Do you find yourself sitting idle even when you have a heap of work to do? Most people wait for the last moment to hit anxiety and then start working. They don’t get that kick until a few hours before the deadline and then pull all-nighters to get the work done. But it has a bad effect on your mental as well as physical being. As soon as the workload increases, people get anxious and overwhelmed. Everyone procrastinates sometimes, but it is a serious issue if procrastination becomes a habit. So, you need to overcome the habit of procrastination to be successful in life.
Why do we procrastinate?
Before discussing how to win over procrastination as a student, you should try to find the root cause of it. Here are some of the reasons why people procrastinate in the first place.
- Fear of failure – Do you want to create online courses or YouTube channels or learn any skill but you don’t because you fear that you’ll fail? People usually don’t start even if they have potential because of self-doubt and fear of failure.
- Unsure about goals – When you don’t know the ‘why’ behind what you do, you will not be motivated to do it. So, make a clear goal and think about how this task will help you achieve that.
- Lack of rest – When you feel exhausted but won’t take a break, you start procrastinating and your productivity decreases. Don’t be a burden on yourself and take a break when you need it.
- Overwhelmed – Sometimes there are a lot of things going on in our lives that we are unable to catch up on and don’t know where to start.
- Anxiety – If you overthink a lot and become anxious about everything, you might procrastinate. When you are not peaceful mentally, you can’t focus on any work.
- Seeking Perfection – For perfectionists, the biggest barrier is to just initiate work. They want everything to be perfect and flawless which is not possible.
Now, if you can identify the cause of your procrastination, here are some tips to overcome it.
Set reasonable goals and deadlines
Whenever you set unachievable goals, you might feel overwhelmed and end up doing nothing. Similarly, if you set deadlines that are too short-termed, it can hamper your productivity. So, set attainable goals and start small to stop procrastinating.
Take a moment to rest
Some people are always in a rush and overburdened with work. They don’t even have a moment to breathe. So, just listen to your body and take a break when you feel like it. You don’t have to do anything productive, just sing, watch a favorite series, call a friend, cook, or lie down. Tell yourself that you deserve a break when you have worked hard.
Reward yourself
When you achieve a goal on time, reward yourself to boost your confidence. Go to enjoy your favorite food, buy something for yourself, or do anything that feels good to you.
Organize your surroundings
To avoid the overwhelming situation and confusion of where to start, the first thing you have to do is organize your surroundings. Clear the clutter in your head and start hitting targets one by one. The best way to do it is to make a to-do list of assignments, deadlines, and other tasks. It will give you clarity and a motivation boost.
Make a priority list
Do you want to be an online course builder, Youtubers, cook, or anything, but you don’t make efforts due to procrastination? Make a priority list and write the task according to the nearest deadline. You can set aside time for your creative work. A priority list helps you in meeting deadlines and relieving stress.
Stay away from distractions
If you scroll through social media for hours and procrastinate your urgent work, you need to limit this habit. Don’t multitask and limit the sources of distractions. If you’re watching a video and writing an assignment simultaneously, you might end up writing 2 pages for hours. So, use a Pomodoro timer to work efficiently in a short span.
Understand the reason for your procrastination and do introspection. You can easily get over this habit if you hold yourself accountable and apply the above-mentioned tips in your life.
