Procrastination and Academic Wellbeing
Words by Kritika Sharma (she/her)
I’ve been dealing with the procrastination monster for far too long, and it’s high time to put an end to it. For as long as I can remember, instant noodles, iced coffee, and all-nighters have been my best friends. But that’s no way to live, is it?
I can’t even remember the last time I handed in an assignment with time to spare. It's always a race against the clock, and guess what? My laptop conveniently decides to give up on me during last-minute submissions—talk about bad luck!
But here’s the thing: we've all struggled with procrastination at some point. It's about time we realised that it's not just a harmless habit. Procrastination fills our lives with stress, anxiety, and shoddy work. We miss out on valuable learning opportunities, our motivation takes a nosedive, and we never have a chance to make those much-needed revisions. How many times have we beat ourselves up, thinking, "If only I had started earlier, I could have aced this assignment"?
But do not worry—there is some good news. We can kick the procrastination monster to the curb with a few simple changes.
First things first, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. We're procrastinators, and it's time to own up to it. Once we accept it, we're already halfway to victory. Never underestimate a task, my friend. Those assignment guidelines may seem like a piece of cake at first glance, but trust me, they can be a whole lot trickier than they appear. Be sure to break big tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks, and spread them out over time. Don't leave everything to the eleventh hour, or you'll find yourself drowning in confusion and panic.
Now, let's talk about time management. It's an essential skill, especially for uni students. We've got classes, extracurricular activities, social gatherings, and our physical and mental well-being to juggle. Get yourself a planner, whether it's a digital one like Google Calendar or a good old-fashioned paper planner, and get planning! And hey, ever heard of the Pomodoro technique? It's a game-changer for staying focused. Give it a shot. Oh, and don't forget about the Eisenhower Matrix priority setting.
Minimise distractions. Put that phone on silent, close those unnecessary browser tabs, and find yourself a quiet sanctuary to work in. There are apps and blockers out there that can save you from giving into endlessly scrolling through TikTok.
Manawa Ora's Procrastination Wellbeing workshop (coming up on 10 August—book yourself in via CareerHub!) can help you deal with the procrastination beast. Sign up and arm yourself with strategies to conquer this monster once and for all. And while you're at it, dive into Manawa Ora’s online well-being resources too. Study Well and Live Well resources can help you with procrastination, managing high workloads, creating habits, setting routines, and maintaining study-life balance. They're a great starting point for this journey!
Finally, let's talk about perfectionism. Perfection kills progress, my friend. So let's ditch the obsession with getting everything flawlessly right from the start. The hardest part is simply starting. So, dive in, imperfections and all, and make progress.
There you have it: your guide to (finally) kicking procrastination to the curb. No more all-nighters or surviving on instant noodles and energy drinks. Here’s to defeating procrastination and reclaiming your well-being and success.