To work or to watch Netflix? 5 ways I have overcome procrastination

I'd willingly choose to binge-watch a whole Netflix series over completing an important task; such as an assignment or writing this blog. However, as due dates creep up, I will work all the adrenaline in my body to cram in everything, producing something mediocre. I'm sure many of you can relate to this.

Procrastinator - the perfect word to describe me. It takes me twice as long to accomplish a simple task as to when I give it my full attention. For instance, instead of actively revising for an exam, I would waste my time researching hacks on making revision easier (can anyone relate?). My mind will continuously desire to do a more pleasurable activity - even though I am aware of doing so.

As someone who has a Psychology degree, I find it quite challenging to train my brain not to procrastinate, so I decided to do a little research on its phenomenon.

After reading various articles, I have discovered that procrastination isn't to do with time management or a laziness issue, rather an emotion regulation matter. As humans, we tend to do our utmost to avoid negative emotions such as boredom, anxiety or sadness. Consequently, we lean towards activities which provide us with instant gratification - achieving pleasure or fulfilment straight away - like meeting up with friends, watching a movie or immersing yourself in a good book. Because we fog ourselves with the idea of having instant happiness, we overlook how we will feel in the future. That's why the expression, 'I'll do it tomorrow' will not work in your favour.

A further reason is the result of low self-confidence in what we believe we can achieve. It took me years to gain the courage to write as I didn't think I was qualified enough to write. Look at me now, writing my second post.

Life, at times, can be remarkably overwhelming as we have many responsibilities to fulfil at one time. So, I have learned several behaviours to overcome procrastinating:

1. Organise

I write down all of the tasks I need to achieve and break them down into smaller, more manageable goals. This way, my To-Do list seems less daunting. Additionally, completing all these miniature tasks does wonders with my self-esteem - making myself believe I can achieve anything.

2. Break it up

My attention span is comparable to a goldfish, so pushing myself to work for hours on end will drive me to become more unproductive. I give myself regular breaks, which keeps me alert and therefore prevents boredom.

3. Reward good behaviour

When I finish my tasks, I will reward myself with something I enjoy, such as hanging out with my friends, buying my favourite chocolate bar. Please take my word for it; you will feel less guilty and have more fun.

The positive outcome will also reveal a boost in productive behaviour in the future.

4. Discover your peak time

Midday is the best time for me to get my work done, as I am certainly not a morning person. Pick a time where you know you are at your most productive and I assure you, you will complete your work in half the time.

5. Five-minute trick

I came across this great idea online, where it stated that we should fully immerse ourselves in our tasks for at least five minutes, and after those five minutes, you will be less inclined to procrastinate. The dreaded task may not be as boring or as awful as you think. I now use this hack for every task.

To help overcome procrastination we need to understand it, and to do that we need to know ourselves. Each one of us is different and has a unique way of working and learning. Just because something doesn't work for you doesn't mean nothing will - trust yourself.