Unit 2: You vs. Procrastination

Objectives

• Leaners will be able to identify the different strategies used to combat procrastination.
• Learners will demonstrate the strategies to combat procrastination through their self-reflection.
• Learners will be able to monitor and recognize the cause of their own procrastination.

Captain America Combatting Strategies

Combatting Strategies

So, we now know what procrastination is and why people procrastinate. How can we combat procrastination? There are many strategies you can implement, the best way to put an end to procrastination is to figure out which one personally works best for you. People will tell procrastinators to “just start the work” or that “you need better time management,” and while that might sometimes be the case, it isn’t always so simple and easy. Superheroes need an efficient plan before they head into battle, below are some strategies for you to consider before you head into battle and clobber procrastination:

1. Use positive self-talk
   1. Keep yourself motivated. Keeping your words and thoughts positive will place you in a better and more positive mindset. Negative self-talk can lead to stress and even a decline in mental health. Positive self-talk has many benefits, but for the mini-courses purpose, positive self-talk can "improve self-esteem, stress management, and wellbeing" (HealthDirect, 2022).
2. Modify your environment
   1. Sometimes the environment you are in doesn't motivate you to complete the assignments or work that you need to. A change in environment might be able to help. If you find yourself unable to get work done in your dorm room or kitchen table, perhaps you can head to a library or a café where there will be less distractions.
3. Plan out your day
   1. Create a to do list that has your goals and objectives listed out for you, and a time of when to start each task and for how long. This might help motivate you into completing the tasks and activities in a timely manner by having them displayed before you.
4. Break down tasks
   1. Looking at the tasks or activities you have to do can feel and become overwhelming, by breaking the tasks down you can see each part or section you need to complete and your progress.
5. Seek out people who motivate and inspire you
   1. Having a study buddy can help keep you accountable of your work, they can also motivate and inspire you to start your tasks.
6. Reward yourself
   1. Have you been wanting to grab yourself a coffee from your nearest coffee store? Or wanting to order some takeout? Perhaps you have been meaning to watch the newest episode of your favorite show. You can use the reward system as a way to motivate yourself. After you complete a certain amount of tasks, you can take a break and watch your favorite show.
7. Make accessing your distractions harder
   1. Do you find yourself scrolling through social media on your phone or even your laptop? There are many tools that you can use to cut out the websites that distract you.
      1. One resource is Cold Turkey. This is a resource for your desktop. It does cost $39 to download, but it is a one-time purchase. The app has different options where you can block other apps, the Internet, or your entire computer.
      2. Another resource is the Digital Wellbeing setting on an Android. If you go to the settings on the phone, scroll to find a digital wellbeing portion. If the phone does not include one, there should be one in the app store. I recently have been using this tool to help me focus on my own procrastination, and it has helped. I set time limits for the apps that distract me, and when I need to focus on work I set my phone to "work mode," where I only receive calls and text messages.
         1. Here are screenshots on where you can find the Digital Wellbeing tool: Digital Wellbeing Presentation (Screenshots)
            
8. The Pomodoro Technique
   1. Are you easily distracted by the world around you? Do you like to listen to music while you work? This strategy will be great for you! The Pomodoro Technique plays lofi beats or jazz music to help focusing and studying. There is a timer so a person works for 25 minutes and then takes a 5 minute break. There are an abundance of videos on YouTube.
      1. Here's a link to a YouTube video that uses the pomodoro technique: The Pomodoro Technique
   2. You can also select café jazz music to help with studying and then set your own timer.
      1. Link to a YouTube video of jazz music: Jazz Music

Activity

For this unit's activity, you will complete a few reflection questions linked below:

Unit 2 Self-Reflection

Keep up the good work!

Additional Resource

To learn more about positive self-talk: Positive Self-Talk

Proceed

Click the link below to head over to the next unit when you are ready.

Unit 3: Clobbering Procrastination

Or go back: Unit 1: Introduction to Procrastination

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