She/Her: I can’t stop procrastinating. It’s turning into a pretty big problem, but I can’t bring myself to improve. When I have a paper due, I usually leave it to the last moment since I’m too invested in an hour-long YouTube video. Locking my phone away usually doesn’t work since I like listening to music while I write, and it usually helps. Do you have any tips on how to beat procrastination?
Lilla: I understand the concept of leaving a paper to the last minute because the approaching deadline forces you to tell yourself, “It’s now or never.” You can write your paper near the deadline if this helps you avoid writer’s block, but you need to designate enough time to research if you do so. You might try removing the YouTube tab until you at least have your paper’s concepts planned or your quotes gathered. You can listen to music while working, but make sure to put your phone face-down to avoid notifications while working. I would also recommend testing how the “do not disturb” feature may work for you. It might also help if you do as much as you can at school, so you are in that working mentality. Test out working on the school computers when they aren’t in use. Here are some more tips:
- Switch to shorter videos – 20-minute maximum – and watch during breaks in writing
- Schedule a block of time on your calendar to work on your paper
- Remove YouTube from your tabs, and open YouTube once you finish as a reward
- On iphones, set time limits, or use an app to program work time
- Let your music play instead of skipping or selecting songs (try a playlist of a favorite artist)
