I don’t know about you, but I am the worst procrastinator! I have gotten slightly better at getting on with my work through my years at university, but honestly, it’s not because I’ve learned to, I’ve just been forced to. My workload, especially now I’m in my final year, is insane. So I have to stop procrastinating because there aren’t enough hours in the day!
Although I didn’t learn how to stop procrastinating until it was completely necessary, it really would’ve benefitted me (and my stress levels) to have learned sooner. I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks you can try if you want to stop procrastinating. Even practising a couple of these tips, in preparation for your third year, should make all the difference.
- Remove distractions. I can’t get any work done if my phone is next to me, it’s too tempting. So, I make my boyfriend hide it from me, and it’s massively helped my productivity.
- Set yourself time goals. I’ll decide to work for 90 minutes and then I get to watch an episode of something. Then I do that on repeat 4 or 5 times.
- Break tasks down. There’s nothing worse than sitting down and telling yourself you now have to do a 3,000-word essay. Break it up into manageable chunks and do a little at a time.
- Start with the hardest tasks first. Get them done first when you’re most motivated. Leave the easier stuff for when you’ve had enough!
- Prioritise. If I have a million things to do all at once, I find it much easier to sit around and do nothing because I’m overwhelmed. Use a planner to schedule and prioritise, and make sure you’re not taking on too much.