I feel like procrastination is something every college student experiences at least once throughout their career, and lately, I feel like it has become a second nature for me.
From projects I am working on for my English classes to articles I am putting together for the paper, it has gotten to the point where it is taking a toll on my mental health.
I have been putting off doing the things that I need to get done and to take care of myself, which only makes how I am feeling worse.
It’s not something I am proud of, and I definitely want to become better at managing, but I am not sure where to start.
This isn’t something new, either. I have always been pretty good about scheduling when to get my work done, even if it comes close to the deadlines. It has gotten to the point, though, where this simply isn’t as manageable as it once was.
Even when I am writing down my daily tasks, I have either been completely forgetting about certain assignments or commitments I made previously. This is how I can tell the negative effects of procrastination are starting to finally seep through.
Just last week, I completely forgot that I agreed to go on our podcast, “The Fire Pit,” during our weekly meeting. I ended up needing to reschedule another meeting, a commitment that I also procrastinated scheduling.
This led me to the question: How does one develop this habit, and how can we fight it when it is so easy to give in?
I started doing research, mainly to help myself figure out a way to break this habit, but also because I had also procrastinated writing this article and needed to find some external sources (sorry, Jackie).
“Stop Putting It Off: A Guide to Understanding Procrastination,” from McLean Hospital, was a helpful article for me because of how it re-states the reasons we procrastinate and solutions to procrastination, even if they may seem painfully obvious. Sometimes we can get so caught up in an unhelpful cycle that we need to hear or read these things over and over to fully understand how to deal with the underlying problem.
We tend to procrastinate due to a variety of reasons. In this article, feeling bored, lack of belief in our abilities, fear and anxiety, perfectionism and distractions are all listed as reasons we procrastinate. I can think of a few of those I have felt in recent months.
There are several ways to tell if procrastination is affecting your life: feeling uneasy about tasks you’ve completed before, resenting tasks you once were comfortable with or enjoyed and struggling to feel like you are hitting the mark on your daily goal.
Another sentiment brought up in this article is that just because we procrastinate, it doesn’t mean we are lazy. It is a behavior that can develop from other underlying issues, such as self-doubt or stress in our lives.
I have been struggling with this a lot lately because I know I am not a lazy person. I know I am capable of getting the work done but sometimes, I feel like I mentally need that time to put off some of my work, just so I can focus on getting the current tasks at hand accomplished.
Because I have let this habit get so out of hand this semester, I am finally at my breaking point and am ready to turn things around. I realize how much of my own time and mental clarity I am wasting by avoiding assignments or tasks.
I constantly feel like I have no time to do the things I love or enjoy, and I wouldn’t need to feel that way if I just started planning things out a little bit better. Recognizing that this habit of mine wasn’t developed by laziness but rather the amount of stress that has piled up over the last few months, has also just helped me remember I am human too.
It is okay to feel overwhelmed by the struggles or tasks of everyday life. It is also okay to take all the time you need, especially when your mental health may be on the decline.
One thing that has really helped me is breaking things up into small intervals. I try and tell myself that if I sit down and begin the assignment, job or whatever it is I am working on, it will only take 10 minutes. This helps remind me that everything is manageable and these overwhelming feelings are simply feelings.
From here on out, I am going to do what I can to stop letting these emotions and negative thoughts get in the way of what I need to get done, and I encourage everyone reading to do the same.
Take back your life by stepping in front of the mirror and telling yourself that you can do it. Sure, it sounds cliché but positive affirmations and simply starting whatever it is that you have been putting off are healthy ways to get your life more organized.