by Raegan Densmore
If there is one thing that I am great at, it is procrastinating. Procrastination is the lantern if I was a moth. It has me deep in its hands. It is so easy to fall into. Immediacy bias explains how oftentimes we prefer pleasures in the moment. It explains the phenomenon of enjoying Netflix in the moment rather than getting your work done and enjoying it afterwards when your plate is clean. I wanted to share some tricks that I use when I have become a victim of procrastination.
First off is the most basic; getting rid of distractions. For a lot of people, this means hiding the phone, or putting it in another room. Sometimes I plug it in to charge so it is out of my reach. Also, I am someone who likes to listen to music while I do my work, and a trick that I found is to play my music off of my computer instead of my phone. That way, I am not using my phone, and I have to open my computer.
I find when I am in my own room, it is much easier to distract myself. Changing your location can really help in getting you to focus on your work. My favourite place to study is at a cafe, preferably one that is aesthetically pleasing. I find when I am in a more pleasing environment, it makes me happier, and I have more motivation to study. But if you’re really prone to distractions, a library is a great option. At my school, there are study spaces where you are not allowed to have your phone out, which really works if you feel quite glued to it (like I do sometimes). It’s also easier to get to work when you see everyone else studying as well. A library is definitely a greater option if you prefer quiet, which I do occasionally, and they can also be very aesthetically pleasing. Changing your location is a really great way to actually get your work done. I understand that sometimes you may feel lazy or just don’t feel like going anywhere, but trust me, it will be worth it.
Next up is a study method that I have heard about recently, known as the pomodoro method. You start by doing 25 minutes of work, then take a 5 minute break. You repeat this four times then after doing another 25 minutes, take a longer break about 15-20 minutes. Or if the workload isn’t too bad (or you have a lot of time), to make it a little easier, after the second 25 minute break, you can take a 10 minute break, another 25 minutes, then a 15 minute break, and you keep going until you have a 25 minute break, then restart at 5 minutes again. I find this technique works for me when I need to focus. Sometimes I find if I’m glued to my computer too long, I start to lack comprehension of what I’m reading or doing, so a quick 5 minute breather is great to have. If this method doesn’t work for you, there are so many more out there that could work for you.
Procrastination is not an easy thing to face. I know heavily from first hand experience. But it can be easy to combat when you find the right technique for you. Whether that means changing your location, finding a good study method, or even something as little as moving your phone or any other distraction away from you. These things seem to work for me, of course, they may not work for everyone, I have gone through suggestions others gave that did not work for me as well. It’s all about finding what works for you!
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