Procrastination

Most people put difficult tasks off sometimes. Most students tend to avoid getting down to studying, and no wonder, when there are so many easier, or more pleasurable things to do. Occasional or mild procrastination is normal.

For some students, however, procrastination is a chronic habit. Do you avoid work, despite mounting anxiety? Do you put yourself under unbearable last minute pressure, and either submit inadequate work or fail to submit in time? Has trying to get extensions, or special consideration for overdue work, become a way of life? Do you feel unable to change your ways although you know procrastination is bad for your mental health and bad for your marks?

By not working, you avoid the negative emotions associated with work ("It's too hard; it's too lonely; it's too boring; I'm not good enough at it; I'm missing out on fun; I won't get the mark I deserve."). Work piling up just makes you feel worse. You've trapped yourself in a vicious circle. This pamphlet is for you!

Procrastination may be just a fancy word for self-discipline. Self-discipline is a maturity thing. So as you get older you tend to get better at "work now, play later". You come to understand the link between present behaviour and its future results, not just intellectually, but emotionally too.

Is it true that maturity comes to us automatically and painlessly, by the mere passage of time? Unfortunately not. It comes through BITTER EXPERIENCE. Just the sort of experience you have been having.

You have to train yourself to tolerate some of the pain which is associated with study. You have to expose yourself repeatedly to the satisfaction which is associated with getting things done. You have to stop going for the temporary relief of pretending it will all go away.

There are no magical solutions. To change your habits, you have to change your habits. No one else can change your behaviour for you.

Yes, there are handy hints. Most of them you already know, but have been ignoring. Let's do some revision:

• Break the task down into a series of smaller chunks. Attack the first chunk.
• Reward yourself for finishing each chunk.
• Take regular breaks from study.
• Do physical exercise such as going for a walk when you take breaks.
• Work at times of the day that are most productive for you.
• Organise your environment to help you study. This means tidying your room, collecting the resources you need, and saying no to distractions, such as phone calls.
• Start to draft early. The biggest mental block in producing an assignment is usually between the receptive stage (reading, or going over your notes) and the expressive stage (putting something on paper). A first draft of a few points on the back of an envelope is a breakthrough.

Then what are you doing at University? You need to clarify your goals and values. You may claim it's important to you to get a degree, but if you are not prepared to do the work required, then other things must be more important to you. Talk to someone about your motivations, and decide what matters to you most. Take responsibility for your choices.

Perhaps you're a perfectionist. Stop focussing on how good the result must be, and just have a go. Talk to someone about your self-esteem, or lack of it. If you only value yourself for your achievements - the wins and the successes - you will rarely be happy. You may end up unable even to try many things, in case you aren't good enough at them. Stop dreaming and start doing.

If you cannot solve the problem by yourself. If your inability to get started persists.

Where to seek professional help

The University of Sydney Counselling Service
Telephone: 02 9351 2228
Email: counsell@stuserv.usyd.edu.au

Information prepared by Ruth MacLeod for the Counselling Service, University of Sydney.

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