• Question: What's your worst example of procrastination also do you procrastinate things you have to do for your work?

    Asked by anon-215228 to Kathryn, Ian, Chris, Bogdana, Alex on 19 Jun 2019.
    • Photo: Alex Lloyd

      Alex Lloyd answered on 19 Jun 2019:

      I do sometimes procrastinate, I think everybody does! I will usually do everything except work, like make some food, clean the kitchen, tidy my room. What I find helpful is setting myself a timetable for the day to make sure I don’t waste too much time.

    • Photo: Bogdana Huma

      Bogdana Huma answered on 19 Jun 2019: last edited 20 Jun 2019 11:49 am

      I procrastinate all the time! It’s usually by checking social media, then going off to read the news. When I run out of news articles I sometimes even check the weather forecast for the upcoming week…anything to delay getting started with my work. At home, Netflix is my favourite procrastination companion.

      Procrastination used to be a huge problem for me when I was a PhD student. I had whole days when I didn’t write a single word or read a single paper. This was usually because (1) I didn’t know where to start, (2) the piece of work I was supposed to finish wasn’t due for a couple of days/weeks or (3) the opposite: I felt that no matter how much time I’d spend on the task at hand I wouldn’t be able to finish it in time, so then why bother…

      I tried several things to curb procrastination. Some methods work better than others, and none are infallible. But now, I’m able to procrastinate less by:
      (1) having a work schedule for the day, with the hours I plan to work and what I plan to achieve. I try to keep both as realistic as possible. For instance, I would never plan to write for more than 2 hours without a break. I wouldn’t expect to read 3 papers in one hour – I know it takes me 1-2 hours per paper.
      (2) I take regular breaks – lots of them actually. Some are active breaks (going for a walk or a run) some are just for browsing Facebook and looking at silly videos of cats and dogs
      (3) I try to mix-up the activities that I have planned for each day. I wouldn’t have a full day of just reading or just writing because I’d get bored
      (4) I try to reward myself for each success – this can mean anything from scheduling to go to the cinema on a Friday evening after a long productive week to booking a holiday that starts the day after an exam that you’ve studied hard for.

      I also think that, in moderation, procrastination can be a positive thing, because it allows us to relax, disengage from work, and have some fun! So I wouldn’t want to eliminate it completely…

    • Photo: Ian Cookson

      Ian Cookson answered on 19 Jun 2019:

      Oh I could tidy the house before I get down to work sometimes. Yes, all the time, because I’m not always confident about my work so procrastinate instead of getting stuck in. I’ve found that making a start, in any way, is often the best thing.

Comments