Procrastination: it happens to the best of us. Even with the most critical task at hand, it is possible (and honestly probable) that you are going to put it off for quite some time. I, myself, am an avid procrastinator – instead of writing this article, I first spent 30 minutes deeply examining Chrissy Teigen’s hilarious comments all over Instagram. That said, I have come up with some tips to sit down and get focused.
Make a to-do list.
It sounds simple, but the science behind making to-do lists shows why it will help you calm down and prioritize. A study completed by professors Baumeister and Masicampo from Wake Forest University (Go Deacs!) shows that while tasks that we haven’t done distract us, merely making a plan to get them done can free us from this anxiety. I have personally found that there is nothing more helpful than a big stack of sticky notes for all of my planning needs.
Break your tasks into smaller pieces.
As we all learned in Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” you can stand just about anything for ten seconds; then you start a new ten seconds. College assignments can be daunting, but if you break it up into smaller tasks that you can quickly accomplish, it all becomes much more straightforward. You may not be able to identify exactly what each step is right away, but the next steps will become more evident as you go.
Use apps to block your most adored websites.
When procrastinating, many of us get sucked into the deep, dark black holes of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Buzzfeed. To free ourselves entirely from the urge to check these sites, the app SelfControl was created. SelfControl (a free app easily downloaded from the App Store) allows you to add specific websites to your blacklist, set a timer and get to work. Until the timer is over, you are entirely restricted from those particular websites – even if you try to restart your computer or delete the app (trust me, I’ve tried).
Take it one thing at a time.
To quote the great Jordin Sparks, “Take one step at a time, there’s no need to rush.” If you’re trying to do seven things at once, not only is it going to take so much longer, but it will not allow for you to complete everything to the best of your abilities. If you sit down and finish one task and cross it off your to-do list, you’ll feel much better than if you write one sentence of each paper and complete one problem from each chemistry and calculus set.
Reward yourself.
If these tips work for you, hopefully you’ve done some hard work. To celebrate that, reward yourself! Sit down with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy your favorite show on Netflix (I highly recommend “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”), read a book, or spend some time with friends.
Sources:
Masicampo, E.J., & Baumeister, R.F. (2011, June 20). Consider It Done! Plan Making Can
Eliminate the Cognitive Effects of Unfulfilled Goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0024192