You’ve probably heard about procrastination at some point in your life. After all, this is a word that has become popular in the media and has become a popular word. Many people have admitted that they procrastinate in academic, domestic, work and even personal activities.
But why does this happen and what is the reason why this problem is present in the daily lives of so many individuals?
With this question in mind, we prepared an article to discuss procrastination and show you what strategies you can adopt to deal with it and achieve greater proactivity . Keep reading and find out more!
What is procrastination?
If you have any doubts about what procrastination is, the answer is relatively simple. It is the act of putting off a task or commitment that should be completed immediately. This delay varies greatly and can last from a few minutes to several weeks.
The big problem with this problem is that it easily stops being an isolated action and becomes a routine habit, affecting all areas of your life. When this happens, it is common to see people having difficulty giving up the habit and returning to what they were before, thus entering an endless cycle of procrastinating on automatic mode.
What causes procrastination?
The causes of procrastination are quite diverse. For a large number of people, it arises due to the accumulation of tasks (work, school , home, etc.) and the short deadline to resolve them. As a result, some activities are put off or postponed, even if these individuals do not want to.
For others, the cause is related to mental health . This is because there are several psycho-emotional disorders that impair and reduce both cognition and daily disposition. This includes abilities such as attention, reasoning, perception and thinking.
As a result, the individual is unable to perform as they would like, becoming physically and mentally tired when dealing with the tasks under their responsibility. Examples of disorders include:
- Depressive disorder;
- Panic disorder;
- Generalized anxiety disorder;
- Acute stress disorder;
- Insomnia disorder.
How can procrastination harm the daily life of a medical student?
Medicine is a course with a large amount of content, many laboratory activities and different extension projects to complement what is learned during the semester. Given all this, students cannot afford to procrastinate, as it will not only affect their commitment to studying.
It also makes it difficult to keep up with the subjects, engage in classes, experience opportunities on campus and, above all, the image you want to build as a future healthcare professional.
How not to procrastinate? Follow these tips!
In this topic, you will learn which solutions help to control or even avoid the habit of procrastinating, from decisions to tasks. Take note of them!
Manage productivity
Manage your time to be more productive in your routine. This is a very simple and practical action. Just create a schedule of activities for each day. This way, you can plan your week without letting anything pile up and respecting the other commitments you already have.
Have actionable goals
Avoid setting unreasonable goals that are difficult to achieve: for example, reading a thousand pages of a medical textbook in one day. This will only discourage you and reinforce the mistaken idea that you cannot change for the better.
Instead, set realistic, actionable goals. You can read about 50 pages a day to delve deeper into the material.
Don’t get carried away or escalate a challenge
When faced with the urge to procrastinate, resist it. It’s important that you commit to not only starting, but also finishing the activity you’ve started. Over time, you’ll make this a habit that applies to all areas of your life.
To do this, here are two extra tips: act with an estimated deadline for completion of each task: for example, finish a project by 4 pm. This helps you not to procrastinate once here, once there.
The second suggestion is to avoid doubling the amount of tasks just because you finished another task faster. It is important to take one step at a time, both to create the habit of commitment and to avoid work overload.
Set aside time for yourself
Another important tip to avoid procrastination is to set aside time for yourself during the week. Time when you don’t have to worry about tasks or deadlines, but rather just relax, practice a hobby or be completely idle. This helps reduce worry and stress in your daily life, two factors that cause mental exhaustion and encourage procrastination.
What technologies and tools can help?
When building a more productive and proactive routine, it is always useful to have different tools that help in this process and increase your motivation , all available for free, such as:
- Asana;
- Trello;
- Google Calendar;
- Keep, also from Google.
These technologies are useful for your personal organization, allowing you to optimize your schedule and have a priority list for tasks. It also makes it easier to set daily productivity goals, generate reminders for future appointments, among other actions.
What books help you learn more about procrastination?
In addition to everything we’ve talked about, you can invest in reading as an ally to delve deeper into the meaning of procrastination, how to deal with procrastination and how to make your routine more productive and efficient.
This undoubtedly makes a difference for those who are studying or want to study Medicine. In this sense, we have listed some works that address these subjects and will be great choices for your reading list. Check them out:
- The End of Procrastination: How to Stop Putting Off What Needs to Get Done;
- Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Method to Create Good Habits;
- Focus: Attention and Its Fundamental Role in Success;
- Procrastination: Do Now What You Wanted to Do Last Year;
- The Power of Focus: 8 Keys to Gaining More Time, Eliminating Procrastination and Being More Productive;
- Productivity for Those Who Want Time: Learn to Produce More Without Having to Work More.