#focus #motivation #tacklingtasks #studygram #pomodorotechnique #lazy #procrastination #mentalhealth
My students often tell me: "I wish I could stop being lazy, stop procrastinating and just focus". I tell them that "lazy" is a lazy word.
"Lazy" is a lazy word? Huh?!
Yes. Lazy is a lazy word because it offers no insight. No explanation, no reasons, and most importantly, "lazy" offers no solution. It offers no results or way of change and it could be seen as name-calling that can ultimately hurt a student's self worth. Procrastination is oftentimes a symptom of other matters and mental health plays an important role here. As an educator, I always take this into account when approaching my students.
What causes procrastination?
According to Princeton Universitiy's McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning: "Procrastination is not a matter, solely, of having poor time management skills, either, but rather can be traced to underlying and more complex psychological reasons." It's also stated that students' in particular are infamous for procrastinating because there is so much pressure on them and there is an underlying fear of judgement. They are being judged in every course, on every homework assignment, on every exam, and even when they speak (class participation). Procrastination sometimes is a symptom of an avoidance of judgement. Think about it like this: You have a family member that constantly criticizes you. Sure they might not mean any harm, yet, when you know you will see this family member (such as when you head back home for the holidays, at family functions, etc.) the dread creeps up. This dread often shows itself as the common expression " Ugh! I don't want to go". Perhaps the root of the feelings are displaced. Maybe you have no qualms about going and enjoying time with your family, but seeing that one person is so draining that they ruin the atmosphere for you. That's similar to why students' procrastinate to put off judgement.
Well, that's an eye opener!
Other reasons include: anxiety, self-sabotage, self-doubt, depression, low self-worth, poor time management skills, a feeling of a project being too big , and even perfectionism (!) are all reasons people (and students) procrastinate. Perfectionism needs a perfect outcome. If we know a certain task will take a long time to complete, or we aren't fully certain it will come out perfect, we can put it off because we fear failure. A lack of leadership is also a cause for procrastination at times. This could be because the task at hand is unclear. Psychology Today mentions some other factors that can cause procrastination could be decision fatigue and even shared tasks. When we have too many decisions to make on a daily basis, sitting down and starting a new project can be daunting because it involves making more decisions.
What can we do?
There are a few ways we can overcome procrastination according to Psychology Today. First recognize why, you personally procrastinate. Is it a fear of failure? An anxiety of being too overwhelmed? Then, write things down. Make a to-do list. I recommend to my students to make a short term and long term to-do list. Long term to-do lists can include their life goals, passing a class, etc. This helps my students keep sight of the prize. It also helps keep away procrastination because they can see an end point (to their projects) and it can actually motivate them to work hard for what they want to achieve. The short term to-do list is the everyday duties needed to fulfill that long term list. For example: complete assignment 1, study for midterm, shop for school supplies, register for next semester, etc. Seeing the steps down on paper declutters the minds and gives clear direction. Another technique I teach my students to focus better is the Pomodoro Technique. Study for 20/25 minutes. Take a 10 minute break. Study again for 20/25 minutes. Repeat until the fourth cycle and then take a 20 minute break.
How do you deal with procrastination in the classroom? Let me know in the comments!
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