26 Feb Mastering Time: How to Beat Procrastination
Do you find yourself procrastinating and losing a lot of time to getting your work done? You’re not alone, we’ve all been there!
Ask anyone around you, procrastination is a common challenge that many of us face. It can stop your from achieving academically and it can hinder your personal growth. So, let’s check out some practical tips and strategies to help you make the most of your study time.#1 Get organised
Don’t worry if you haven’t been organised up to now. The start of a new week is a great opportunity to start fresh. The first thing to do is give your study space a clean and minimise any distractions and reduce as much noise as possible.Once that’s done, use tools like planners, calendars, or any digital apps you prefer to keep track of deadlines, important dates and assignments.
Sit down and mark them all out so you don’t miss a thing. For a detailed version of how to do this, check out this article.
#2 The Pomodoro Time Technique
Sitting down for multiple hours at a time without any breaks is exhausting, and what’s worse, your body and mind will resent you for it.In fact, the best way to complete your work and avoid procrastination is to have regular breaks!Using the Pomodoro Time Technique means that you break your study time into intervals, e.g., 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break.
Establish what work you need to get done for the afternoon, and estimate how long each of them will take.
Set your phone to time 25 minutes and get started on your work. When the alarm goes off, set yourself a 5-minute break. Repeat this for four cycles, and then take a longer break, about 15-30 minutes.
This technique was developed to help maintain concentration and prevent burnout.
#3 Eliminate Distractions
There’s so much to distract us in modern daily life, and it’s always within arms reach. It makes sense to remove the sources of your distraction, if it’s causing you to procrastinate.
Time-blocking websites are a great way to stay focused, and we highly recommend blocking them for the duration of your evening study. StayFocused is a Google Chrome extension that works really well with Pomodoro.
You could also go with nuclear options like Cold Turkey and Self Control if you’re the type of person who starts blocking websites, then caves.
Make sure you block all of the usual social media culprits, as well as sites like Reddit or Wikipedia, where you might be tempted to look up some random thought or piece of information that pops into your brain.
As for your phone or tablet, put it on airplane mode!
Stick to this routine, and you’ll establish the consistency you need to get stuff done.
#4 Break Down Big Tasks
Large projects or assignments can be daunting, often leading to procrastination.
Breaking down these significant tasks into smaller, more manageable components will transform what seems like an overwhelming endeavour, into a series of small, achievable steps.
This approach not only makes the workload more digestible but also allows you to celebrate incremental successes.
You can visibly see how much you’ve done, and it’s more motivating to get to the end if you know how much you’ve got left.
When you focus on completing one task at a time, you build momentum and tick off each section as you complete it.
#5 Reward Yourself
Incorporate a reward system for yourself, in order to add an element of positive reinforcement to your study routine.When you achieve your specific study goals, think of something that you love to do and do it! It could be:
- Watching your favourite show
- Chatting with your friends
- Enjoy your favourite snack
- Going to the gym or having a workout
Rewards act as motivators, and you want to create a positive association whenever you complete a task. The positive psychological reinforcement will help you to combat procrastination by making the act of completing your studies satisfying.
Over time, this will develop your positive study habits, and it’s something that you can sustain and stay on track with.
Try these tips out and see how you go!
Overcoming procrastination is an ongoing process. It’s not about punishing yourself!
Stay focused on a positive approach to getting through your workload. Remember, you’re at school to learn and grow, and you can do it. Give these practical tips a go, and tap in to your productive self.