Procrastination is a long-standing issue for students, as laziness can pester them. For example, dissertation writing is often tiring and draining for students. A student can start losing motivation and postpone his work for months. Even in exam preparation, students often think they have a lot of time on hand and postpone tasks. It is a huge challenge that comes on the road to student success.
While minor forms of procrastination are easy to tackle, major forms are problematic. Chronic procrastination also has negative effects on student well-being. Young students are most likely to procrastinate, with nearly 81 per cent being habitual procrastinators. It becomes very important to tackle laziness at a personal level. In crucial times, you need strategies to combat procrastination and succeed in your studies.
Strategies that help get your work done
As a student, you have some goals to achieve when you study every day. When procrastination takes over, your time management skills will suffer. Then, you lose track of your online learning goals and do not get things done. To tackle procrastination, here are some practical strategies that you can use during academic writing projects.
Come to terms
The first thing that you need to do is to come to terms with the fact that you are postponing your tasks. You need to first identify that you are a victim of procrastination. To do this, you need to first observe the patterns that you follow in your daily life. Procrastination happens the most when you ignore the signs.
Many students procrastinate because they are afraid of taking the task and then failing. Procrastination can also happen when people face some emotional problems. People who might suffer from depression also suffer from procrastination. Before treating procrastination, you need to identify the cause.
Choose a good study location
Study location plays a massive role in determining how you study and how you achieve your goals. You need to choose the right kind of study location to motivate yourself so you can achieve all the goals you set. You should not pick a very comfortable place like the bed for studying. For a non-traditional experience, you should pick a study location that activates your brain. Do not choose a space that has a blanket or too many pillows. Moreover, you should always pick a place where you get good lighting and study amenities.
Reduce distractions around you
The distractions around you can hamper the way you study and chase your goals. Distractions can take away your time and accelerate procrastination. Distractions like social media apps, calls, and other objects can reduce your concentration on your studies. Do not pick places where you might face a lot of noise or people coming and going.
Choose a quiet and well-lit space to study so you can sit there for hours and get your work done. If needed, keep your phone in do not disturb mode. In the present era, mobile phones are the biggest distractions for students. Keep your smartphone away from you and set timers to study. This way, you can plan to study and take breaks without procrastination.
To remove distractions and completely focus your mind, white noise is a great choice. During your dissertation proposal writing, you can simply put on some white noise and focus on the task. For the future of work, mindfulness and reduced distraction is very important.
Set achievable goals
The study goals you have also play a role in how easily you achieve them. You need to set achievable goals that act as milestones. Create a study plan with easy goals at first. Over time, you can go ahead and increase the difficulty level of the goals. This creates a habit of gradual achievements.
With such an approach, you get all the tasks done over a period of time. Do not choose a large chunk of work and then brood over it. One of the online learning tips is to solve a few questions at first and then take a break. Break down the time over the day, and plan breaks in between so your brain can recharge.
If you are studying for a test, do not keep the revision to the last day. Firstly, you should plan the study schedule for every day. Even if you do not achieve all the goals for the day, try to achieve at least 70 per cent of the study goals. This way, you can make every day productive. The division of tasks will make it look like you can achieve the goals. Assign time for each task and get the assignment done in small chunks. After that, you can compile all of it together.
Work in pairs or group
It is a myth that studying in a group only leads to fun and no work. If you do not like to study alone, get one or two friends who can study with you. Your friends can help keep track of your procrastination. However, for this, you need to find friends who are serious about your studies. Set goals together and follow through with the goals. If there is a crowd for you, you can simply study in pairs. This way, you can help each other revise and recollect information.
This is one of the procrastination tips that work best for exam revisions. Moreover, you can also plan breaks together and improve your bond with this friend. The only thing you should keep track of is not wasting too much time in breaks or small talk. You can also use collaboration tools to help students keep track of each other’s study progress.
Give rewards
At a time when student mental health is degrading, a self-reward policy can work wonders. Rewarding yourself for the tasks you have finished is a good source of self-motivation. The positivity that rewards bring tackles the negative effect of procrastination greatly. This is equal to the anticipation of a prize at the end of a race. The idea of the reward will give you the impetus to finish your task quickly. This is a way of positively rewiring your brain and focusing it on achieving goals. The reward mechanism will also help you develop a new, positive habit.
The rewards that you choose can be simple but fulfilling. For example, you can think of getting ice cream after a successful study session. You can reward yourself by dancing or going out with friends in the evening. The reward mechanism is excellent for training your brain so it aligns with a growth mindset.
Take breaks in between
For the success of your study sessions and prep, you need to incorporate breaks into the schedule. The human brain is a machine. It is very efficient, but it needs rest to function properly at all times. Therefore, it is actually productive to take a break after achieving a task. You need to understand the difference between procrastination and breaks. While study breaks are productive, procrastination is laziness.
Laziness can extend and hinder your abilities. On the other hand, planned breaks can reset your brain and help you focus on your studies. In order to not slip into procrastination again, you need to set aside a certain amount of time for the breaks. Planned breaks can precisely refresh you and increase your productivity. Plan brain-strengthening activities for your breaks. The easiest thing that you can do is eat brain-enriching foods to help you study later.
Keep yourself accountable
The biggest defense that you can have against procrastination is actually your mind. You need to inculcate accountability in your study mindset. You have to think about why you are studying and then set your goals. Keep yourself accountable if any of the goals are missed. You need to plan out your study goals and keep them in mind. While it is easy to lose track of your goals, try to keep yourself in check. Tap into some self-motivation and push yourself to finish your studies.
If you have not completely developed self-accountability, you can do so with the help of your family. You can also ask one of your close friends or family members to track your goals. Set reminders, and when you get them, get to work. Chronic procrastinators often get triggered by constant reminders to study. Yet, it is important to take such reminders and alerts positively.
Conclusion
Time management is extremely important for students as it helps them achieve their career goals. Tackling procrastination is another employability skill. Whether it is one simple assignment or exam prep, procrastination can creep in. To keep procrastination at bay, you need to stay aware. Manage your time productively while also taking some time out for fun. Always try to balance your academic and personal goals so you can win on all fronts. Taking care of your mental health is also important in the race to achieve your goals. Therefore, you should take positive steps to create a lifestyle that has positive habits in it.
