May 21, 2023
Written and Edited by: Fidha and Mana
Procrastination
is an issue that many students, if not every student, suffers from at any given point in time, and can be a result of many factors, including (but definitely not limited to): anxiety, overwhelming workload, or lack of motivation.
In terms of the biological basis of procrastination, the act occurs because of differences between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is a set of brain structures that contains the “pleasure center.” The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that controls planning and decision making, and is less developed, thus weaker than the limbic system. For this reason, the limbic system may have precedence over the prefrontal cortex, leading to procrastination (UPMC).
While procrastination may lead to lower initial stress levels, eventually, it creates more overwhelming stress. According to a study done by Tice & Baumeister (1997), the college students who had procrastinate at the beginning of the semester did have lower initial stress levels, however, by the end of the semester not only did their stress increase drastically in comparison to those who did not procrastinate, it also led to decreased grades in comparison to those who were not procrastinating. While the study was done on college students, the results can be generalized to those at the high school level as well.
Don’t fear,
because there are plenty of ways to
prevent distractions and get things done! Here are just a few useful tips and tricks:
Take planned breaks to prevent burnout and exhaustion
Try not to multitask! This decreases focus and is actually counterproductive
Overall, eliminate temptations/distractions from the area, such as your cellphone and other electronics (this ties in with staying focused)
Listen to music or white noise, if that helps you focus
Create a social media schedule. Others keeping up with your schedule can help you in staying on track
Plan to reward yourself for your diligence
It sounds simple, but it’s effective: always remember that hard work pays off!
Relating to planning a schedule or a to-do list, keep your specific objectives and goals in mind. Take everything one step at a time!
Improve your sleep (we touched on this with our last issue!!)
Turn off notifications
Simple Statistics
Studies show that around 20% of adults procrastinate chronically.
Studies show that around 50% of college students procrastinate in a consistent and chronic manner, 75% consider themselves to be procrastinators, and 80%–95% of college students procrastinate.
In a study on an adult sample, 74% of the people who were surveyed indicated that they go to bed later than they planned at least once a week, with no external reason for doing so.
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Sources:
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