You know the feeling. When you wake up, determined to finish that assignment but feel all your energy being sucked out just as you sit down at your desk. Your fingers won’t move on the keyboard. You can’t bring your hand to grip your pencil. You just feel everything inside of you resisting as your electronics quietly beckon. So, you decide to take a peek at social media. “Just a second won’t hurt,” you reassure yourself. Or YouTube. Or open a chest in that newly installed game of yours. It doesn’t matter because the end result is always the same –you don’t get anything done and feel awful.
Turns out, there’s a name for this foe –procrastination. And having struggled with it a ton before, I feel like I’ve learned a couple of things here and there on how to manage it. Hey, you’re not procrastinating reading this right now, are you? Well, I’m here to help.
Nine times out of ten, I find myself procrastinating when I’m faced with something I simply think is too challenging or tedious. In the face of pain to come, my mind immediately seeks a quick source of relief, which in turn leads me to hop onto YouTube or Spotify. While you might find a slight smile on my face as I’m browsing through these apps, deep down, I’m hating every second of it. There’s a part of me that’s saying, “Get back to work. Get back to work. Get back to work,” but there’s also an ocean between me and my work that I can’t see the end of.
Image Source: Hygger
My procrastination also stems from perfectionism, a.k.a. the desire to do tasks “just right” and not miss anything. In reality, perfectionism only makes everything 10x worse because it makes even simple things seem insurmountable, and our brains and bodies, generally speaking, don’t want to confront what seem like the impossible.
Everyone’s guilty of procrastination, especially in the digital age. How can you get that set of notes done when a movie is just 2 clicks away? How can you study for that test when you can laugh your head off to a video? It’s a constant fight, a constant struggle, and simply torture.
So, my number 1 tip? Eliminate ALL distractions. I’ll say that again. ELIMINATE ALL DISTRACTIONS. Granted, this is easier said than done. For instance, what if you have to do your homework on your computer? Well, ask yourself this: Do you need your phone by your side as well? Do you need to have that tab of YouTube on the side open as you work through some math problems? “X” out of all the tabs you don’t need and focus your undivided attention on the task at hand. Turn your phone so that the screen is facing down. Shut it down, bury it in your couch, do whatever you have to do so that it cannot possibly distract you.
I’d say to do the same with your computer, but the reality is that computers are becoming staples of work. This presents us with a huge problem. What now?
We’ll return to this question in a bit. Let’s first discuss the next major thing you can do, which is making your bed look as uninviting as possible. Believe it or not, sleep is another form of escape from your problems. I find myself lethargic when I’m confronted by things I don’t want to do. Don’t have your blanket all strewn about on your bed and pillow lying flat. Make your bed and cover it with your textbooks if you have to. Refrain from lying down at any point in time.
Image Source: Unsplash
If you’re truly sleepy, go outside for a walk. Nature can do wonders, making you feel refreshed. If that’s not an option (say it’s nighttime), then take a shower with cool water. Always stay hydrated, but refrain from drinking too many sugary and/or energy drinks, as they are unhealthy and can actually make you sleepy. And although this may seem counterintuitive, get up from your “work spot” every 30 minutes or so to get the blood flowing. Also, use to-do lists if you have to, try to stay as organized as possible, and commit to a daily routine. Lastly, it’s paramount that before you go to sleep, you break down the next day’s schedule as much as possible for how exactly you’re going to divvy up your time for any tasks that need to be done. Otherwise, you’re likely to see the effects of Parkinson’s Law, which states that tasks expand to fill the time allotted.
Now, these can all help you regain and maintain your focus, but what good are they when you have something --your computer-- right in front of you? It’s not like you can send it off into space. I’m still figuring this out, but here’s a list of all the things you can do:
Install a website blocker extension to block the websites that you use to slack off. Fantastic extensions (for Chrome users, at least) are StayFocusd and BlockSite.
Block incognito or private browsing.
Write down why you need to get done whatever it is you need to do. (This helps create urgency.)
Reiterating this, but don’t have a massive number of tabs open while you’re working. Open new windows to focus on just 1 tab at a time if you have to. (Having a bunch of tabs open makes you feel less in control.)
If you feel like you can’t focus, physically get up from the place you’re working and take a “break.” Do not look at electronics or sit in a comfy chair while on that break.
Image Source: Unsplash
Hopefully, these tips help you out. To be honest, I’ll probably be revisiting this article myself to help me refrain from procrastination. While procrastinating affects everyone and at every time, it can be beaten back. Don’t let it conquer you; take a deep breath and know that you’ve got this.