Advices to avoid procrastination: keep focused and organize study times efficiently

The pandemic has tested our organization and concentration capacities as never before. The difficult situation of the confinement, the sudden change of routines, distance classes, uncertainty…All this has favoured distraction, something very understandable in a situation so different from what we are used to. To this we have to add a source of distraction that has already been among us all for a long time: mobile devices are most responsible of procrastination, a habit that affects people of all ages. Their use provides us with instant gratification and therefore it is more attractive than other activities that benefit us on the medium or long term rather than immediately.

To avoid this procrastination we should manage our time properly and avoid distractions. This is the only way to achieve full concentration when studying. The purpose is to avoid constant delay of our duties, something that will oblige us to develop them in the nick of time, in a hurry, nervously and with poor results. Reality is that procrastination may cause anxiety and frustration. For this reason it is vital that students work to avoid it, especially during examination periods.

But we shall not forget that procrastination is not the same as laziness. It refers to the regulation of emotions rather than time which involves the need to reflect and be aware of what is happening to us and what we feel.

Below we list some guidelines that will help you keep focused being flexible and understanding our needs at any given time:

1. Be aware of what is happening, why do you keep delaying that task? What makes you difficult to start with it?
2. Change your perspective: something big can discourage you and make you feel overwhelmed but many small tasks are easier to assume and carry out.
3. Engage: plan and program those more manageable tasks and once you finish them, reward yourself. It is also a good idea to share your plans with others, this way your commitment will be greater.
4. Seek an environment that favours concentration: avoiding distractions is essential to avoid procrastination.
5. Focus on what you want to do at any time. Try not to think about what is coming next or what you still have to do.
6. Involve yourself with your colleagues and interact with them. Being motivated is the key to be focused.

To these advices to avoid procrastination we can add other simple ideas. For example, thinking about the advantages to accomplish this task we want to delay and the relief we will feel when we accomplish them. This way we can think about the negative consequences of not doing each thing in its turn to convince ourselves that we have to take action as soon as possible.