When it comes to procrastination, I genuinely believe I’m an expert. It’s deeply rooted in my lifestyle and significantly alters it on a daily basis. I got used to postponing my text messages to friends, waiting for my room to get unbearably messy before cleaning it and, most importantly, heavily procrastinating my schoolwork to the point where I calculated the late penalties at the beginning of the semester. Unfortunately, towards the end of last year, I ultimately lost control and was left mentally drained. So at the beginning of this year, I bought a planner and hopefully, or naively, I believed it would change my way of living.
Since I’m an expert with a new Mead planner, I feel obligated to bestow a procrastination deep-dive onto you.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is a growing lack of self-control and regulation. Basically, it’s you deliberately postponing an important activity despite knowing that you will suffer as a result of doing so.
According to the Washington Post, procrastinators are more prone to headaches, insomnia and immunity issues. Stress is the clearest explanation for the link between procrastination and health issues, and when you procrastinate, you’re adding more stress to your life.
Tips on how to stop procrastinating
Scratching out everything you know and starting a blank page is the first step to ending your procrastination. You must relearn and renew your habits just like a toddler taking their first steps. Here are a few specific tips and elements you can add to your life to manage it better:
- Recognize dates – Keep track of your due dates on a planner or calendar.
- Trick yourself – You can set your due dates a couple of days early so that you can still submit on time, even if your procrastinating habits get the best of you.
- Surround yourself with timely people – Being around responsible people is the best way to guilt trip yourself into becoming more timely yourself.
- Keep a focused mindset – It’s important to constantly remind yourself of the consequences of letting procrastination get the best of you. For a week straight, force yourself into an attentive mindset, even if it’s truly not how you’re wired, and you’ll notice yourself attributing to some productive habits.
- Ignore distractions – Procrastinators tend to depend on distractions such as friends, social media, or other hobbies to pipe down their guilty subconscious. So, set your phone on silent mode, settle down in a distraction-free environment and get your work done!
Procrastination frequently occurs when a task appears to be too challenging. Start inhabiting the strategies you need to start overcoming your procrastination once you’ve discovered the pattern of the habit. You can quit feeling guilty about the things you’ve put off and begin to complete them.