How To Beat Procrastination

Hello everyone,

As you can see from both my title and the picture above, today I come to talk to you about procrastination. You would be lying if you said you don't procrastinate. We all do it, even if we may not realize it. For example, right now I'm procrastinating getting some History done by writing this post. So really, I can't yell at you for doing it. I do, however, have a lot of experience in trying to not procrastinate, so hopefully my tips might help out some of you folks. 

 1. Be Comfortable 

I am home schooled, (I take private school classes twice a week.) so I am mostly doing school at home which gives me the freedom to wear whatever I want. Normally, I like to change out of my PJ's just so I'm not tempted to fall back asleep again, but I still like to stay comfortable. It is so hard for me to focus in stiff clothes and when my hair is falling into my face, so I like to wear baggy sweater/T-shirts, leggings/jeggings, and tie my hair up. 

2. Stay Hydrated 

This is one of my favorites. If you entered my room, you would find about 2-3 water bottles, 2 glasses, and at least 1 tumbler laying around..possibly some coffee mugs too. I am always drinking some sort of water mixture, tea, coffee, or smoothie. Mostly though, I add lemon into my water. Lemon is known to help you be more alert and stimulate memory. It really does help me focus, plus it tastes super good! 

3. Don't Study in Bed

I don't care how cute your bed is, if it's made, if it is comfortable, don't do it! You get twice as much work done when you are doing it on a desk or a table. Your bed is for sleeping and your body knows that, so you will automatically be less focused and become drowsy. I highly suggest you find a nice place where you can mainly just focus on school that works for you, and leave you bed for resting and watching Netflix. 

4. Keep Your Work Space Clean 

This is another huge one! Maybe it works for you, but for most people it is difficult to get things done when everything is messy and unorganized. A cluttered desk makes for slow work, so take some time to organize everything in a practical way that will cause you to be more efficient. I have a small shelf to keep my books in; jars for my pens, highlighters, and pencils; and bins for my art supplies and folders. It is helpful to have a clearer desk and a designated place for everything.  

5.Eliminate Distractions

If we're all being honest here, whenever we try to get anything done, we look at our phones every 5 minutes...which then lead to 30 minutes and before we know it we've watched 11 YouTube videos and spammed our Pinterest followers with pins. Save yourself from that black hole, turn your phone off and take it to another room. Focus on the task that is before you and save phone time for later, you will get so much more done!

 6. Listen to Music

Okay, so this one depends on the person. If you can't focus with music, do listen to it! I love listening to music while I do school, though! Depending on the subject, I will change my music to fit what I'm doing. When I'm reading, I listen to classical. When I'm writing, I listen to music I can sing along with. When I'm working on math, I listen to music that pumps me up so I don't fall asleep. Just figure out what works best for you. 

7. Make Lists

So if you've read some of my last posts, you know I love To-Do lists, especially when they're in fun colors. Plan out what you need to get done by importance, how you're going to finish it, and when it needs to be completed. It's good to have a visual reminder of what you need to get done. Plus, whenever you check things off, it motivates you to do more so you can check off even more things. I've gotten so much done just because of that weirdly satisfying feeling I get. 

8. Take Breaks 

So I know I said before to keep distractions away from you, but it is good to take 5-10 minute breaks every hour or so. This helps you to look forward to something and not feel as if you've been working for hours. You can check your phone, read a couple blog posts, watch a YouTube video, read a chapter in your favorite book, whatever you want! Just make sure not to take too long of breaks. ;)

9. Work With Others

I love doing homework and studying with friends! Sometimes we will get together at each others houses, or we'll go out to coffee. It's nice because if one of us is stuck, another one might not be, or we'll help each other edit different papers. It's just great to have a friend to help motivate you and get it finished. Just make sure to do at least some work and not talk the entire time. 

10. Just Do It

All photos via Unsplash

Totally copying Nike here, but seriously, just do it! You can search google for hundreds of tips on how to get things done, but in the end, you're the only one with the power to motivate yourself to actually get it finished, so do it! Not everything in this world is fun, but we've just got to suck it up and do it anyway. So stop reading my blog and start on whatever project you need to get done. Trust me, once you're finished you will be so relieved! 

How do you beat procrastination? Any tips that I didn't include? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I hope you have a productive day,

Elizabeth