Procrastination

Avoiding procrastination

The evasion of doing something which must be done can result in feelings of guilt and stress; we call it procrastination. Naturally, most people procrastinate occasionally. However, excessive procrastination can have a negative effect on our work and studies, so it’s important to be able to identify procrastination and recognise how to stop it.

Why do students procrastinate?

It is common for people to mask procrastination by occupying themselves with tasks unrelated to the object at hand. Here are some of the most common reasons for procrastinating:

o Feeling overwhelmed: A sudden onslaught of deadlines combined with poor time management can distort your sense of time, and without prioritising your work, it may feel impossible. This in turn may create feelings ofanxiety and stress, which will hinder the work process.

o Task difficulty: You may be unsure how to start a task, or what is expected of you to complete it. This can be a common problem for students, as University study involves mastering knowledge and concepts that may be new and challenging.

o Disliking the task: Many students procrastinate if they find their work boring or unpleasant.

o Perfectionism: Students can set unrealistically high standards for themselves. Fear of not meeting these standards can cause procrastination.

o Poor concentration: A work environment full of distractions can make it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

o Lack of motivation: All of the above can make students feel less motivated about completing their work.

Signs of procrastination

The following are statements, which if true, are signs of procrastination:

o I delay starting a task because I find it difficult.

o My mind wanders to things other than the task at hand.

o I sometimes wonder why a task needs to be completed.

o I often give up on tasks once they start to become tricky.

o I have difficulty...