How To Deal With Procrastination

Procrastination is a phenomenon that has affected both students and professionals. It can easily become a person’s habit as it gives them an excuse to not do something they should be doing. This concept becomes very obvious in essay writing, as those who procrastinate will often find themselves unprepared for the deadlines and consequently their results will suffer because of it. Essay writing is one of the tasks which makes procrastinators push back at every opportunity, yet this skill is crucial if one wishes to achieve academic excellence. Procrastinating on essays may lead to undesirable consequences such as poor performance at school/college/university or missing submission deadlines altogether. Therefore, it is important that people learn how to deal with procrastination during essay writing.

Here are some tips that can help you to overcome procrastination on essay writing:

• Research your topic before you start writing. There is nothing more frustrating than having to write about a topic or subject about which you know very little or next to nothing. This will make the process of writing seem like an uphill battle for sure, but it does not have to be this way! One can greatly reduce their chances of putting off essay writing if they take the time out beforehand and do some background research on whatever they are assigned to write about. Doing so will allow them to be knowledgeable enough in order for them not feel daunted by the task at hand, thus allowing them to confidently dive into their work with conviction. Plus, you will be able to impress your lecturer with your in-depth knowledge of the subject matter.
• Create a schedule and stick to it! When working on essay writing, you have to deal with deadlines. You should also keep in mind that there are numerous other assignments that need completion at the same time which you are expected to carry out on top of this. Unfortunately, these factors can lead students into becoming more inclined towards procrastinating on essay writing because they feel overwhelmed due to feeling under pressure from all angles. If one wants to put an end once and for all to this state of affairs then he/she has got both their work cut out for them and no time better than the present if they wish things to change for good. One of the best and most straightforward ways to deal with procrastination when writing an essay, therefore, is to create a schedule for each assignment and write down all the deadlines in your planner. This way, one can stay on top of everything and make sure that they work on their essay writing at a time that is favorable to them. For example, if one gets distracted by TV or social media then they should try out getting rid of these distractions from their work space so that they can get on with what needs doing without being impeded by other factors.
• Block out distractions! Some students may have a hard time putting off distractions while they are working on an assignment due to feeling tired or not being able focus well enough. In such cases, students need to find a way to keep them from doing so and distractions such as social media, TV and even peers can be kept at bay if one implements the plan of action mentioned above. The fact is that staying away from distractions will help one attend to their essay writing work without any unnecessary delays or interruptions.
• Focus on what needs to get done! When working on an assignment such as essay writing, it is important that one does not try and multi task because this will only lead to them becoming sidetracked with either unimportant details or delaying their progress overall. Instead of trying to do too much all at once, a student should pick a certain aspect which they feel they are able to concentrate on while ignoring other factors. For example, you can work on the introduction of your essay first before moving onto the body paragraphs. This way, one will be able to see some tangible progress which they can then build upon.
• Do not compare yourself to others! There are certain students who feel that because their friends/classmates have already finished writing their essays it is okay for them to put off doing so as well. It has been seen by researchers, however, that this kind of behavior only causes students to become even more dispirited and puts them at risk of ultimately failing or struggling with their academic career. As such, if you find yourself in this predicament it is best for you to use these facts about procrastination during essay writing as motivation to get your work done today and not tomorrow.
• Delegate tasks to others! If you find yourself constantly struggling with essay writing to the extent that it is making you late for other assignments, then there is a good chance that you will need help from someone else. In such cases, it might be wisest for one to delegate certain aspects of their paper that they feel uncomfortable doing or those parts which take them too long to complete successfully. The fact is that delegating tasks to others can help eliminate the time factor as well as afford students a great deal more leisure time which can be used in various ways such as recreation.
• Allow yourself “time off” from essay writing! Once you have become engrossed in working on an assignment it is common to feel that you are unable to do anything else until you have completed it. However, if you have free time which comes between these periods then it might be best for you take a short break from your writing work so that you can come back to it with fresh ideas. For example, one might want to go outside for a walk or chat with friends over the phone in order to attend other matters which require their attention. These kinds of breaks are healthy and allow students’ minds to rest thus preventing them from becoming burnt out by the end of the semester.
• Reward yourself! Sometimes putting off work due to procrastination can leave one feeling down but there are ways that this situation can be avoided altogether. One of the most effective ways to get rid of this problem is by rewarding yourself for staying on task and doing things that need to be done. This might come in the form of a small treat or it could be something along the lines of going out with friends if you finished your work early enough. As long as these rewards are appropriate, they can provide you with a positive way to motivate yourself towards completing whatever tasks need attending to no matter how difficult.
• Give up on perfectionism! Some students feel that writing an essay from scratch will always entail them coming up with ideas that are groundbreaking and original in nature. However, this is not necessarily true and when trying to avoid procrastinating one should give up their quest for perfectionism and focus on logical progression instead. It is true that one might want to do the best job possible when writing an essay, but it is important to realize that coming up with everything “perfect” on paper does not always result in a perfect score. Thus, whenever you feel like your work is not good enough for submission it might be best for you to take some time off and then come back refreshed.
• Figure out why you are procrastinating! One of the most effective ways to get rid of any type of behavior including procrastination is by understanding what about this habit appeals towards you while also recognizing where the problems lie. Take some time during your free hours to dedicate yourself towards thinking about these things without receiving any outside interference or interruption. The fact is that understanding why you are procrastinating over certain tasks can help you break the habit and relieve yourself of any stress holds which this act might have caused. Obtaining this knowledge will also make it easier for you to avoid letting these problems reoccur in future so use this time wisely.
• Explore different strategies! There are a wide variety of methods available for students who want to stop putting off their work and one has to try out a number of them before they find the ones which suit them best. For example, some people find it useful to do a small chunk of work at regular intervals during the day or night while others prefer to just take care of things right away without hesitation. In other words, there isn’t one single effective strategy for putting off work but instead, there are several different ones which can help one get the desired results. The trick is to try out all of these strategies until you find the ones which appeal most towards your personality and needs.
• Maintain an organized space! One of the worse things that can happen to a student who wants to stop procrastinating over their work is finding themselves in a messy environment when it comes time for them to start working on assignments. This disorganized state can actually lead people towards feeling overwhelmed by what they need to do and as a result, lead them back into their old habit of putting tasks off in favor of easier alternatives such as watching TV or enjoying some other form of entertainment. In order to make sure this does not happen, you must work on keeping your living space organized and tidy at all times including during your free hours. Doing so will help you start avoiding procrastinating or putting off tasks even if it means organizing things for 10 minutes before starting any work on school assignments.

Finally, remember that nobody is perfect! Although some people might be able to manage their time better than others no one has ever succeeded in becoming part of the 5% who are completely free from problems with procrastination. The important thing here is to always remind yourself that no matter how hard you try there will always be moments when you feel like doing something other than working on whatever task needs attending to regardless of its level of difficulty. This is perfectly normal and one shouldn’t feel guilty about having these feelings from time to time.

In fact, sometimes it is best to delay work when you are feeling tired or not in the right mood for doing what needs to be done at the moment. In such cases, trying to force yourself through with school assignments will only lead towards stress while also reducing your overall grade on the task at hand since you will not be able to perform as well as usual. On the other hand, if you decide that taking a break might be wise then make sure you come back refreshed before starting any major work so that you can maximize your productivity while minimizing fatigue related mistakes which can often occur during this phase.