With exams just around the corner, studying is very important. Some people have habits when it comes to studying, and some people just go with their feelings at the moment. Procrastination happens when people do not have regular habits about how they do things, and then they get behind and start stalling as they believe that they cannot get started.
For some people, perfectionism plays a part in procrastination. A person may see themselves as trying to make something ¨perfect¨ when they are essentially delaying or putting off finishing something. When that happens, the attempt to perfect provides a reason to procrastinate and put things off.
If you tend to delay, here is a helpful tip from Ms. Virginia Moore, my 6th grade math teacher at Brookwood Forest Elementary School. “On Sunday night, I like to sit down and look at my week, look at my schoolwork and my extracurriculars and know what night I have free time. Set mini-deadlines along the way to get your work done so that it doesn’t all build up at the end.”
I use Time Timers to set time limits on schoolwork for myself. I like them because they are visual timers instead of one that just beep really loud and distract you. I also use the Pomodoro technique, which breaks down big tasks into individual things that you only do for 25 minutes. This could also work for cleaning your room or just as a way to get your chores and homework done faster. James Clear writes about breaking old habits and building new ones. Procrastination is a hard habit to break but worth breaking because it is so much better to get things done than to wait and do it at 11:00 at night and cut down on the amount of rest you get.
If you keep your phone in your room, then you should probably make sure that does not side track you. Anytime someone messages you or you get an app notification, you are tempted to stop what you are doing and respond or react. This can cause a 20 minute activity to be an hour long. Even if you are playing music, you probably stop and sing or dance along if a song comes on that you love. The worst thing is when you are on a roll and then something interrupts you. The best thing you could do for yourself is not to have your phone in your room/studying area at all. If you must have your phone with you, turn off the notifications sound to limit distractions. This includes social media. When exams are here, you must make sure that you are completely on track and you start early to prevent procrastination later on.
