How will you know that you are suffering from procrastination?
If you finalize your work one day before the deadline or delay it until it becomes necessary to complete it, then, my apologies, you also suffer from procrastination.
If you wonder why it happens,?
Than It has a variety of reasons. The psychology behind procrastination is complex. It may occur because of a fear of not doing well on a task, so your mind feels relaxed about postponing it. You lack mindfulness and strategizing abilities; thus, in the end, all you do is procrastinate.
To learn more about it, Give it a read: What Is the Psychology Behind Procrastination?
The easier it is to adopt procrastination, the harder it is to leave. Well, no more struggle! Read these 7 tips to get rid of the habit of procrastination.
- Break Tasks Into Smaller Steps:
The technique known as “chunking” is followed worldwide to overcome procrastination. In this one, divide the tasks into smaller steps. It leads to two benefits:
- First, a feeling of satisfaction you feel once you complete the part of that task. It also motivates you to go further ahead and complete the task.
- Moreover, breaking down the complex tasks into smaller chunks makes them more manageable.
In short, the chunking process makes the task less daunting and encourages you to keep going until you reach the end. Now summarize it: What is better?
An overwhelming thought of a colossal task that leads to procrastination or doing it in bits and pieces and completing it before the deadline
It’s your choice!
- Create A Schedule.
If your schedule never works out for you and you can never complete it until the end of it, think about what the point of it is. You are wrong. It all happens to everyone. In the beginning, you may find it hard to organize and plan your whole day and stick to it. But be consistent, even if you cannot complete all the tasks. Slowly and gradually, you will feel a change in your personality.
Follow these 5 steps to create a meaningful schedule:
- Create a to-do list, either on your phone or in your diary. You can do it early in the morning or the day before at night.
- Then align your to-do list according to priorities. Create two columns with the names of urgent tasks that need to be done now or temporary tasks, i.e., work that can be postponed or can be done if you have time.
- These categorizations help you focus on more important things and complete them on time.
- Then the assigned time is required to complete each task.
- Lastly, make sure your schedule is realistic; it should have the perfect balance of your personal and professional lives.
- Use Time Management Techniques:
Why is procrastination becoming common among youth these days?
The answer is that we lack time management skills and are unwilling to accept it. Time management means you know when to work and when you can relax. We spend our whole day on social media scrolling through reels, and in the end, procrastinating our work is the only option we left behind.
Read more: 5 Reasons Why Time Management Is Important.
Now, what is the solution to all this?
First, learn time management skills, either from books or from YouTube. Then apply different techniques, like the Pomodoro Technique, in your daily life. In this, you work for a set period of time, followed by a short break. Well, it helps your body relax a bit and become free from exhaustion. Instead of working continuously for hours, working with breaks can improve focus, maintain concentration, and increase productivity and efficiency.
- Minimize Distractions:
People may start working on time, but distractions during work can hinder their performance, ultimately leading to procrastination. To minimize, find your potential distractions and minimize. For some people, it can be their phone, a noisy environment, or anything.
It differs for every person because some people love to work in a calm, quiet place, while others work more effectively in a coffee shop. Thus, find your comfort zone and stick to it.
Pro Tip: Avoid using your phone while working. If your work involves mobile phone usage, then install apps that block all unnecessary websites or applications on your phone. It will 100% help you stay on track and increase your focus.
- Practice Self-Discipline:
You are the only solution to your procrastination habit. It will be you who will practice all these tactics and work on yourself. Even The American Psychological Association agrees on the fact, that to overcome procrastination you need to know yourself. Identify the underlying problem and rectify it.
Thus, practice self-discipline to resist the urge to procrastinate. Visualize the success you will achieve after completing the task without any deadline anxiety. It will motivate you to work harder and get rid of this procrastination habit.
You must know that only the first step is hard; once you step foot in, there is no going back. Thus, be consistent and work hard to get rid of procrastination.
Praise yourself for your small victories; note them down in your diaries to keep them as a reminder. Share your progress with your loved ones; it acts as a key to keeping you motivated. It is completely fine if you slack off one day and have some rest, but make sure to come back fully energetic and enthusiastic.
Conclusion
Developing healthier habits is also difficult because you have to leave your comfort zone. Be patient with yourself while working on procrastination. Follow all the above-mentioned tips and tricks, and you can gradually reduce procrastination and increase your productivity.
