Procrastination station

One of the biggest challenges we must face as we grow older is procrastination. It is detrimental to our work ethic as it provides very little motivation to do productive things. In much simpler terms, procrastination is the inability to carry out a task in an appropriate and timely manner. Unfortunately, procrastination is heavily associated with laziness, but that is simply not the case in all circumstances. Procrastination can happen to anyone, even the most ambitious people out there. There are many reasons why one might procrastinate, but there are many solutions as well. 

The epidemic of procrastination is not to be taken lightly, due to its devastating effects and how many people suffer from it. Procrastination makes itself known especially when we are in middle/high school. A lot of us tend to push off our work towards the last minute, thus forcing us to rush and turn in work that isn’t our best. Fortunately for me, the desire to put off my work was weaker than my desire to get everything done. Whilst I may not have had extreme procrastination, it was still there and I would always worry for my friends who struggled with it even more.

There are plenty of reasons why one might choose to procrastinate. In order to overcome this phenomena, it is best to understand why you do it, and find solutions relevant to your reason why. Reasons why you procrastinate can include:

• Perfectionism - As surprising as this may sound, the desire to be perfect can eventually lead to putting things off. As one might strive for perfection, they might delve into unrealistic expectations which lead to a constant fear of failure. This leads to procrastination as one might avoid failure.
  
• Low Self-Esteem - When you constantly put yourself down, you will find yourself putting objectives off entirely as you lack motivation to do your best.
  
• Last Minute - Some people like to put their work off until the last minute because they feel as though they work better under pressure. This reason speaks within itself, people might get used to working at the last minute until it can get too overwhelming.
  
• Focusing - Focusing on one task at hand can be difficult, I relate to this as I struggle with this the most. In fact, I struggled with writing this article as I continued to get up and interact with other things. 
  
• Decision Fatigue - Making decisions can be mentally exhausting, therefore when we have too many options, we get overwhelmed and avoid the situation all together. 
  

These are just a select few of the reasons why we might procrastinate. However, do not give up hope, there are just as many solutions as there are reasons. With a strong and willing mindset, we can find a way out of the loop called procrastination.

Even though I do not have the most experience with procrastination, here are ways that helped me overcome it, and I hope they help you as well!

• Write out what you have to do - Creating a list helped me see what needs to be done, and I organized the details of how/when to do these tasks.
  
• Start a high priority task, then take a break - Starting a task of the utmost importance and then taking a short break made me feel energized to finish the task, or at least get most of it done.
  
• If starting a high priority task doesn’t work, starting a low priority task might do you better. It is important to try new things as you never know what might work. 
  
• Remove distractions - This, unfortunately, is easier said than done. I would typically set my phone down, then I would tell myself, “Do not look at your phone until x minutes later”. I would look at the time every now and then, and eventually I could go longer without looking at my phone. 
  
• Break large tasks into manageable smaller chunks - Looking at a big project as a whole can serve as a deterrent for getting it done. When I broke it up into smaller chunks, it made doing these large tasks much easier. 
  

While these tips helped me overcome my inability to do important tasks (sometimes), they may not necessarily help you. If my advice does not work, hopefully these websites provided below can help you overcome, or at least maintain, procrastination. (None of these websites sponsor TWE). 

• Solving Procrastination - This long but helpful article goes into deeper depth about overcoming procrastination. You can subscribe, for free, for more research-based information about procrastination. 
  
• Lifehack - I know that most lifehacks tend to be corny and may seem like they do not work, however this article provides some of the best information on procrastination. 
  
• Overcoming Procrastination - This article is provided by the prestigious college Brown University where the Psych department goes into detail about overcoming procrastination and even poses questions to ask yourself about the situation.
  

One of the most bonding aspects of our lives is procrastination. While we may not share the same reasons and effects of procrastination, it is still something that we should work together to overcome. Unfortunately, most people deal with this phenomena at vital points in their lives, whether it be school or work. Luckily for us, there are plenty of causes and solutions to this issue. I sincerely hope that anyone who has read this article will find the information provided useful, and if not, I hope that it drives you to do further research. Good luck and remember to try your very best for everything.

Best of luck, 
~Camille