Procrastination, or putting off tasks which need to be done, is a major challenge of time management that can have a significant impact on levels of stress and anxiety.

Procrastination is a genuine psychological response to workload demands and is particularly common amongst students at university.

Defined as a form of voluntary, irrational delay that has negative consequences on the procrastinating individual, procrastination is a habitual form of postponing action to a later date.

If you find yourself struggling with procrastination, don't panic. Studies suggest that at least 70% of university students procrastinate regularly during their time at university. Procrastinating is a habit but, like all habits, it can be broken.

•  Spend some time reflecting on when and how you procrastinate. Be honest with yourself and see if you can pinpoint triggers for procrastination.

•   Break large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Try and ease yourself in with easier parts of the essay writing process, for example, start on a section that you find easier to write, rather than at the beginning.

•   Structure your time around deadlines and revise this regularly as new tasks are added to your to-do list. Learn to prioritise urgent and important tasks and keep a checklist to track your progress.

•   Build positive habits by embedding behaviours over time, create small steps and plans and give yourself incentives to meet them.

Why not watch the video below which discusses procrastination and an alternative way of considering it?

The Pomodoro technique is a popular study technique used by students from all disciplines to support managing their time. 

You set a timer for twenty five minutes and focus on a set task before taking a five minute break.

If you repeat this four times then take a thirty minute break. 

Watch the video below for a re-cap on the Pomodoro Technique. 

Birmingham City University (2017) Revision techniques: The pomodoro technique. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlidoiSrpB0 (Accessed: 8 December 2023). 

TED (2016) Tim Urban: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU (Accessed: 8 December 2023).