How do I stop procastinating??

Its now week 4 of the semester and for whatever reason I cannot get into the mood of doing work and catching up. How do I change this? im so frustrated and angry at myself

Reply 1

thereisalightx

Maybe start by making a to do list. Break it up into small, manageable tasks- maybe 20 mins.
Then force yourself to do the first task. Even if you do 5 mins of work, it's a start. And realistically starting is the hardest part, once you do that it'll get easier. Try and do one a day as that really isn't a lot, and obviously do more if you feel able to.
If you know something in particular is distracting you, remove it from the room. Classical music or music for studying could help to drown out background noise- your normal music might be too distracting

Reply 2

ThiagoBrigido

Have you tried some motivational videos?
It is not for everyone's taste, but I find it very useful.

Reply 3

thalia179

MAKE A NOTION!!!!!! :smile:

It's super fun and satisfying

Reply 4

University of Liverpool Student Rep

Hi there,

I can definitely somewhat relate to this - but I think it's really important to remind yourself that you're doing a really good job (even though it might not feel like it) and that you're trying your best and that's all you can do! :biggrin:

Something that motivates me to get things done is that feeling of productivity, so every morning I always write a to do list of achievable things that I would like to complete throughout the day. By just ticking a couple of these things off the list, I feel a lot better in myself and am motivated to complete some more things :smile:

As well, I use the app Forest which doesn't let me go on my phone. I'm a lot more productive when I use the app, so might be something you want to look into?

I hope that's helpful, again you can only do the best you can - but starting somewhere is better than not starting at all. :tongue:

Ana

University of Liverpool Rep.

Reply 5

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by bvllvh

Its now week 4 of the semester and for whatever reason I cannot get into the mood of doing work and catching up. How do I change this? im so frustrated and angry at myself

Hiya @bvllvh,

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling this way :frown:

I can relate as well as many other students who have found this year very tough so you aren't alone! Here are a few tips that I have found to help me to get motivated at the moment:

1- Organise your time.
- I buy a diary every year and add in when all my deadlines are being handed in. This helps me stay on track and not rush/ forget about things I need to do. You can add in when your three deadlines are and write down mini tasks each day to stay on track for finishing them on time. Mapping our you time helps you stay focused
- Also, make sure to have time to relax and time for yourself as you don't want to overload yourself!! I also find it satisfying ticking off tasks that I needed to get done haha.

2- Look at the assessment guidelines and mark schemes for upcoming assessments
- I always refer back to the mark schemes and what was recommended in the module's assessment guidelines. This way you know you're including what is required by your lecturer for the assignment! This will help with any upcoming essays so you know the basis for what you need to cover, which will help you avoid small mistakes.

3- Keep up with lecturers and seminars/ recommended readings
- Write down and schedule when you need to watch pre-recorded lectures, and when you need to attend seminars and any drop-in sessions.
- I prefer reading through the powerpoint slides and trying to understand the content and then watching my pre-recorded lectures and add in anything that the lecturer says that isn't on the slide.
- I like to work in 40 minutes blocks and then have a 5 minute break where I go on my phone/ get a drink or something.
- When going through your lectures, write down anything you don't understand as that then gives you something to mention during your seminars. I find this helps me to contribute in seminars :smile:

4- Study Support/ Personal Tutor
- I always email my work to my students study support team who can look over your work and help with how to structure your arguments, spelling and grammar errors etc. They're a really useful resource to have. :smile:

- You can also email your tutor to let them know how you are feeling as they will want to help and can provide some extra advice for managing time/staying motivated.

Overall, I try to work every day for a little and often. It makes it all seem a little less daunting taking small chunks of work to do everyday.

Hope this helps! Sam- Official Student Rep :smile:

Reply 6

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by bvllvh

Its now week 4 of the semester and for whatever reason I cannot get into the mood of doing work and catching up. How do I change this? im so frustrated and angry at myself

Hi @bvllvh,

I really recommend downloading the app 'Forest'. It helps you stay off your phone for a set amount of time which I find drastically reduces my levels of procrastination!

The premise of the app is that you set a timer and during that time a virtual tree is planted. If you exit the app during that timer then the virtual tree dies. If you stay on the app/leave your phone alone during the timer, the virtual tree survives and is fully grown in a virtual forest. The virtual forest also serves as a visual representation of how productive you have been which is always nice to see.

I find this so helpful to use when I'm making lecture notes or working on assignments.

Hope this helps!

Lucy

Reply 7

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