How to reduce procrastination?

You can read the full article below.

Procrastination is caused by many different factors, and therefore different people have different ways of reducing procrastination.

Try to change your mindset

• Remember that it is not too late to start now.
• Try to increase your motivation: your brain works better when you feel your work is meaningful and you understand why you are doing it.
• Think about what you will learn from this task, what you can discuss with others, and how you can get satisfaction from this task.
• Try to change your thinking to be more merciful, away from the pursuit of perfection.
• Reward yourself regularly for the work you have done – you deserve it.
• Practice mindfulness skills and use them to develop your willpower.

Connect with others

• Seek help and guidance from a mentor or teacher.
• Do exercises and study together with others, e.g., in a writing circle.
• Tell others about your goals – it will be harder to shirk them.
• Keep in touch with friends, share thoughts and experiences about your studies.

Break down the task and schedule it

• Start small. For example, on your first day, go to the library to check out the workspace, and stay and work there for a while if you feel up to it.
• Regularity creates routines. Go to the library or other workspace every day, even if it’s just to do 15 minutes of work.
• Break down your task into pieces as small as possible. For example, start by reading 5 pages of a book a day, or write an essay for half a page a day. Even a small accomplishment will lift your mood and boost your self-confidence and motivation.
• Give yourself permission to work for as long as you can concentrate (e.g., 15 minutes) and then take a short break. Concentration improves as you practice it. Remember to take a day off during a long work process.
• Schedule and make a precise plan for each day. Also, decide on a very achievable goal for each day.
• Some people like to start with the easy task, others with the hard task. Do what helps you get started first.
• Schedule a goal for yourself once you have broken your task down into small parts.
• Speak to yourself about goals, not deadlines.

Modify your learning environment

Make your study and learning environment comfortable for you. Think about what kind of environment helps you concentrate best: silence, sounds, music, studying alone or with others, dim, bright, etc.

Create a clear distinction between your break time and break activities and what you are working on; keep a tablet computer for breaks if you are working on a computer, for example. You can surf the web on your tablet.

Remove immediate distractions from the study situation, such as social media notification sounds, access to the internet, etc.