How to Overcome Procrastination

If you’re a procrastinator, you’re probably all too familiar with the pain and stress of trying to get everything done at the last minute. Even if you are determined to get the job done, you still find it difficult to get to work! Fortunately, there are many strategies to help you stop the habit of stagnation right away (read it now!) and you can also make some lifestyle changes to prevent stagnation from appearing in the future.

Table of Contents

Changing attitudes

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Stop punishing yourself for your stagnant habits. The more stressed you are, the harder it will be to get things done. Don’t get angry with yourself. Let go of that and focus on what needs to be done. ^{[1] X Trusted Source University of North Carpina Writing Center Go to source}

Guilt and regret will erode emotions. Wasting time blaming yourself for not starting your 2,000-word essay two weeks ago will only make you more tired and angrier. You will also become stressed that you will not be able to complete the essay at that time.

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Tackle the most important things in 15 minutes. Instead of thinking about the total number of hours you will have to spend on a task, you should start doing it right away. Tell yourself you only do it for 15 minutes. This is how you face your fear and you will spend more than 15 minutes on your work before stopping. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If 15 minutes still sounds scary, try working out for 3 minutes. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
When you start to feel excited, take a two-minute break and then continue working for another 15 minutes.

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Break the work into small pieces. You may feel overwhelmed when you think about completing all your essays or completing your work for the whole week. Instead of thinking of everything that needs to be done as one big obstacle, break it down into smaller pieces. That way, it will be easier for you to start doing the smallest thing and move on. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Association for Psychpogical Science Go to source}

For example, instead of thinking, “I have to finish my essay by 10 p.m. tonight,” tell yourself, “I’m going to prepare a short outline, then build on it and look for citations from there.”
Try the pomodoro method to help you take breaks at set intervals. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Avoid writing lengthy and disorganized to-do lists as this is your way to failure. Instead, create categories like “Home”, “Company” , “Family”, “Entertainment” and only need to complete a few tasks of each item each day.

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Start your day with the hardest tasks. Plan in the morning and choose to do the hardest things first. You usually have the most energy in the morning after you eat and are alert. So why not tackle the hardest things when you’re at your best? You’ll feel better when you’re done and can continue to handle easier tasks throughout the day.

Identify when you are most motivated and alert, and plan how you can make the most of this time. For example, if you have a lot of energy in the morning, do the hardest things after waking up. On the other hand, if you’re usually tired in the morning, you’re more likely to make mistakes or get frustrated when you’re faced with a difficult task.

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Cheer yourself up for more motivation. “Talking to yourself” is a great way to relieve stress, focus, and accomplish goals. Call your name while chatting. Tell yourself you can (and will) do it. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Talk to yourself by saying things like, “Mai, I know it’s been a tough week and you’ve been exhausted. You’ve written a lot of essays before, and you’ll do well this time too.”
You can also ask yourself, “Mai, why are you so worried about this? You know you can do it yourself.”
If possible, speak loudly while talking to yourself. Whispering in your head also works if you’re in public.

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Set a goal to get the job done instead of doing everything perfectly. Thinking about the perfect essay, assignment, or project can be daunting. You won’t know the outcome if you don’t get the job done; so let go of the prospect (or fear) of a perfect outcome. In fact, you can’t fix what didn’t exist. ^{[7] X Trusted Source University of North Carpina Writing Center Go to source}

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Promise yourself that you’ll get a reward when you get the job done. You probably dread the thought of how long it takes to complete a task. So tell yourself that when it’s all done, you’ll celebrate with one of your favorites. Expect to help you overcome difficulties. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Remove distractions from your surroundings

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Choose the right workplace for you. Identify where you can be most productive and make this the best environment for minimal distraction. It’s important to remember that you should set aside a place to work and separate from where you relax.

It could be a library, coffee shop, bookstore or home office.

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Get an app that blocks distractions from your phone. Smartphones are often black holes that suck up all of our time and attention. You can still find apps that prevent this, though! Quickly get any app that can help you effectively kick the habit of procrastination. ^{[9] X Research Source}

AppDetox app is the best choice for quick remedy.
The Yelling Mom app allows you to schedule the app to start pushing you to do something.
The Procraster app asks you to identify the cause of the procrastination and come up with a solution to it.
You can use a regular timer app to schedule work and breaks. When the scheduled time is up, you will quickly switch jobs and follow the planned schedule.

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Use a browser program or extension to avoid distractions on the internet. If your problem is not being able to stop surfing, you need to download an internet detox app. You can find a lot of applications that support Windows and Mac operating systems. ^{[10] X Research Source} If you have better self-control, set a timer before you visit time-consuming websites and get back to work when you hear the alarm.

Try the Freedom app on all devices and operating systems.
On Mac, the free Self-Contrp app lets you block a wide range of websites during business hours.
On Windows, try using the Cpd Turkey application. This is a free app, but to get the best features, you need to pay a one-time fee of US$20 (about VND 460,000).
Free options include StayFocused for Chrome or LeechBlock for Firefox.

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Do not leave your phone at work if needed. If you can’t concentrate when you’re around tempting things, fix the problem by putting them somewhere else or turning them off completely. In addition to the phone, you should also deal with other devices like an iPad, Kindle or even a computer. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you need to keep your phone on hold for family or work reasons, you should turn off all notifications except for incoming text and/or call notifications.

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Listen to instrumental music. Many people have trouble working and concentrating in a completely quiet room. However, listening to music with lyrics will distract you because of the lyrics. Therefore, you should choose a white noise machine or an orchestral music. ^{[12] X Research Source}

The solution to prevent long-term stagnation

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Write a to-do list to set goals. Make a list of all the tasks that you need to complete. The list should include short-term tasks that you need to accomplish each day and each week, along with long-term goals that take months or years to complete. When you know everything, it will be easier to plan the activities necessary to accomplish your goals. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Association for Psychpogical Science Go to Source}

List jobs on paper. Even if you use your phone to store other lists, from shopping to birthday wishes, don’t create a goal list here. When you write every task on paper, you will have time to think about how to get it done.

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Prioritize different goals by set deadlines. You should use a time management tool to plan. Write short-term tasks on a daily or weekly list that includes a deadline for each task. Set deadlines for long-term goals by listing them by month. ^{[14] X Research Source}

List everything you need to get done in your time management tool. For example, when you have to submit your final biology report on Friday, you’ll spend at least three evenings completing it. If you have to go to the pharmacy to buy a new toothbrush and vitamins before going on vacation, do it on a Thursday night. With only a month left before the SAT, you should spend at least three hours this week reviewing vocabulary.
Try using a strategy like the Eisenhower Box to effectively prioritize tasks. In general, you’ll categorize all your to-dos into four categories: to-dos now, things that can be done later (or rearranged), things that can be delegated to others, and unimportant things that can be dropped. via. The strength of this strategy is that it is suitable for tasks that must be completed within a single day, but also works for longer periods such as weeks or months. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Avoid multitasking so you can focus on completing each goal. When you multi-task, it feels like you can get a lot of things done, but in reality, you can’t get things done quickly and efficiently. Instead, you should just focus and spend all your time on each goal. This is also a way to help you not feel overwhelmed with a busy work schedule. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Find a close friend to help you be more honest with yourself. You’ll find it hard to avoid distractions and get things done on time when you’re alone. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), everyone is struggling with the habit of stagnation. Ask a friend or loved one if they’d be willing to team up with you to check each other’s work habits and completion levels.

You can also schedule outings with your teammates as a reward when you both complete a goal. If the two of you continue to stagnate, cancel these events as a light punishment.

Advice

If you find yourself in a state of anxiety or depression because of your stagnation, confide in your friends and family. You can absolutely ask for help, and you should also consider talking to a psychologist.
If your problem is homework, you should try to get most of it done while in class. If not, you can do your homework right after school because it’s easy for your brain to focus on learning when you first get home. This will be more effective than leaving the assignment until the evening, because then you will no longer want to do the homework or make mistakes that lead to bad grades.
Combining an app like Forest with an app like Yelling Mom won’t allow you to work on your phone or turn off the Yelling Mom app until the set time is up.

Warning

Avoid over-rewarding yourself. If you spend too many “self-rewarding” periods of the day, you won’t be able to get things done. Therefore, you should only give yourself a small reward at the end of the day and save the big celebration for the free days.

Steps

Changing attitudes

Remove distractions from your surroundings

The solution to prevent long-term stagnation

Advice

Warning

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