Expert on procrastination
So all of us put off doing something that we want to do from time to time. We might put it off because we’re too busy or we’ve got something that is much greater priority. But in other times we have things that are really meaningful, really important to us, something that is actually quiet necessary for us to do, but we still put it off, that’s what procrastination is.
It’s often due to a number of different things. It might be because we are bored by the task, it might mean that we are overwhelmed by the task, we don’t know where to start. We might fear that we won’t get it right enough, that it’s not going to be perfect, and we just not have a plan.
One of the first things to do is to start getting really clear with what your goal is. Try and not to make big statements like, ‘I’ve just to complete my assignment’. Break it down into steps, often taking the first step if you’ve got an assignment, it looks pretty scary, it’s big. Once we get started we get more focused on what we are doing, and we stop thinking about how much we have to do.
Another thing to help with procrastination is to actually schedule in time. Schedule in lots of time rather than just a full day. Make sure you have breaks. If you are someone who doesn’t focus very well, keep your time slots fairly short.
Other things is actually taking to other people about what it is you need to do. The more you involve other people, the more accountable you are holding yourself, you’re more likely to get it done. If you are in a very busy household where people are going to be coming and going, go somewhere that’s going to be quieter.
So turning off your devices, a lot of apps now where you can actually block certain websites if you are someone who keeps going back to the same game, or the same website, you can turn it off for a period of time.
A lot of the time with procrastination, we are procrastinating, there is a lot of complex self-thought that is going on, a lot of that can be negative and it can be beating ourselves up, we can just feel like we don’t have the confidence. Unfortunately when we procrastinate, if you’re already stuck in that cycle of beating yourself up, you’re going to beat yourself up, you’re going to beat yourself up about your procrastination and that’s going to feed into your procrastination, and potentially make you feel a whole lot worse.
What I suggest is really practice self-kindness, try not to get stuck in what’s happened in the past. Think about where you can go from here, what you can do now and into the future. Remember to take small steps, one step at a time and every step is going to take you closer to your goals, so keep looking forward.
Students on procrastination
I guess just online, you know suggested videos on Youtube. That always gets me.
Listening to music.
I used to play games online, but now my main procrastination is tv shows.
Sleeping, I nap too much…. Eating.
Facebook, like social media, watching movies, youtubing.
Because I have a short attention span.
I think it’s just something that your brain, kind of pushes yourself into when you have a lot of work to do.
No one is interested in writing up a whole essay, a 1000- 500.
Like set aside time for rest as well as just for work, so that I am getting a balance.
Usually like set up my space so that it’s not like so informal. So I will set up my desk, so I will sit down and actually feel like I have to do something in my book.
Facebook notifications, turn them off. After doing that, you know, you kind of free yourself from like all these messages coming in your head, and you have more time to do work.
Can you give two tips for other students to stop procrastinating?
Don’t sit on your bed like I do. 100 percent sit in a desk, sit in a chair, clean up, like for me if I have a cluttered space it screws my head.
Just turn off your wifi and get you’re off out of your sight, that’s it.
Keep trying new things until you find something g that works for you.
Procrastination: Expert Perspective
So all of us put off doing something that we want to do from time to time. We might put it off because we’re too busy or we’ve got something that is much greater priority. But in other times we have things that are really meaningful, really important to us, something that is actually quiet necessary for us to do, but we still put it off, that’s what procrastination is.
It’s often due to a number of different things. It might be because we are bored by the task, it might mean that we are overwhelmed by the task, we don’t know where to start. We might fear that we won’t get it right enough, that it’s not going to be perfect, and we just not have a plan.
One of the first things to do is to start getting really clear with what your goal is. Try and not to make big statements like, ‘I’ve just to complete my assignment’. Break it down into steps, often taking the first step if you’ve got an assignment, it looks pretty scary, it’s big. Once we get started we get more focused on what we are doing, and we stop thinking about how much we have to do.
Another thing to help with procrastination is to actually schedule in time. Schedule in lots of time rather than just a full day. Make sure you have breaks. If you are someone who doesn’t focus very well, keep your time slots fairly short.
Other things is actually taking to other people about what it is you need to do. The more you involve other people, the more accountable you are holding yourself, you’re more likely to get it done. If you are in a very busy household where people are going to be coming and going, go somewhere that’s going to be quieter.
So turning off your devices, a lot of apps now where you can actually block certain websites if you are someone who keeps going back to the same game, or the same website, you can turn it off for a period of time.
A lot of the time with procrastination, we are procrastinating, there is a lot of complex self-thought that is going on, a lot of that can be negative and it can be beating ourselves up, we can just feel like we don’t have the confidence. Unfortunately when we procrastinate, if you’re already stuck in that cycle of beating yourself up, you’re going to beat yourself up, you’re going to beat yourself up about your procrastination and that’s going to feed into your procrastination, and potentially make you feel a whole lot worse.
What I suggest is really practice self-kindness, try not to get stuck in what’s happened in the past. Think about where you can go from here, what you can do now and into the future. Remember to take small steps, one step at a time and every step is going to take you closer to your goals, so keep looking forward.