Finals are upon us once again, and in addition to late nights, exhaustion, and going half-insane trying to memorize pages and pages of information, the horrible being that is procrastination is again trying its best to take us over and make us miss out on important study time. While there are plenty of ways to kick procrastination’s butt, a little bit of it every now and then is somewhat of a necessary evil: it allows us time to sit back and let all of the studying we have done sink in, and it gives us a well-deserved break. But for those of us who are terrified about not using our time wisely enough, there are a few ways to make your procrastination time as worthwhile as possible through a little method called productive procrastination.
The top definition on Urban Dictionary for productive procrastination goes as follows:
“n. Doing stuff to keep busy while avoiding what really needs doing. When all is said and done, your room is clean, your laundry is folded — but you haven’t started your English paper.”
While this definition does sound a little negative, don’t be fooled: productive procrastination can put a serious dent in all of the other tasks you have to do apart from studying, which can put you in a much better position at the end of the day — if you use it wisely, of course.
Here are the best ways to productively procrastinate when you just can’t stand studying one more page in your textbook:
1. Take a Nap
- 10 to 20 minutes: With a title that screams motivation, a “power nap”, this length of nap will give you a major hit in energy and alertness, and won’t make you groggy upon wake-up. Perfect for moments when your head is just inches away from hitting your notes and you can barely keep your eyes open.
- 60 minutes: If you’re having trouble remembering information, an hour-long nap is exactly what you need. It includes the deepest kind of sleep called “slow-wave”, which will allow you to remember facts more easily. This type of nap is also great if taken shortly before an exam — as long as you give yourself plenty of time to get to your exam after, of course, and set a loud alarm! You might feel a little disoriented after this type of nap, but if you force yourself back into the studying routine right away, you’ll be all set.
2. Organize Your Space
Princeton University Neuroscience Institute researchers discovered that having a messy space can make it harder for you to get work done, so no wonder you’re looking for ways to procrastinate!
Set a timer for 15 minutes, and use that time to clean up your desk space so that it lacks clutter, is clean, and won’t distract you from your work. If you still have a little bit of extra time on the clock, consider cleaning up any mess on your floor or bed that can easily cause distraction from your work, as well.
3. Shoot-out Some Emails
If emails from professors, classmates, and co-workers have been flooding in all day while you try to memorize information for your upcoming exam, taking a few minutes to respond to them may make it easier to get work done. Just make sure that you give yourself a maximum number of emails to respond to, or a set time limit — otherwise, you might be answering emails forever.
4. Plan Your Study Week
You’re studying for the first exam of five, and you might be feeling a little overwhelmed about how you’re going to take on all of that studying before the term is over. Feeling overwhelmed and stressed will definitely make it more difficult for you to concentrate on your studies, so why not give yourself some time to plan out your week?!
Prepare a list of all of the exams you have to study for, then order them and cross-reference them based on their difficulty and when you write each one of them. Then, designate specific times for study and for breaks so you won’t feel like your brain is going to explode going into your last exam!
5. Take a Walk
Going out and getting some fresh air is a perfect way to boost your focus and give your brain a break. Take 15 or 20 minutes outside to wander the campus paths and sip on a coffee before you go back to hitting the books. It will be worth it, and it will give you some well-deserved exercise.
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Just because you have an exam tomorrow doesn’t mean you have to dedicate all of your time to studying. Give yourself the break you deserve and try one of these productive procrastination techniques — and of course, good luck on your exams!