Avoiding Procrastination

Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash

Imagine this: You sit down to study, textbook open, notes ready, but somehow, 30 minutes later, you’re deep in a rabbit hole about hippo diets or calculating how many pizzas you could buy if you invested your pizza money in stocks instead. Sound familiar?

Welcome to Procrastination, every student’s nemesis and the most disappointing type of time-travel (where you send your problems to Future You).

Procrastination isn’t about time management. If it were, those colour-coded schedules we keep making would actually work. No, procrastination is about emotion management. When we avoid studying, what we are actually avoiding is the negative emotions associated with it, such as the anxiety of not understanding the materials, or the fear of failure. For me, I tend to feel overwhelmed from the sheer amount of work I need to do, which leads to putting things off.

Here’s what happens in your brain when you procrastinate:

1. Your rational prefrontal cortex says, “We should study now.”
2. Your limbic system (the emotional part) says, “But studying feels bad and watching just ONE YouTube video feels good. I will start studying in 20 minutes.”
3. Your limbic system wins because it’s stronger and more primitive.
4. You feel momentary relief.
5. Then comes the guilt.
6. Repeat until 3AM before your exam, when suddenly studying becomes the less painful option compared to failing.

Next time, you might notice how 3AM turns into 4AM, realising you met the deadline and now crave the thrill of a later one.

So how do we break this cycle?

1. The 5-Minute Commitment

Don’t tell yourself you’re going to study for three hours. That’s like telling yourself you’re going to climb Mount Everest, technically possible but highly unlikely and the immense pressure will get to you.

Instead, commit to just 5 minutes of focused study. That’s it. Once those 5 minutes are up, you can decide whether to continue or take a break. The beauty of this approach is that it’s almost impossible to talk yourself out of just 5 minutes and once you begin, the hardest part is over, and you will often keep going.

2. Defang the Task

Make your study material less intimidating by:

• Making it stupidly easy to start (have all materials ready)
• Breaking it into ridiculously small chunks (“I’ll just read one paragraph.”)
• Lowering your standards for getting started (rough notes > no notes)

Remember: A perfect study session that never happens is worth exactly zero points on your exam.

3. The Pomodoro Technique

The classic Pomodoro technique is 25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break. But also, do consider starting with what works for YOU. Maybe it’s 15 minutes of study and a 3-minute break. As your focus strengthens, you can gradually increase your work intervals.

There are many apps, websites, and ‘Study with Me’ videos on YouTube that can help you manage your Pomodoro time and stay accountable. Find one that suits your study style but remember not to spend all your time searching for the ‘perfect’ one!

4. Accountability

Studying alone in your room with only your willpower as company? That’s a recipe for suddenly remembering you need to reorganise your bookmarks or go through your Instagram feed.

Instead, try studying in a visible place where others can see your screen or use website blockers to stay focused. A study buddy can also help keep you accountable. Don’t have one in mind? Ask your Learning Coach! They can help you create a study schedule with clear checkpoints to track your progress.

5. The “Make It More Fun” Approach

Studying doesn’t have to be joyless. Make it more appealing by:

• Creating a pleasant study environment. Here at our Pitman Training Norwich centre, we always make sure our study environment is calm and relaxing. We have clean premises, relaxing study music and dual screen monitors to facilitate studying.
• Having good snacks on hand (brain fuel!). Again, at our centre we have yummy biscuits, chocolate, tea and coffee!
• Rewarding yourself after productive sessions (but choose rewards that don’t undo your progress. We recommend a chocolate or two!)

6. Learn to Forgive Yourself

Our experience shows that students who forgive themselves for procrastinating are less likely to do it again in their next study session. Being too hard on yourself, while temporarily easing your guilt complex, doesn’t actually help.

When you catch yourself procrastinating:

1. Acknowledge it: “Yep, I’m procrastinating right now.”
2. Get curious rather than judgmental: “Interesting, what am I avoiding feeling?”
3. Gently redirect: “I’m going to do just 5 minutes now.”

Beating procrastination isn’t just about getting better grades, although that’s a nice bonus. It’s about building the mental muscles that will serve you throughout life. Remind yourself that imperfect work > no work!

Estela Faria — Learning Coach at Pitman Training Norwich