Procrastination: What is it and how do you avoid it?

Even if you’ve never heard of the term procrastination before, you may be familiar with its meaning. Procrastination is deliberately putting off tasks or decisions. For example, if you have an assignment to start but you instead spend time browsing the internet or watching TV. 

This article will discuss the reasons for procrastination, how to tell if you are a procrastinator and some ways to help you stop procrastinating. 

Why do people procrastinate? 

People put tasks off as they think it will take them too long to do or cannot see any benefit in doing them. Perhaps they can think of something they would much rather be doing. This is often the case when the task does not actually need to be completed for a long time I.e an assignment that has a further away deadline. 

Another reason is they fear they will not do a good job or find the task incredibly boring. This means that a person’s motivation to complete the activity will be pretty low. 

Am I a procrastinator? 

Ask yourself the following questions. Try to answer truthfully. 

• Do I say to myself “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “That can wait until later” often? 

• Am I easily distracted? 

• Do I become overwhelmed when faced with big tasks?

If you answered yes to some of these questions, then the chances are you are sometimes a procrastinator. Not to worry, procrastination is pretty common and the majority of people will procrastinate at some point. However, for some people, procrastination is something they experience more often than others which is why I’ve compiled this list of useful tips to help you manage procrastination. 

How to stop yourself procrastinating 

• Create a to-do list. Put the most important tasks at the top and include any deadlines. 
• Create a timetable and stick to it. 
• If possible, break tasks down into smaller, more manageable tasks 
• Remove any distractions such as phones or the TV. 
• Think about your reasons for putting things off and try to overcome them.
• Ask someone to check up on your progress. Make this person aware of your set tasks and ask them to check on you at set times and ask you for an update. Tell them if there is something specific they can do to motivate you I.e praise for completion of tasks, reminder of why you have yourself this particular task or even a gentle reprimand if you miss a deadline or fail to complete. 
• Reward yourself if you meet all your deadlines on time or complete all tasks. This can be something simple such as your favourite food or watching a movie with friends or family.