Description: Maths and Science tutor Tahmid shares his experience with learning how to avoid procrastination.
In this blog, I am going to be tackling the issue of procrastination as well as how to stop it.
Since I am educated in the field of Medicine you may think that I would never procrastinate.
Well, it cannot be further from the truth, especially during secondary school where I would avoid studying and homework until the very last minute.
Therefore, who is better to give advice on how to stop procrastinating than an ex-procrastinator.
Technology
With technology evolving everywhere, students and even adults alike are becoming more engaged with screens.
It could be for messing around and playing games or socialising, or it could even be for work since everything is online nowadays.
However, especially for students in GCSE and A level (or equivalent), procrastination is a major problem.
The stress of waiting until the last minute to get homework or a project done gets unbearable, but sometimes, as a procrastinator, can it be helped?
I believe this is where procrastinators remain procrastinators. They believe that they can’t help themselves and are just made to do assignments last minute.
The art of distractions of technology succeeded over them. How do we deal with this then?
Limits and Rewards
It is important to realise that you can’t just take everything away that causes procrastination.
If someone plays video games all day as a way of procrastination, you can’t just take it completely away for them to do work.
It might help for that one assignment, but as soon as you give them their video games back, they will procrastinate more than ever, as now the excuse of “I am making up the time I didn’t get to play”.
As a result, the procrastinator becomes a bigger procrastinator.
Instead, limit the time spent on technology. If you are playing 10 hours a day, limit it slowly, to 8 hours, then 5 hours, whilst increasing study time.
Turn procrastination into a rewarded rest, by doing all your work commitments beforehand.
Do not be brought down by other people who are not willing to be proactive to be harder working.
Useful Techniques
One key technique that helps with stopping procrastination is goals.
Have one or more goals for the day, and if you want to write them down, do so, or you can keep a mental note.
Find a method to achieve the goals for today.
During Medical School, I would wake up with certain goals in my head. For example, “Revise thoracic anatomy and the cardiovascular and respiratory system today via flashcards in the morning. Play football. Relax”.
When I speak this out loud, I go out and be proactive.
This technique might not help everyone, but I encourage my students to find a technique to deal with procrastination and avoid temptations.
By tutor Tahmid. Contact Us