It’s Exam Time, Let’s Procrastinate Later! Tips on How to Avoid Procrastination Before Exams

 I’ve got a great quote about Procrastination & I’ll tell that to you “later”.

“Later” is a term that is the cause of all the Procrastination! Procrastination is an action so common that it has already become normal human behavior to many. At one, or the other, or maybe all the time, all of us have procrastinated some task for tomorrow. Needless to mention, that tomorrow came very late; after wasting too much of our time.

Now that several exams from CBSE Board, JEE, NEET to CUET are being bombarded all at once, you cannot afford to procrastinate anymore! So today, we will decode 8 tips that will help you avoid procrastination while studying for your exams. But, before knowing these 8 tips the first step to avoiding procrastination is to understand why you are choosing it in the first place. In the case of studies, two causes may demotivate you and lead you to procrastination-

• The subjects are tough and boring. One reason for procrastination during studies can be the fact that the subjects are tough and you are unable to understand the concept. The hard language leads to constant zoning out while studying, as a result, you will find yourself giving up studies for later.
• You have got too much to study. Piling up a lot of things to study altogether also leads to procrastination. Studies have shown that having too many tasks to do at hand may result in the release of stress hormones which will make you lose interest in even the most interesting tasks.

As you now know the causes of procrastination, let us discover the tips that will help you avoid it during exam preparations.

8 Ways to Stop Procrastinating Before Exams

1. Beware of the consequences of procrastination.
   Constantly remind yourself about the consequence of not studying at the moment. Set reminders- “If I don’t study now, it will harm my final results”. Eventually, you’ll realize the consequences and will try to push yourself to study.
2. Get disciplined and reward yourself for avoiding procrastination.
   Following a timetable can feel boring to many, but being disciplined is a necessary thing to do. So, to ensure that you follow a disciplined routine without procrastinating, reward yourself.
   For example, after following a timely study schedule for a week, reward yourself by allowing yourself to do something that you love. Rewards will motivate you to keep following the timetable without procrastinating any further.
3. Get organized and set goals: the key to delaying procrastination.
   One of the reasons for feeling demotivated about studies is the pile of how much you have to study! If you ever sit with a plethora of content to read, it is obvious that you will get overwhelmed and demotivated. So before starting your studies every day, ensure to organize your surroundings and sort out how much you have to read at once. Keep all the other study material out of sight for later.
   Try to set small goals and accomplish each of them one by one. Remember, hurrying things up will only end up confusing you about what you have learned.
4. Insert the interest factors amidst your study schedule to avoid – “doing it later”.
   Some may think studying for long hours without taking breaks is good but, long study sessions may lead to further procrastination. Study sessions for long hours may get tiresome and eventually lead to disinterest for the rest of the day. Hence, rather than studying in boredom for long hours, try to add small breaks in between your study schedules.
   Remember, try to maintain discipline and don’t extend the breaks.  Remind yourself about the first tip- “If I don’t study now it will harm me later”.
5. Focus on your health or health will help you to procrastinate more!
   One expert’s suggestion to avoid procrastination is to focus on health first. When you are not physically, mentally, and physiologically fine, your body may feel tired to do even the smallest of tasks, leading to disinterest and procrastination. So, to avoid the track of procrastination, give at least the first 30 minutes of your day to your healthy well-being. Start your day with hydration, exercises, yoga, and mindful meals.
6. Trust yourself, and build your focus against procrastination gradually.
   If you can dream it, you can achieve it. The key lies in the process of consistency. Everything takes time and effort thus, once you have thought of getting rid of your procrastination habits, start slow, trust yourself and build your focus gradually.
7. Get rid of things that motivate you to procrastinate.
   “Starting today, I’ll not procrastinate my studies anymore. I’ll start studying right after finishing this show”. Sounds like you?
   All of us reading this article must be familiar with this situation. So, it is advisable that once you have made up your mind to finally study, get rid of all the distracting habits from your environment.
   Stay away from social media, shows, and other distractions as long as you are with your study materials.
8. Know what you want and you wouldn’t want to stop until you achieve it.
   Being conscious about your goals will help you to stay motivated. Hence, before starting your studies every day, note down your daily goals, and because it is penned down, you will feel motivated to work towards achieving the goal.

Summing up-

Note down all the above points and gradually inculcate them in your daily routine. You will surely be able to get rid of your habit of procrastination if only you inculcate the fact in your mind that-

Procrastination is the thief of your time and growth.