Tips for Overcoming Procrastination
- Focus on what you can do TODAY, not on what you didn’t do yesterday or last week.
- The trick to getting started is... getting started! Develop a regular study routine rather than just waiting for motivation to kick in! Make sure your study space is free of distractions including your phone! Plan to start with simple small tasks and steps to get the study vibes going.
- Break down larger tasks into more manageable subtasks. We suggest making an “assessment plan” which includes small talks such as research articles, write introduction to make the overall task less overwhelming and more manageable.
- Start with small, easily accomplished sub-goals, and build up from there. This may even be getting your study space neat and tidy to allow you to study.
- Credit yourself for whatever you accomplish today, no matter how small it may be. Remember, no matter what you achieved today, it is one step closer to your goal compared to when you woke up this morning!
- Break down tasks into 15-30-minute increments. Don’t bite off more than you can chew at any one time. We suggest working in small time frames to begin with and slowly increasing the minutes if you feel comfortable or building up how many sets of these you can do each day!
- Give yourself a 10-15-minute break each hour. Reward yourself for accomplishing a designated task by then (and only then!) such as going for a walk or phoning/zooming a friend. We recommend avoiding rewards that you will find hard to stop and go back to studying such as social media and video games.
- Don’t get down on yourself if your mind drifts. This is completely NORMAL. When you notice you have drifted, actively bring you attention back to the task at hand. We recommend trying some mindfulness strategies!
- At the end of the day, note 2-3 things you accomplished that day and 2-3 other things you plan to do tomorrow.
- Apply the "good enough" standard to yourself. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to be good enough. Setting unrealistically high standards prevents you from trying because of the fear of not meeting the unreasonable expectations you place on yourself.
For more information see: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-minute-therapist/202101/10-tips-turning-procrastination-precrastination
You can also speak to our Counsellors for free and confidential counselling support and study strategies. Call 9564 1649 or email studentwellbeing@holmesglen.edu.au to make an appointment today.