A Guide To Win Against Procrastination

How To Win Against Procrastination

It's an hour past midnight and you're surrounded by books and notes, with your head drooping towards the table. You have an exam tomorrow - you're determined to study all night to pass it. Suddenly the phone buzzes loudly, startling you with its deep vibrations: it's that guy across the street asking you to send him notes from all the lectures he's missed. You log on to Facebook, find a video of a singing cat, write a comment here and a reaction there... before you know it, your 7:00am alarm is blaring and you groan at the thought of the exam you still haven't studied for.

Don't panic -  at one point or another, we've all gone through the same phase! It's normal to procrastinate, not just for students, but for adults as well. Put simply, leaving the work you should finish now for later is called procrastinating.

Look familiar? It's what you've been doing all day...

There are gazillions of ways to do it, some of which you're probably quite familiar with. Everyone procrastinates at some point; however, if you find yourself in the situation where this is stopping you from getting anything done, you need help. Now. Here, I've jotted down a few things which will - with some luck and effort - snatch you out of the dreadful jaws of the procrastination monster!

1. Figure out what you need to do. You don't need anything fancy - just grab a pen and piece of paper and you're all set. By visually looking at the tasks you're hiding from, it will be easier to decide what to do.
2. Prioritize. If you've got tons of work left, pick the one that's either the most important or which you can quickly finish.
3. Talk to yourself. Convince your mind that once you complete one task on your to-do list, you get to finish that large chunk of Toblerone you've been hiding in the fridge. Any reward works, as long as it motivates you to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
4. Homework making you sleepy? Switch on good, lively music which is bound to keep you awake. Sure, you might be singing as well as working, but as long as you don't write song lyrics in your essay what's the harm in listening? You're not sleeping and the homework's getting done.
5. Sometimes after a long day out, power naps can work miracles. Set an alarm (or multiple alarms if you're like me) to wake you up after a good hour. Once you're up and feeling refreshed, grab your list and get to work.
6. Especially during exam time, keep a pile of snacks near your study table/place. Don't feel like studying? Eat. While eating go through your notes. Prove to yourself that you don't procrastinate.
7. To be completely honest, social media can play a big role in our lives. Bury your phone for a while so that you're not tempted to take a 'five-minute break' and ruin all your hard work. Take an hour break. Make sure you do something to deserve it.
8. It can be boring to have to work by yourself. Find somebody who is not in the mood of slacking off. Their drive and eagerness to get the job done will motivate you to do the same. Also, working together is fun!
9. If you are working towards a deadline, fasten the date that is at least a month before it into your mind. Prepare yourself by thinking about the earlier date - by the time the deadline approaches the job will be done.

When you've all but given up

All of these have at some point in time worked for me. If after trying them, you're still losing to the evil voice in your head telling you to slack off... fine. As long as there are no mountains of coursework due in ten days, or instead of losing ten pounds, you're gaining five, it's okay. You get the idea... we all need a break sometimes and in some cases, the only way to be productive is to spend some time trying not to be.

I hope this article has helped you in a small way to stop procrastinating. If you would like to share your thoughts, opinions, and feedback, please leave a comment - I would love to read how my writing has been impacting you all.