Fighting Procrastination

Procrastination is a word that professors dread hearing. It causes people stress and anxiety which can ruin a person’s day. This may sound dramatic, but if you read up on the effects of procrastination it shows that it can effect your health, finances, your performance in school or work, and cause feelings of anxiety. Interested in learning more? Then check out:

Procrastination

Procrastination is the tendency to avoid unpleasant or stressful tasks that are often very important and replace them with less important, less stressful tasks. A person who avoids calling a debt collector or who posts on social networking sites instead of writing a paper is engaging in procrastination.

It is important to find ways to get yourself to manage your work and homework so that you don’t procrastinate.

One way is to set simple, achievable goals.

By setting simple and achievable goals you don’t get overwhelmed just thinking about your projects. Focus on one project at a time and then your list won’t seem as long and tiresome.

Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.

Organize your projects from needs to get done now to can wait till later. Then set a specific time frame for each project. For example:

This is loosely based of my schedule. Find a planner or calendar that you dedicate to planning your homework and projects out.

Try using incentives.

It is okay to bribe yourself into doing your work. Promise yourself that if you finish that paper due next week on Friday, then you can go to the movies on Saturday. Give yourself something to work towards and it will make the project easier to do.

Get the hard stuff done first.

It is typical for people to start with the easy projects and put off the harder ones, but try reversing them. Start with the harder projects because then they won’t cause you stress later. Putting off the harder projects is worse for your anxiety then if you were to put off reading a chapter.

Change your environment.

Sometimes studying or working on a project is easier when you get a change of scenery. Personally, I work in my room, but when I feel like I am stuck I will go to the library. If it is a nice day try to find a quiet place outside.

Stop over-complicating things.

Students tend to be their own worst nightmare because they over think their projects. When you over think a project it can be more intimidating then it really is. When I write a paper or work on a big project, I try to just get it done and worry about if it is right after I finish. Then I revise and edit. It doesn’t seem so hard when you do a project this way.

Ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that could happen if I did this today?

The fact is that by working on that project that isn’t due till next week today, can save yourself from anxiety and second-rate work. Nothing bad will happen if you get an early start.

Finally, imagine how you’ll feel once you do whatever it is you’ve been postponing.

It always feels amazing when the project is done and you don’t have to worry about it. Try to remember that feeling when you prepare to start something.

It is hard to get started on the big projects, but once you do you will feel a whole lot better. Not only will your anxiety lessen, but also your work will be better. Procrastination isn’t worth the stress and bad grades that are sure to follow it.

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