3 Avoiding Procrastination

“I work better under pressure.” “I’ll feel like doing it tomorrow.” “I don’t know how to get started.”

Do these statements seem familiar? You’re certainly not alone. Many of us are self-identified procrastinators, and students adjusting to independence in university may procrastinate more than they did before.

Identify why you procrastinate

Did you notice that none of these reasons are related to laziness? People put off tasks because they bring up negative emotions, not because they’re lazy. You can find solutions by identifying why you procrastinate. Here are some examples to try.

• Stay in the present moment with mindfulness activities. Try not to stress and worry about past issues or upcoming tasks.
• Break big projects into manageable pieces and set smaller deadlines.
• Attend office hours, join study groups and find supporters, like Writing Advisors with our team. Book on OSCARplus.
• Check in with an accountability buddy, like our Academic Peer Mentors. Book on OSCARplus.
• Set goals: Study session goals, project goals or short-term and long-term goals.

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