Stop procrastinating and start studying

We get it: we all procrastinate. When you don’t want to do something, it’s very easy to convince yourself that there are other pressing, personal things to spend your time on. You might even be reading this because you’re procrastinating right now! No judgement, we’re here to help.

If you’re looking for some quick tips to reframe your mind and help you to get studying, read below!

Stop splitting things into steps, instead look at finishing tasks

Dividing big projects into smaller steps may seem like a great way to get stuff done — smaller steps, right? The problem with this thinking is that these steps usually need to be done sequentially — you can’t do one before you do the other. Sometimes this creates a stand-still in our ability to move forward with a specific project.

Instead, start thinking about it in a more task-based way. This way, you can look at doing a number of study tasks at once, or in whatever order you like. This also changes the conversation you’ll have with yourself: when you can’t say, “I can’t do this because I haven’t done that yet”, you’ll feel much more liberated.

Time spent procrastinating can still be time well-spent

It’s easy to say that everything you busy your mind with while trying not to busy yourself with your studying is a waste of time, but it’s just not that black or white, and thinking differently about the time you spend procrastinating is a good way to begin more positive thinking. In fact, many of us can spend our time away from studying doing things that will actually make studying much easier, like taking some much-needed down time.

If you’re spending time doing things that you enjoy like watching a movie but feeling guilty about them because of a lingering deadline, try to schedule your fun time as a reward for studying. Every time you finish a scheduled study session with a tutor, reward yourself with some time spent doing one of your favorite activities.

Be realistic when you make your study schedule

Remember Jack from the Shining? We all know what happened to him when it was all work and no play. So take a few minutes to set yourself a schedule for the week: when you’re not in school, how much time will you dedicate to studying? When you’re not studying, how much time will you dedicate to down time? It’s just as important to prioritize this aspect of your day-to-day and not giving yourself enough time to relax may actually be detrimental to your studies. In fact, there are plenty of studies out there that show that sleeping after studying can actually help you internalize learned concepts more easily than if you spend the whole night studying.

Once you’ve set your schedule, honor it. Make sure you’ve scheduled enough time for yourself to kick back and unwind.

How do you spend less time procrastinating and more time studying? Share your tips in the comments below!