Break Free from Procrastination and Start Learning
Insights for you:
- Procrastinating means distracting yourself from doing what is needed.
- To break free from procrastinating is to leave your comfort zone.
- Procrastination is a coping mechanism.
Little introduction
Hi there) It’s my first blog post ever, hehehe. I am somewhat excited about this new journey of sharing my thoughts and knowledge. Well yeah, let’s get to the point. And the point is… how and how you can stop procrastinating. At some moment, you probably understood that you wanted to change this behavior. So here you are, reading about how to finally stop procrastinating and start doing better and more useful things for yourself.
What is procrastination and why do people do that?
Let’s just quickly remind us about what procrastination is. Have you ever waited until the last day to complete the task? Okay, weird question, because who didn’t? Procrastinating is like a habit of doing this. It happens when you don’t like, don’t want, or are scared to do something. It can also occur when you think it must be perfect and then stop yourself from even trying. Instead, you will do something more enjoyable and comforting, such as watching TikTok or YouTube, communicating with others or choosing another form of distraction. Relatable, for so many people relatable.
How do you stop delaying things?
Almost everyone procrastinates. And yeah, it’s hard to stop it. Do you know why? It keeps you in your comfort zone. To make changes in your life, you need to step out of it. You’ve probably been thinking that you have to get rid of this destructive habit. However, it is just one of our coping mechanisms and part of our nature. To manage it, you need to understand the reasons that make you want to be distracted and read further.
How can you manage procrastination?
I’ve been finding it hard to stay on task lately. There’s always the temptation to mindlessly scroll through Instagram, laugh at TikTok, or clean my room instead of working on my projects. It’s gotten to the point where I’m struggling to meet deadlines. Here are some steps that could help:
Step 1, make a plan.
Step 2, get started.
Step 3, uh… oh wait, I’ll finish this list later.
Just kidding!^^
Firstly, it’s great that you understand you’ve faced such a problem. You are a step closer to minimizing the procrastination impact.
Secondly, as I said, you have to know why you keep looking for those distractions. Here comes also understanding of your feelings. I recently came across an insightful book by Brianna Wiest “The Mountain Is You”. It includes the topic of procrastination and why we keep doing that. For example, you may be scared of failing, or want it to be perfect, or just worrying, or not fully understand your emotions. I highly recommend this book. Of course, I am subjective here but just try. I was in a deadlock, but while reading, I cried, smiled, felt motivated, saw myself and my tendencies in it. No wonder, so many people liked it.
Then, building discipline in your actions is key. It is more reliable than relying on motivation, which can be fleeting. So you need a plan to stick to. One helpful solution to create a plan is to ask ChatGPT to make one. For example, I did that to combine learning English, German, and SEO. By doing small tasks every day you will make progress. The main point to remember is that you need to focus because with focus there’s progress. Outline what aspects you want to cover (e.x. a project or work task), and how much free time a week you have, and ask ChatGPT to help you divide it into achievable steps. And don’t forget to relax!)
Finally, I would recommend removing distractions and triggers. If not completely, then at least partially. Wipe out your biggest distraction from everywhere. For me, it was TikTok and Instagram. And you know, 2 weeks without it make a difference. As a result, I feel more focused now. But of course, I wanted to relax somehow in breaks between all those brainstorms. I would recommend you to go and drink some water, do some stretching, or water your flowers. Just do something that doesn’t include too much thinking.
Note: I can’t recommend treating yourself with food as a reward after completing tasks. Food is a necessity in everyone’s life. Using it as a reward or even punishment can affect your relationship with food and contribute to eating disorders.
Be kind to yourself and stay disciplined)