Procrastination is the needless act of delaying decisions and actions and it’s no secret that it has involved itself with everyone at some point. Whether it be academic studying, completing household chores, exercise routines or meeting deadlines, sometimes our minds convince ourselves that absolutely anything would be a better use of our time than completing the one task that we are actually supposed to be doing.
It is an annoying and frustrating habit to have, and can sometimes result in hours of time being wasted. It is imperative that if a person wants to stop procrastinating, they understand the science behind it and realise why they do it in the first place.
When we have a task to complete, we rely on our self-control (helping us physically doing it) and motivation (pushing us to do it in a timely manner) to get it done. If you think about it, this process happens throughout most interactions in our everyday life! This leads to the inevitable question … why is it only when faced with specific tasks at certain times that we procrastinate? When faced with these tasks, we can sometimes experience certain demotivating factors, such as the fear of failure, ‘perfectionism’ or feelings of being overwhelmed. Additional hindering factors include deferred gratification or a lack of energy. Procrastination results when these negative factors outweigh our motivation and self-control, until there is a sudden shift in and we suddenly motivate ourselves into completing our required tasks.
Further examples of hindering and demotivating factors include task aversion, fear of negative feedback, feeling disconnected from your future self, a perceived lack of control or the idea that your goals are too abstract.
As relatively simple as it sounds, it can still be extremely challenging to combat procrastination, so my best recommendation for you is, adopt anti-procrastination strategies into your routine and find out what works best for you!
Here are some tips on how to battle procrastination effectively-
Your work/break ratio should be 25/5 (minutes). Once you have done 4 rounds, ensure to take a longer break lasting to 20-40 minutes. This is known as the Pomodoro technique, and is very effective at keeping the mind focused and active throughout the day.
Create a ‘To Do List’ and immediately highlight any tasks that are most urgent. Break down these tasks into manageable chunks within your time limit, and give yourself no more excuses - ensure that they are completed!
Ask someone to check that you are completing your tasks. Peer pressure and knowing that you will be held accountable are great motivators!
Use task- and time-management apps. Apps such as ‘Forest’ and ‘Timer’ are brilliant ways to utilize your gadgets.
Put all distractions aside. Ensure that your phone is not in the room with you and laptop notifications are turned off so that you can properly commit to the task.
Taking small steps towards your goals are key! I have found that implementing some of these practises into my routine has really helped with my time management and overall productivity - and I hope that you now feel more motivated to successfully manage and achieve your goals!
