reward for working for 30 minutes, such as a piece of chocolate or the opportunity to watch that episode of the show you are watching. The important thing to remember with this is that it is all about self control- there’s no point using playing a video game as a reward if it will be disproportionate to the time you actually spent at work- the ratio of work to play needs to be equal so that you actually have time to do the assignment.
If this strategy doesn't work, you could try making yourself sit for 20 minutes and just work. Push yourself to finish the activity and put those distractions aside. Give whatever you're doing your all for that 20 minutes, and you'll discover that it's quite simple. You'll quickly find yourself doing the work with ease because it takes about 20 minutes to persuade your brain that you're not in danger.
It is important to research ideas and try out as many different ones as you can in order to find the most effective one for you. Procrastination is a difficult habit to break but it can be done with practice and persistence. By beating the cycle you will open up a new world of possibilities; one with less stress and more guilt-free leisure time: give yourself the freedom to achieve whatever you want- as long as it’s not last minute!
