Overcoming Procrastination

Juggling school and extra-curricular activity is very hard at times especially when you leave things to the last minute. It becomes stressful to finish everything before deadlines but even after the stress is over we can't help ourselves but to procrastinate. It's a terrible habit and is very hard to overcome as we chose other activities to distract ourselves such as Netlfix, YouTube, social media, etc. We know the deadlines,but how can we get ourselves to plan accordingly in order to meet the deadlines without waiting for the last minute? Here are a few things that I like to do when I feel the urge to procrastinate. Move to an area where you can concentrate If I have time on my hands, but I know I have assignments or studying to do, I leave my room. I find that my room is a huge distraction and temptation. My room is a place of relaxation and resting so if I study in my room, 9 times out of 10 I will get distracted by the desire to relax. I try to leave my room and study in a quiet space such as the library or kitchen where I can concentration. If you prefer places with a little bit more noise then you can try studying at a cafe.

Remove all distractions When I procrastinate, most of the time it is through distractions by social media like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. These platforms are full of entertainment and it's hard to pry your eyes away once you are deep into the app. Therefore I try to stay away from my phone as much as possible. What I like to do is I tend to turn my phone off or put on "Do Not Disturb" mode and put my phone as far away from me as possible, so that I won't be tempted to look at it for messages or scroll through. This helps me focus on what I need to do and remove any distractions. I check my phone whenever that I am on my study break. Remind yourself of the potential stress Another method that I do to prevent procrastination is that remind myself of the potential stress that I will get if I leave everything to the last minute. Handling things under pressure is stressful to me and I try to avoid it as much as possible. For some people, they work well under pressure and need it to push them forward. For me I like to take me time and not feel the pressure if I could control it. So if you are like me and you are procrastination, think about the pressure you will get as if you leave the assignments to the last minute and have to finish them all at once. Procrastination is a bad habit for most students and is not beneficial in the future as you develop careers and have deadlines every day. It's better to start and finish something as soon as possible so that you don't have to worry about it later. It's hard to break from the habit, but if you force yourself in an environment where you can focus, remove all distractions, and remind yourself of the heavy stress that you will receive, then it is possible to overcome procrastination and get everything done on time without stress.