You come home from school, with Honors Chemistry homework, two AP classes to study for, a confusing assignment from Math class, and soccer practice to get to. “There’s no way I can finish everything before the deadline!” As the pressure builds, you feel the temptation to scroll on your phone. You tell yourself that five minutes of scrolling never hurt anyone, but before you know it, an hour passes by. After a tiring practice, you return to the piles of homework on your desk, and you sink into your chair. Suddenly, you see your phone light up: it’s a text from your friend. Without hesitation, you pick up your phone forgetting that you have homework due tomorrow. That’s the cycle of procrastination; surely, most of us have been caught in it.  

Procrastination is delaying or postponing tasks or actions that need to be done, often by focusing on less important tasks or activities that feel better. It’s not laziness, but a way to avoid stressful, boring, or overwhelming work. At first, it can feel like a relief to put off work. But the unfinished work will remain in one’s mind. This causes feelings of guilt and stress as the deadline approaches, creating a cycle of avoidance, stress, and procrastination. Moreover, procrastination makes it difficult to even begin.

This phenomenon can happen to anyone. It is important to understand procrastination as it is the first step to solving it.

People procrastinate due to issues such as exhaustion and anxiety, which can overpower our self-control and motivation. When feeling overwhelmed, people who procrastinate tend to avoid unpleasant tasks to experience temporary relief. Physical or mental exhaustion is another common factor contributing to procrastination. 

Distractions in the learning environment—such as noise, clutter, video games, TV shows, or social media—can disrupt focus and further delay task completion and therefore also cause procrastination.

Here are some easy and effective ways to get rid of procrastination: 

1. Break tasks into smaller steps –  big projects can feel intimidating, so divide them up into smaller chunks so you can focus on completing one task at a time. 
2. Set goals – before starting your work, write down what you want to accomplish by setting goals. Setting goals can help you remember what you have to finish and stay on track.
3. Eliminate distractions – as much as you hate to admit it, phones and other technology that allows you to access social media are a huge distraction. Switching off your phone or keeping it in another room will help you stay focused. 
4. Build Productive Habits – Establish a daily routine that contains time for work, start your day with the most important or challenging tasks, and finish off with the easy ones. 
5. Be accountable – find a friend who can help you stay accountable for your tasks.