How to Reduce Procrastination?

Summary

  • Change your mindset

    • Reduce perfectionism and lower your expectations—things don’t have to be perfect.
    • Motivate yourself by focusing on the task’s significance and reward yourself regularly.
    • Focus on your achievements and practice self-compassion and willpower—everyone struggles with getting started sometimes.

  • Identify barriers to starting

    • Recognize which study methods work best for you and experiment with new approaches, such as audio books.
    • Consider your strengths and find the easiest way for you to complete the task.

  • Utilise social support

    • Ask for help and share your goals to make them harder to abandon.
    • Study in a group and exchange thoughts with friends—it can make starting easier.

  • Break tasks down and schedule

    • Divide the task into smaller parts and create a daily plan with realistic goals.
    • Start with an easy task and try the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work, 5-minute break).
    • Work regularly, in small increments, and establish productive routines.

You can read the full article below.

Procrastination is caused by many different factors, and that's why different methods work for different people in reducing procrastination.

Try to Change Your Mindset

  • Remember, it’s not too late to start right now.
  • Try to shift your thoughts to be more compassionate and move away from perfectionism.
  • Lower your expectations. Not everything needs to be done perfectly, nor can it be. Read more about prioritizing study tasks.
  • Try to increase your motivation: your brain works better when you find your work meaningful and understand why you're doing the task. If you're not motivated at all, accept the situation. You can, for example, say out loud that you're not motivated right now.
  • Think about what you can learn from this task, what you can discuss with others, and how the task can bring you satisfaction.
  • Look at what you have already accomplished. Acknowledge where you’ve made progress and succeeded.
  • Reward yourself for the work done regularly—you’ve earned it.
  • Practice mindfulness skills and develop your willpower through them.
  • Don’t beat yourself up for struggling with starting. We all have difficulty getting started sometimes.

You Can Reflect on the Reasons Why Starting Is Difficult Right Now

  • What is easy and natural for you in your studies?
  • What study style is characteristic of you? How do you feel you learn best? What style would be most useful for the current task at hand?
  • Try a new way of doing things.
  • For example, could you listen to the exam book instead of reading it and take it with you for a walk outside?

Connect With Others

  • Ask for help and guidance from your supervisor or teacher.
  • Do tasks and study together, for example, in a writing group.
  • Share your goals with others – it’s harder to slip away from them.
  • Stay in touch with friends and classmates, share thoughts and experiences related to your studies.

Break down the task and schedule it

Does the task feel too large or difficult? What could you do about it?

  • Schedule and make a detailed plan for every day. Also, set a very easily achievable goal for each day.
  • Some people find it easier to start with the simpler tasks, others with the more difficult ones. Start with what helps you get going.
  • Schedule a goal for yourself once you’ve broken the task into smaller pieces. Talk to yourself about goals, not deadlines.
  • Take a look at your goals and plan: Are they realistic and achievable?
  • Start small.
    • For example, on the first day, visit the library to check out the workspace and stay for a little work if that feels possible.
  • Work little by little.
    • Try working for 15 minutes on something, even if you don’t feel motivated. You may end up working longer, or you might get a great start to the task.
  • Give yourself permission to work for a set time (e.g. 15 minutes) and then take a short break. Your focus will improve as you practice it. Remember to take a clear day off during a long work process.
  • Focus on one task at a time.
  • Regularity brings routine.
    • Go to the library or another workspace every day, even if it is just to work for 15 minutes.
  • Break the task into the smallest possible parts.
    • For example, read 5 pages of a book each day or write half a page of your essay each day. Even small accomplishments boost your mood, build self-confidence, and increase motivation.
  • Try the Pomodoro technique:
    • You can adjust the work and break periods to suit you.
    • Work uninterrupted during the work period and take a short break after. The default is 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break.
    • After a few work sessions, take a longer break. Experiment to find what works best for you.

Modify Your Study Environment

Make your study situation and learning environment pleasant for yourself.

  • Think about what kind of environment helps you concentrate the most: silence, sounds, music, studying alone, or studying with others, dim lighting, bright lighting, etc.
  • Clearly separate breaks and the things you do during them from the study session.
    • During breaks, it’s good to do something completely different from studying—like getting up to stretch, drinking water/coffee, etc.
  • Remove immediate distractions that make you want to check things, such as message notifications from social media, access to the internet, etc.
  • Set aside specific times to check these.

Read more

Nyyti ry

External Websites