It is 9:10pm and I'm writing this article, two hours before the deadline. I've had all week to write this and yet I chose to do this now as I attempt to drink an entire bottle of water and pray that I get this done before it is too late. I feel like I am a protagonist of a classic novel, tied up by a villain to the train tracks, racing against the clock to escape my death. The stress is unbearable.
If that sounds relatable, you're part of the 20% of the population that is suffering from the "procrastination bug." That percentage may not seem like much, but a recent study shows that "80 percent to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, particularly when it comes to doing their coursework."
But why do so many people procrastinate?
Often, it's because of self-doubt. Students are terrified of not doing as well as their peers, especially in an environment as competitive as the American school system, and there are students who are afraid of not being able to meet the expectations of their teachers. However, when they procrastinate on the assignment and avoid it until the last second, they run the risk of creating a disaster and receiving a bad grade, leading to stress and low self-esteem, looping back to the cause of self-doubt and making the habit of procrastinating a bigger problem.
Other times, it's because the student is overconfident and more optimistic by telling themselves that it's a "piece of cake," yet that leads down the same road as the people with self-doubt. They fondly remember that one time procrastination "rewarded" them with an A or a B. You work best under pressure, right? But what if this time you slip up and only have a day left for a week-long assignment? Mistakes will be made, you'll be crying because of the stress, and you won't be happy with the product of your hard work.
You're not a lost cause, fellow procrastinator. You can change your ways.
Don't wait for that "perfect time" to start doing that project or whatever coursework you need to finish. Stop watching your favorite TV show on Netflix that you're binge watching, turn off all your notifications and just do it. This method is guaranteed to work, 100% of the time. Whatever is distracting you is an excuse for you to procrastinate.
Bring back the method most popular with parents since the beginning of time: bargain with yourself. Give yourself a little something once you conquer your enemy, like a trip to the movies or a nice snack. Anything you desire is yours for the taking. Using the mesolimbic dopamine system, the reward system in your brain, is a fantastic way to train yourself to do what you have to do. You could also do the opposite to prevent procrastination: think of a consequence, in case you end up avoiding your task.
Procrastination leads to an unhappy life. You could lose your ambition to succeed, not accomplish your dreams, gain a bad reputation with the people around you and it could even threaten your well-being. All you have to do is learn self-management and some self-control to save yourself from a stressful downhill ride.
