How To Finally Stop Procrastination

Are you watching Netflix right now? Is the sudden realisation of unfinished studies hitting you? In spite of this realisation, do you continue to binge watch your show? If the answer to these questions is yes, you are probably procrastinating!

Procrastination is the unnecessary postponing of decisions or actions. We are all guilty of this at some time or the other. But that does not mean that it does not have its negative effects and dangers. Procrastination is associated with worsened academic grades, reduced wellbeing, increased interpersonal issues, and decreased mental and physical health.

It is absolutely imperative that we truly understand the dangers of procrastination because it can cause serious problems in various arenas of your growth. Procrastination is often confused with just plain old laziness but that is not the case. Procrastination is an active process where you choose to avoid your work even if you care about it. Laziness, on the other hand, suggests a general apathy or an unwillingness to act. They can also have different root causes that could be surface level like mood swings or a more deeply rooted personality related issue.

The first step to overcoming procrastination is to understand and acknowledge that you’re procrastinating. Without this recognition of the problem, it is inherently difficult to fix it. It is beneficial to address this issue when you are younger so that it does not have a long-term impact on your future.  If left unattended it can lead to employment, financial and persistent interpersonal issues.

 Working on the habit of procrastination may seem like an impossible feat but trust us, it really is not. You can learn how to stop procrastinating by integrating certain simple processes into your routine and take steps to actively avoid the dangers of this unhealthy habit. Some of these steps are:

• Make your environment conducive to productivity – The more effectively organised your study space is, the better focus you will have. You can remove distractions from your environment before you start your work so that your brain has time to prepare itself.

• Break your work down into small actionable chunks – Doing this can give you the sense of a reduced workload and help you bring your stress levels down. You feel less overwhelmed which leads to improved productivity.

• Set concrete deadlines – If you have strict deadlines, you are more likely to stick to them without faltering or getting distracted. With vague deadlines, you have the luxury of postponing the work, which is not possible with concrete ones.

• Reward yourself for your accomplishments – After completing your task, reward yourself with something small so you have something to look forward to when you are done. This creates a sense of accomplishment.

• Take adequate breaks – If you take planned breaks when necessary, you can avoid the need to take long and unproductive ones. Taking a 5-minute break every half an hour can increase energy levels and focus. When you have increased focus, you tend to reduce wasting time.

• Make sure your goals are achievable – If your goals or expectations are too high, then you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. Big disappointments can lead to procrastination and giving up. When you have goals that are achievable, you know that you can work towards them and be successful.

• Improve your lifestyle – Procrastination often stems from lack of energy. Making some positive changes to your lifestyle can give your energy levels a boost and in turn make you more productive. You can do things like practice sleeping and waking up early, eating healthy food and exercising more.

• Try not to be unrealistically perfect – Perfectionism can hinder effective performance. Sometimes it is better to get the task done rather than focusing on exactly how perfect it is. Things do not always have to be extremely perfect because what matters is that you have completed the task effectively.

• Ask someone to check on you – Very often, you complete a task better and on time when you have someone who is checking on you. This builds a healthy level of peer pressure and helps you to stop avoiding your work.

• Keep a prioritised to-do list – Becoming more organised can help you declutter your mind and focus on the tasks at hand rather than dwelling and wasting time on thinking about how much you have to do. Prioritise the tasks on the list and then work on what you find to be most urgent.

• Identify your peak time – Figure out if you work better in the morning, afternoon or evening and tackle the tasks you find the hardest at that time. Doing this can help you get tough tasks out of the way with increased focus.

•  Focus on when, how and why you procrastinate – Once you figure out the situations you procrastinate in, you can work on eliminating those factors from your environment and focus on the task at hand.

Working on reducing procrastination can seem like a daunting and difficult task but after adopting these methods, it definitely gets marginally better. You can move forward with your tasks and be much more productive. Work on yourself and say goodbye to wasting time, avoiding tasks and guilt!

For any doubts, reach out to our Coaches, who are always ready to help you!