By Sabrina Klindworth
As an English and Humanities major a lot of my classes are reading and writing heavy, which means I read a ton of articles and books and write a couple less but still a lot of papers each quarter. I also unfortunately identify as a procrastinator; I can never seem to find motivation to start a paper until an hour before its due (for shorter papers. For longer 8-10 page papers, the day of will do it for me.) While this might sound counter productive as a Writing Consultant, I have a lot of good advice to share with others to help them with their papers, I’m just not good with managing my time or getting my own motivation going. This means I have so much respect every time someone comes in for help on their paper before it's due because I could never do that. So if you are like me, and I know you exist cause 95% of people procrastinate to some degree (Mind Tools), let’s get into some tips so we can work on not procrastinating together! Note: Any examples used are real examples from my personal life. 1. Notice when you are procrastinating, ask why and if possible create a solution. One way to start tackling procrastination tendencies is to notice when you are doing them and why. If you notice that every time you sit down at your desk you end up doom-scrolling on Instagram or Tiktok, then ask why you felt the need to check your phone. Honestly I think I might be addicted to mine, so I try to leave my phone somewhere I can’t physically reach it from my desk and so I can’t check it as often without physically getting up. However, reflecting on why you are procrastinating shouldn’t just apply to the tools you use to distract yourself from the task at hand but should also focus on why you are avoiding that task in particular. Knowing that I get super anxious before making phone calls makes me not want to do them, but acknowledging that I’m putting off the task because I don’t want to feel anxious can help me feel more empowered to tackle that anxiety and get it over with. If you are a perfectionist, starting an essay can be especially stressful if you are afraid of failing at it or don’t think you have “good” writing skills. By understanding what emotions you are trying to avoid by procrastinating, you can become better prepared to recognize them and work with them to tackle that task. Note: For some people, procrastination is also a symptom of ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression (Mind Tools). If this is the case for you, or you think it may be, you can find additional support and advice from trained professionals that may be better suited to your needs. 2. Create a space for focus. Once you are able to identify what distracts you, creating a space free of these distractions and trying to always get work done in that space can help you become more productive. If your brain starts to associate that space with focus and productivity, you’ll be able to get more done in that space. For me, my focus space is sitting at my desk with music playing in the background. Some people recommend Mario Kart music for writing essays but I like to listen to Brown Noise, it's a lower frequency than White Noise, especially when I’m reading. Recently I’ve been listening to this 10 Hour ADHD Focus Music on YouTube if you want to check it out. While working, my phone is either face down, hidden in a drawer from my line of sight, or completely out of reach depending on how much trouble I have focusing. To limit the amount of times I get up, I’ll have a cup of water next to me and if you’re feeling hungry, grab a snack before sitting down. My goal is always to try to get as much done as I can once I sit down without getting back up again. However if I notice that I’ve been distracted checking email or on my phone for more than 10 minutes, I’ll get up and move away from my desk to try to preserve that space as an area of focus. When you create your focus space and go to sit down, pick what assignment you are focused on and what you want to tackle so you can stay on track. If you’re getting overwhelmed by a project that just feels so big, try setting a timer for 5 minutes and see what you can chip away at, even if it’s making a plan on how to tackle it in the future, breaking the task into smaller chunks, brainstorming, or outlining, that’s progress! This is similar to the idea of setting a timer for a set amount of time and sitting down and just working on one of your tasks to break a procrastination slump and encourage focus (Loder). Having a set amount of time allows you to know when you will get a break, but also can encourage your competitive side to try and get something done in that time period. If you continue to feel focused after the time is up, ride that energy and take a break when you feel you need it. 3. Change your mindset While it is easy to shame ourselves for not being perfectly productive robots every second of the day, it’s a lot harder to accept our procrastination as a positive thing. I often feel angry at myself for procrastinating since I get wayyy more stressed the longer I wait, which only makes me want to procrastinate more and thus creates a vicious cycle. In these situations, acknowledging that we feel guilty for watching that next episode also means forgiving ourselves for taking a longer break than we had intended. Be kind to yourself and celebrate small victories, like reading 4 out of the 5 articles your professor assigned (and yes #5 was the longest, but it’s okay). In addition to being kind, working on rephrasing our internal dialogue around tasks can help us feel more motivated to complete. Instead of saying “I need to do x” or “I have to do y before class” try saying “I am choosing to do x right now” or “I want to get y done before class” (Mind Tools). By taking ownership of these tasks, you're giving yourself agency and control over the situation so it isn’t something out of your hands but something manageable. 4. Make it fun! There are lots of ways to make getting work a little bit more fun. Rewarding yourself when you complete a task is one way to boost motivation. It can be a chocolate once you finish that reading or telling yourself to work for an extra 15 minutes before getting up so you can make something a little nicer for dinner. Having an accountability buddy is also helpful, especially if you have trouble listening to yourself and your self imposed deadlines. This can be someone who works on the project with you or just does their own thing on the opposite side of the room so they can stop you before you’re spiraling on Tiktok for an hour (shout out to my partner!). You can even up the ante with your buddy and set a time limit with a prize at the end. An example being: If I can write this essay by Thursday at 5 pm, you have to buy me dinner. If I don’t finish it, then I buy you dinner (Loder). This can be a fun way to boost competition, just make sure that the time limit isn’t impossible for you. Another fun way to boost focus is to build the habit of listening to a procrastination power song that energizes you before you focus on a task you’ve been avoiding. This song will also act as a cue for the brain that it’s time to focus if that song becomes a habit (Loder). Finally getting organized with a small to-do list will also help you be more productive. Try to choose only a few tasks to focus on each day so your list doesn’t overwhelm you. I’ve started bullet journaling again (I did briefly in 2018) to help my to-do lists be organized in a way that benefits me and also looks cute. The way I have my journal set up I can see what I accomplished each day for that week, what I didn’t finish the day before that shifts over to the current day, and I have a space for weekly goals (you can find that post here). I hope you’re able to find some new ideas to try and that you’ll be able to find success in focusing. This time is hard for everyone and focusing on schoolwork is the last thing I want to be doing right now. But finding little ways to make it better and more bearable will lead to lower levels of stress which can make a big difference on your physical, emotional, and mental health. Now that you’ve finished reading, maybe try working on that thing you’re avoiding (you know what I mean). Sources: Loder, Vanessa. “10 Scientifically Proven Tips for Beating Procrastination.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 Apr. 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/vanessaloder/2016/04/15/10-scientifically-proven-tips-for-beating-procrastination/?sh=4fc3b5f9296a. Mind Tools, Content Team. “How Can I Stop Procrastinating?: Overcoming the Habit of Delaying Important Tasks.” Procrastination - How Can I Stop Procrastinating? with MindTools.com, www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm.
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January 2024
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