Sometimes it feels better to put off our work rather than diving into something difficult, overwhelming, or simply unenjoyable. Edel Walsh outlines how you can overcome your procrastination
Do you find you leave your studies until the eleventh hour? When you sit down to study, do you spend more time organising your notes and desk than doing productive work?
One of the most common time management traps students fall into is the habit of procrastination.
In this article, I will look at what procrastination is, its causes, and how to overcome procrastination when it comes to your studies.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is the art of delaying or postponing an action, so there is a significant lapse between when you intend to do something and when you eventually do it. This can result in missed opportunities, missed deadlines, feelings of stress, frustration, and dissatisfaction.
Causes of procrastination
There can be simple causes of procrastination, such as:
- the task appears overwhelming;
- the inability to prioritise; and
- a lack of skills and knowledge to complete the task.
More complex reasons for procrastination include:
- a fear of failure; and
- perfectionist tendencies.
How to combat procrastination
There are many ways to combat procrastination, and here are just a few.
Reflect on your behaviour
Start by writing down the reason why you are delaying the task. By reflecting on your behaviour and its causes, you can start to work on overcoming the challenge before you.
Break it down
If the task appears overwhelming, break it down into small manageable chunks. As students, we often think of the end goal – the exams. This is called a performance goal.
However, a better approach is to think in terms of learning goals. A learning goal is where we focus on understanding and mastering one small element of the syllabus.
Reframe your self-talk
It is also important to watch your self-talk. Sometimes, our internal dialogue can be negative, especially when we are under pressure or feeling stressed.
For example, you might tell yourself that you can’t pass the exam or that there is too much information for you to take in. Instead, reframe your self-talk by finding the one small step you can take to move forward in your studies.
Remind yourself of your strengths and your capabilities. Consider the times in the past when you were procrastinating on a task and what you did to overcome this.
Pomodoro technique
Limit yourself to short periods of work. For example, work on a task for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. This is known as the ‘Pomodoro’ technique.
During your break, take a few moments to reflect on what worked well for you in the 25 minutes of study. What have you learned? What else do you need to know for a better understanding of the topic?
“Eat the frog”
Schedule time for the task, even to get a little bit done.
Sometimes, if we find a task overwhelming or complicated, we tend to avoid it and instead focus on the subjects and tasks we enjoy, or the topics we find easy.
A helpful technique to use is to “eat the frog”. When planning a study block, schedule the subjects you find difficult first and keep the easier subjects until the end.
Find a study partner
Consider finding an accountability partner like a friend, colleague, or family member. This is someone who keeps you on track and helps you maintain progress on a task. Discuss the tasks you procrastinate on with your accountability partner and ask them to check your progress regularly. This increases motivation to complete the job.
Procrastination is a habit
The good news is that procrastination is a habit. Bad habits can be broken, and good habits can be made.
A helpful tool to use is the ‘Cue, Behaviour, Reward’ technique when building new habits.
The cue is a trigger that sets off our habitual routine. The behaviour is the action that comprises the habit. Finally, the reward is a tangible or intangible positive reinforcement for the behaviour.
Let’s take an example:
- Cue: If I start browsing social media instead of tackling my studies…
- Behaviour: …then I will put my phone on aeroplane mode…
- Reward: …and take a deep, productive break once I have completed the task.
Changing your habits
We have seen that procrastination is a habit that can result in feelings of stress, overwhelm and disappointment. However, patterns can be changed. To change your practices, break the tasks into small manageable chunks, “eat the frog”, watch out for the negative self-talk, limit yourself to short work periods and find an accountability partner.
Edel Walsh is an academic performance coach. Her website is www.edelwash.ie, and her email is edel@edelwalsh.ie
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