Are you a procrastinator? Read this now!
‘I’m taking care of my procrastination issues – just you wait and see.’
‘Sorry. No time. I have a lot of procrastination to do.’
‘From a procrastination standpoint, today has been wildly successful.’
Do the above quotes ring true for you? If it’s a ‘yes’, then keep reading, because we can help you stop procrastinating!
Procrastinating is putting off doing a required task, often by finding something else to do. This creates a lot of stress because the task still needs to be done, but you risk running out of time to do it. So, when you do finally complete the task, it’s far from your best work.
We’re all guilty of putting off something important in favour of doing something enjoyable. But procrastinating can have negative effects not only on your university assignments, but also on your mental health.
Procrastination is rarely about laziness or time management. It’s more likely to be a symptom of:
- anxiety
- not feeling motivated in your course
- perfectionism
- believing the task is too difficult, big or boring
- fear of failure.
So procrastination is actually closely linked to your attitude toward yourself and your work.
Procrastination has a way of rewarding itself. When you stop studying to procrastinate, the anxiety about the study goes away and you feel better. But this reward is short-lived as you soon realise that the task still needs to be done, only now with less time!
So what can you do about it?
To avoid procrastination, you need to put up with some anxiety so you can start your study. The reward and relief of having completed an assignment that you are proud of is much greater than the quick fix you get by procrastinating.
Here are some quick ways to focus on your task
- Start right now – once you’ve gotten the ball rolling, it will be easier to return to something that you’ve already started.
- Set realistic goals – don’t attempt to do a whole assignment in one night. Break down your work into smaller, more achievable tasks, and try to complete them one at a time.
- Reward yourself – do something you love after completing each task (instead of doing it beforehand).
- Plan ahead – mark dates and times for study in your diary.
Still need more help?
The below services are free and available to all Deakin students:
- If you’re feeling overcome with anxiety and can’t complete your course work, make an appointment to speak to a counsellor from Deakin’s Counselling and Psychological Support (CAPS) service. Our CAPS team offers confidential support to Deakin students from highly skilled psychologists and social workers. CAPS are currently providing all counselling appointments via phone or Skype for Business, in recognition of social distancing requirements related to the COVID-19 situation.
- Make an appointment with a Deakin Language and Learning Adviser to discuss your approach to work and learn how to complete your assignments on time. All LLA appointments are currently being conducted on phone or online via Skype for Business.