As the global pandemic hit across the world, we all became too affected by it in one way or the other. It has been almost three years now, and it still has not completely gone yet. However, we are still enduring its aftershocks. Being stuck at home, made all of us extremely lazy and unproductive. Some of us are still trying to get back to a normal routine but it seems impossible. The good news is that it is not. We shall guide you with a few simple steps which can help to deal with procrastination. So let’s get started.
Start your day with a productive activity:-
Starting your day with something productive has been way more effective than you can ever imagine. After getting up do not turn on any movie or season, assuming that you will start working after one episode. We all know it never happens and we get carried away by it.
Wake up, check social media notifications for less than 5 minutes and turn off your phone. Trust me, it helps. Not even checking notifications is also ideal but I know most of us would then be attentive towards phone even when doing something else that “omg! I don’t know what I missed”. So it is better to check the notifications in a minute or so and turn it off.
After turning off your phone, get up from bed and start your day with any productive activity. Make a target that you will not take your phone or laptop within three hours of waking up for entertainment purposes.
Take the first step:-
Taking the first step is the hardest, I know. But it has the most influence. Once you will start doing something, you will automatically get the motivation of making progress in your work and seeing the results. Take the first step and most of the things would be sorted out within the process.
Take Breaks:-
Let’s assume you started working, you took the first step. Now you must take breaks because if you won’t, you will get so tired on the first day of your productivity that you will lose all motivation and surely spend the next full week just turning back to old habits. Especially initially, take short breaks and start slowly and steadily.
Making a “to-do list” is must to avoid procrastination:-
Making a to-do list, a schedule, a plan or simply listing down things that we need to do, helps against procrastination so much. We cannot work when we don’t know what we have to do. Making a clear plan and strategy helps to build up a routine. Make a list of the things you need to accomplish and break it down into weeks, days and hours. Make a daily and weekly to-do list with proper breaks for recreational activities or simple anything from workouts to Netflix you wanted to do.
Quality matters than quantity:-
Although this whole discussion is mainly about procrastination, we are stressing about less work. What we are really trying to put out is that start with less. Slow steps keep you going for way longer. How many hours you are working is less important than how many hours you are working with full concentration.
No matter how many minutes you work or study, just make it productive. I have seen kids keeping books in front of them for hours and hours and they don’t actually study even for a bit. Make your quality high no matter it affects quantity.
Set your goals according to time and energy:-
This might seem a little confusing but in reality this is all that makes difference. Everyone has their own times of high productiveness. Some people feel more energetic and productive in the mornings, some at night, and so on. Keep the bigger tasks or tasks which require more physical or mental attention on those times of the day when you are most productive. Lighter tasks can be done at other times.
So in this way, split your work into pieces. That is how you reserve energy for the things and it avoids procrastination. Saving energy is itself a big step in the way to avoid procrastinating.
Change Environment that promotes procrastination:-
Distracting work or study space also contributes a lot to procrastinating. Just see that if your environment and study area is contributing or supporting your tasks. If not, things going to change. Study or work area not just depends on sounds, it could be colors, and it also be the things placed there or uncleanness which can be distracting. So just clear out your desk or work area and then start your work. You will rock woohoo!
Trust yourself:-
Trust yourself that you will do it. There is nothing in this world that is impossible. Everything can be achieved. You are procrastinating, that is normal. Everyone does that many times in life. Just get through it, believe in your abilities.
Talk with relevant people:-
Sometimes always just hanging around people who do not work or study at all or who do not have any goals in life can have a dull effect on you as well and your avoidance of procrastination becomes even harder. No one is telling you to change friends. All you need to do is also talk or hang around people who work or have some goals in life. Take motivation from them. Discuss with them. Trust me, it really has a good influence.
These were some of the proven steps from my own personal experience. Follow these aforementioned steps to stop procrastinating, don’t rush, and hopefully you will get through this. Start your work and going to rock for sure.
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