One of the challenging things students face nowadays is procrastination. It hinders productivity, making it difficult for students to score well.
We often associate procrastination as just being lazy. But there’s more to it. Various studies have shown that procrastination stems from negative feelings such as stress and anxiety.
Oftentimes, when we start, we think every aspect of our studying should be perfect. The time, the desk, the surroundings, all should be perfect.
Our desire for perfection tends to give us anxiety. What if it’s not perfect? What if it’s not good enough? I’ll start when I can end it up perfectly.
I am sure you must relate to this. Very often, we are scared and stressed about the outcomes that it even hinders us from even starting.
PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS BEHIND PROCRASTINATION
According to research, procrastination stems from complex psychological factors rooted in difficulties with emotion regulation, rather than simple laziness. Research reveals that people procrastinate primarily due to their inability to manage negative emotions associated with tasks, viewing procrastination as a short-term mood repair strategy.
Based on evidence, fear of failure emerges as a prominent driver, where individuals avoid tasks to prevent confronting potential inadequacy or criticism. As per the scientific evidence, the brain’s response involves the amygdala triggering fight-or-flight responses when perceiving tasks as threatening, thereby overpowering the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for long-term thinking and emotional regulation.
Studies also indicate, perfectionism compounds procrastination as individuals set unrealistically high standards and delay action until they feel capable of meeting these expectations.
Based on evidence, this self-regulatory failure affects decision-making processes, with procrastinators prioritising immediate gratification over long-term benefits through temporal.
The very essential component while tackling procrastination is to keep a check on your feelings. Letting emotions run your actions can lead you to an endless cycle of procrastination.
Put actions first; let the fear of failure get defeated by the actions.
Below are some techniques to deal with procrastination.
TECHNIQUES TO DEAL WITH PROCRASTINATION
Know your ‘why’
Motivation sustains when you know the reason why you started. Knowing the reason why you started will help you overcome your inability to take action.
Write it down somewhere. Why do you want to study? Do you just want good grades? Want a better career or get into your dream university?
This might not immediately make procrastination go away, but it creates a base to establish actions to tackle procrastination.
According to scientific evidence, knowing your reason to do something enhances intrinsic or autonomous motivation, which reduces procrastination by increasing engagement and personal relevance of tasks. When individuals connect tasks to their values or interests, they experience greater self-discipline and less avoidance, leading to improved task initiation and persistence. This motivation-based approach aligns with self-determination theory, which emphasises autonomy and self-regulation as key to overcoming procrastination
Break the task into chunks
As discussed earlier, negative feelings lead to procrastination. If studying a whole book in a week feels overwhelming, you’re more likely to procrastinate until exams approach. Break the task into smaller chunks rather than a book per week; think of it as one to two chapters per day. This will make you feel less overwhelmed and stressed.
Research done by the University of Georgia indicates that breaking large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks effectively reduces procrastination by making the work seem less overwhelming and more approachable. This segmentation lowers emotional resistance and stress, which are common triggers for procrastination, by providing clear, achievable steps. It helps maintain motivation and focus through frequent progress feedback, releasing dopamine that reinforces task engagement.
Make it a challenge
Have you noticed how you often don’t do things that seem too easy or boring, or too hard? Our Brain does not like too difficult a task, nor too easy or boring.
You need to challenge it to a degree where you see the task as a challenge, not a boring chore.
Research shows that making tasks sufficiently challenging enhances motivation by fostering a state of “flow,” where individuals feel engaged but not overwhelmed. When task difficulty matches skills, it leads to optimal effort and intrinsic motivation, promoting persistence and reducing procrastination. Excessive difficulty, however, may cause withdrawal and lower motivation, highlighting the need for balanced challenge. This is supported by studies showing motivation peaks with moderate difficulty and skill alignment, as tasks provide meaningful goals and learning progress without causing discouragement.
Eliminate Distraction
Doing things is hard, especially studying when you feel like you don’t understand anything. When doing hard things, distractions are like sabotaging yourself.
Distractions like social media might give you a sense of relief, but it’s temporary. Therefore, it’s better to eliminate distractions, especially before studying. Research indicates that eliminating distractions significantly reduces procrastination by enhancing focus and self-regulation. Distractions divert attention from tasks and disrupt workflow, increasing the likelihood of delay. Removing or minimising interruptions—such as turning off notifications or creating a dedicated workspace—improves concentration and task persistence, supporting sustained effort and timely completion (Sirois & Pychyl, 2013; Steel, 2007). This aligns with executive function theories emphasising the importance of attentional control in overcoming procrastination.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is a very effective time-management technique. Breaks between a certain amount of time doing a task without distraction make it less overwhelming and doable.
Research shows the Pomodoro Technique effectively reduces procrastination by breaking large tasks into focused, manageable 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks. This structured work-rest cycle minimises overwhelm, enhances motivation, and builds consistent work habits. It also combats avoidance by encouraging a small, manageable first step, helping users start and sustain task engagement.
2-minute rule technique
The 2-minute rule technique refers to doing any task you want to do only for the duration of 2 minutes. This technique helps your mind get into momentum. This might sound ridiculous, but in no time, your mind will get into flow, and it will feel less hard than before to get started. Research on the 2-minute technique shows it effectively reduces procrastination by lowering the initiation barrier to tasks. Starting with just two minutes of work makes tasks feel manageable, reduces overwhelming feelings, and builds momentum for continued action. This simple strategy promotes habit formation and prevents delaying small but essential tasks, enhancing overall productivity and focus.
Journaling
You may wonder how journaling can help with procrastination. As procrastination is about emotions, therefore journaling becomes an effective tool to understand your fears and stressors to deal with procrastination.
Research shows that journaling effectively reduces procrastination by increasing self-awareness and clarifying thoughts about tasks. Journaling not only helps individuals identify emotional barriers and motivation but also enables better self-regulation and focus. It promotes reflection, insight, and action planning, which collectively decrease avoidance behaviours associated with procrastination. Studies highlight journaling as a valuable tool for managing procrastination.
CONCLUSION
Procrastination is a complex challenge that affects many students, but it’s manageable with the right mindset and strategies. Understanding that it’s often an emotional response rather than laziness can shift how we approach studying. By actively addressing the underlying feelings and using practical techniques like chunking tasks, setting balanced challenges, and managing distractions, we can break free from the cycle of delay. The key is to be patient with yourself, stay consistent, and keep experimenting until you find what motivates you. Over time, these habits will build confidence and make studying feel less overwhelming and more rewarding.
Also Read: The Science Behind Effective Study Habits: Boost Your Learning Efficiency
