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All Procrastinators Must Read!

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Have you ever found yourself procrastinating? As a High-School Student, I find that there are only two types of answers a person can give to this type of question. Yes (the truth), and no (a lie). Procrastination  is a big problem faced by students of all ages, and is a very prominent symotom of senioritis  . It can also lead to health issues, such as insomnia . After doing research, I came up with an article that can help explain procrastination, and come up with ways to help self-regulation .

In this article , Julie Morgenstern (productivity consultant in New York, author of Time Management From the Inside Out) provides an explination of procrastination, saying that people tend to put off their work because they are overwhelmed. Maybe there’s something going on at home? Or maybe your workload just looks way to big that day? Whatever it is, it is messing with your ability to get your work done (or even start it!). Procrastinators tend to waste their time by responding to trivial emails, or cleaning their workspace because accomplishing these stress-less tasks gives the person a “momentary sense of accomplishment”.

The psycology behind procrastinating presents a theory that procrastinators “would rather be accused of lacing effort than lacking ability; the idea is: If I never finish, I can never be judged” (Mr. Vaden, author of Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success.). In addition, procrastinators present a fear of failure . That is, the idea that “if I do well, you might expect more from me next time, and I don’t know if I can come through”(ibid).

Procrastination is also a method used by perfectionists . Morgenstern comments that “perfectionists often tend to need the pressure of the deadline to force themselves to finish”. Have you ever found yourself doing better “under pressure” than just working in advance?

The solution: break it down. If you have a major project due find a way to break down the steps required to complete the project, and focus on completing each step. Also, try setting up a reward system. For example, let’s say I have an AP Lit essay due next week. In my reward system, if I complete the task of finding all the quotes I plan on using, I reward myself with 20 minutes of internet-surfing. If I finish my basic outline, I reward myself with one full episode of The Office (etc). If a reward system down’t work, trying altering your surroundings. Bring your work outside, or just go work in a different room.

For more info on procrastination (and how to cure it), check out this website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200308/procrastination-ten-things-know

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5 Comments

  1. lp719

    I almost always procrastinate, especially on the weekends. Throughout my high school career, I have repeatedly said to myself that it is okay that I procrastinate because I work better under pressure. However, I found an article that says using the pressure of a deadline to finish a project or assignment may only be beneficial in the short term. This article discusses that the long term effects of procrastination and working under pressure can lead to mental fatigue.
    Here is the link to the article:
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/147561.php

  2. sar418

    I classify myself as the master of procrastination. I also do not work well under pressure, so it is very often that my work never gets done. This article explains that not all procrastination is bad. If you avoid doing small things or order to get a big project done, then overall, you will spend less time performing the small tasks, because you know the most important goal is already accomplished. http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html
    I tend to just make lists and feel accomplished about organizing the work I have todo, but then stress out because I don’t get the work done so my next list is even longer because there is new and old work on it. Maybe I should try to be a “good” procrastinator that gets important things done.

  3. carlybio12

    I consider myself to be one of the “20% of people that identify themselves to be chronic procrastinators” In this website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200308/procrastination-ten-things-know Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago, and Timothy Pychyl, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada answer many questions about why we procrastinate, who typically procrastinates, and how to stop procrastinating. Check it out! It is very interesting!

  4. gababoutbio

    An article i read said that “Fear of losing autonomy” is another reason why we procrastinate “Some people delay writing projects as a way of maintaining their independence. When they receive a writing assignment, they procrastinate as a way of saying, “You can’t make me do this. I am my own person.” Procrastinating helps them feel more in control of situations (such as college) in which they believe that other people have authority.”

    http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/procrastination

  5. nyrtac2012

    Great article! I like how you discuss the different types of procrastination, and then you make sure to mention how to lessen it. I suppose I procrastinate somewhat regularly, but not to an extent that truly harms my grades. You mentioned insomnia as a possible outcome of procrastination. It is an interesting disorder. You should go to this site to learn more about it- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia
    also-
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/inso/
    I hope that you aren’t a chronic procrastinator yourself. If so, be sure that it doesn’t lead to insomnia!

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