Are You PROCRASTINATING RN?

Alright, let's be honest, you probably have something else you’re supposed to be doing right now. Whether it's a report due in a few hours or chores that were supposed to be done hours ago. Instead, here you are, reading this article on procrastination. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

Over 20% of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators. Procrastination is a tendency, attitude, or behavioral trait of someone who lacks willpower and enthusiasm to complete tasks. Most people are prone to not completing their assignment and putting it off till later, thinking that they still have time to finish a paper tomorrow when they don’t.

When people procrastinate, they do minor things instead of working on essential meaningful responsibilities. They will often spend their time watching TV, playing video games, scrolling through social media, or maybe just sitting and staring at a wall. Afterward, they are left feeling powerless and overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and distress. Which is why procrastination is so destructive. We’ve written this article as a way to understand procrastination, and its impact on students' lives, and also provide methods to help wrangle your monster of procrastination into submission.

How does Procrastinating Threaten Me?

Procrastination is a universal problem; just like us, workers, professional laborers, and even teachers all share our struggles. But, despite it being a common problem, we should not treat it with normalcy. There are many consequences to procrastination, many of which are particularly harmful to not only our mental health but also our physical ones.

• A Sleep Schedule Destroyer

  Procrastination can also affect our personal and social life, especially as students. By procrastinating, we lose our chances in building meaningful relationships with those around us, being too busy finishing tasks last minute. You won’t be able to have exciting adventures or deep conversations with people you care about when you’re overwhelmed. Most important of all, you won’t have time to take care of yourselves.

• Personal and Social Life Eater

  Procrastination can also affect our personal and social life, especially as students. By procrastinating, we lose our chances in building meaningful relationships with those around us, being too busy finishing tasks last minute. You won’t be able to have exciting adventures or deep conversations with people you care about when you’re overwhelmed. Most important of all, you won’t have time to take care of yourselves.

• More Stress, Less Focus

  One of the most well-known consequences, procrastination causes a lot of stress which may also lead to what’s known as the Zeigarnik effect, which forces our brains to dwell on unfinished tasks until they are completed. This can spiral to difficulty in focusing during important events like classes, group discussions, or the goings-on of life. Due to the habit of procrastination, we lose the ability to discipline ourselves and manage our time properly.

• Downgrades the Quality of Work

  It’s no surprise to anyone that procrastination lowers the quality of our work. When in a panic, we tend to resort to finishing/cramming as much info into the study/work session and forgetting about the quality. With the work being rushed, the work tends to be significantly worse than what had been expected.

• Takes Away Your "Me Time"

  Procrastination endangers not only relationships with family and friends, but also relationships with ourselves. Due to the built-up stress from work, very close deadlines, and lack of concentration, we become so overwhelmed with everything that we are unable to take care of ourselves.

The Mindset of a Procrastinator

After acknowledging the threats of procrastination, let us delve into the mindset most procrastinators adopt.

• "Time is on My Side"

  When given a task, most procrastinators tend to put it aside. Some believe that they will have time to complete it later, while others get unmotivated by the sheer amount of work that has to be done. By the time the deadline is near, most procrastinators panic and regret their decision to not complete work earlier.

• "No Mood, No Good"

  Most procrastinators delay working on assigned tasks due to a lack of motivation or simply not having the right mood to do it at that moment. While this feeling is understandable, it is highly beneficial for us to escape this mindset, and learn to adapt to any given situation.

• "I'm Feeling Tired Right Now..."

  There’s always a point in time, whether it be right now or far in the future when you just want to clock out for the day and simply leave the task for later. Instead of simply giving up and delaying the inevitable, at least try to start it---sometimes, the only thing holding us back is the first step. Besides, you’ll get a better night’s rest knowing that you have one less burden on your shoulders.

How Can I Manage My Time?

To avoid being a procrastinator, time management is one way to escape the never-ending loophole. Here are some ways to effectively manage time.

• Priority List

  Make a priority list. Not only can these help us keep organized, but it also allows us to see which tasks are in most need of immediate attention. This can also double as a to-do list. Some common terms in apps and websites would be high, medium, and low. You could also colour code the list. We recommend using Todoist, MinimaList, or Trello if you prefer digital lists.

• Cookie Crumb Breaks

  After working/studying for long periods of time, taking a break is essential. Depending on the study time, the length of your break will vary. By taking breaks in between the study/work duration, our brain is able to “freshen up” and come back to the task with a clearer head. This leads to high levels of productivity, energy, and concentration (“Cornell Health”).

• Get Your Daily Dose of Sleep

  It’s never a bad thing to get enough sleep. This correlates to the threats of procrastination. Through being well-rested, we likely will have a clearer and more productive mind, resulting in fewer opportunities for us to fall victim to procrastination. A trick many people have tried is the 90-minute sleep cycle. Dr. Raj, an NHS surgeon, suggested that we should wake up after one of our 90-minute sleep cycles ends, before the start of the next cycle. If you aren’t sure about how to monitor your cycle, feel free to use online sleep calculators.

Studying Tips & Tricks

When trying to study for an upcoming test or trying to finish your assignments, it’s always good to know when and how you study best. Feel free to try the tips and techniques listed below to see if they suit you!

• Early Bird vs. Night Owl

  Time is important in study sessions. When you are studying can help with your understanding of your topic(s). While some people work better bright and early at the crack of dawn, others work better late in the night, some might even work best in the middle of the day or in the evenings. Try different times and see when you study best.

• Types of Learners

  There are several kinds of learner types: Visual (PPTs, Articles, etc), auditory (YouTube videos, Teachers' lectures), verbal (group discussions, presentations), and physical (experiments, hands-on activities) are the most popular ones. Each of these learner types requires different methods and study habits. Finding what works best for you can not only allow more effective studying but also reduce the time wasted trying to understand something in a way that makes it more difficult for you. A common study website that accommodates multiple learner types would be Khan Academy.

• Help or Hindrance?

  Take a look back and see if certain situations have helped or hindered you. Are study groups actually beneficial for you or does it just drag you into the latest school gossip? Does music help tune out potential distractions or does it just lead you to jam on that one song in your playlist? Does using your phone actually help or does it only lead you to catch up on all the latest posts on social media? Understanding what helps, what hinders, and how to effectively use/avoid them can be very useful in keeping yourself focused during study sessions.

• Keep Yourself Organized

  Instead of simply memorizing your list of assignments, formatives, and summative assessments, try keeping a to-do list instead. Some apps/websites/extensions that have helped us are MinimaList, Google Calendar, Notion, and even the default notes app. If music does help in keeping you focused during your studies, make a playlist of music that you know will not distract you. Lofi, Jazz, Classical, and white noise are popular choices but if they don’t work for you, that’s okay. Find what suits you best.

• Study Technique Tips

  We’ve all heard of the Pomodoro technique by now, do the task a set number of times and take a break before repeating again with shorter numbers. While it may help some people, the timer required for this technique may actually distract others. Instead, try using things like taking a break after one or two songs, boiling a kettle then resting for a bit once it’s ready, etc.

  Another method would be the “Showtime Trick”. Essentially, we are tricking our brains into a certain state of mind. By doing things like wearing certain clothes or doing certain routines, we can trigger our brain into doing something we have associated these “rituals” with. For example, by wearing something a bit more formal instead of pyjamas, your brain is tricked into thinking that you are in a more professional setting. Therefore, you are able to complete tasks quicker. Instead of doing assignments in your bed wearing pyjamas and accidentally falling asleep, try instead to work before/after school in your living room or a local cafe. While not entirely foolproof, it may help you in channeling motivation to get things started.