Una Chang, Advice Writer
Procrastination
It’s impossible not to procrastinate. Everyone procrastinates. In fact, I bet you’re procrastinating right now as you read this. However, I have found in my several years of hard-core procrastinating, a few tips that actually help me to get things done – despite the sweet temptation of not doing them. Now, these are just my personal tips that help me to procrastinate less. These tips do not guarantee that you will procrastinate less if you follow them, however, I’m hoping they do come useful in your future years of schooling.
Tip 1: Don’t Use Your Phone/Turn Off the Wifi On Your Phone
I know, cliché, right? But not using your phone actually helps more than you can imagine. Most of the procrastination happens you’re on a phone. It’s just so darn easy to get distracted. In just one touch, there’s Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and hundreds of more apps that can reel you in. Most of the social media apps used to procrastinate require wifi. So by turning off or by not using wifi, you wouldn’t really have a reason to go on your phone. If your phone is too much of a distraction for you, there’s always the option of giving it to your parents for just a few hours so you can get your work done. If you really need your phone for research or to look up a word, try using a computer or even a dictionary instead. There are no notifications popping up, making it much easier to concentrate.
Tip 2: Set a Timer
Setting a timer helps to focus more on a given task. It gives motivation to finish work more quickly and in a more effective way. The timer pushes to finish faster without getting distracted and gives enough pressure to get work done efficiently. To make this tip more effective, try setting the timer 30 minutes less than your expected time to finish your work. For example, if there’s a project that you think will take you 2 hours to finish, set the timer up for 1 hour and 30 minutes to motivate you to work faster.
Tip 3: Work In an Isolated Area
When I say “isolated area”, I mean an area where all distracting things that you might be tempted by are out of your reach. A library, a café, or even your dinner table are key areas where work can get done faster. Since all the things that you use to procrastinate will be out of your reach, the only thing left will be your work. So the next time there’s homework, don’t do it on your bed, but find an empty table to finish your homework without procrastinating as much.
Now, if these amazing tips didn’t help you, here’s a youtube video that I found helpful and I hope you do too!
