How to Stop Scrolling and Start Studying: 5 Tips for Procrastination
Georgia Gurzick
| 3 min read
College students can be guilty of picking up their phones while they are supposed to be studying. Procrastination has a significant impact on mental health, stress and job/academic performance. Here are five steps to get started on your journey to staying productive.
Set timers
When students have a lot of work to do, they may tend to keep picking up their phone and doomscrolling for hours. One strategy is setting timers on your phone to focus on a task such as a project or reading. This tactic can help studying feel less overwhelming and more manageable by creating a structured break to look forward to.
Reward progress
Instead of using Netflix, social media and eating meals as procrastination, use them as rewards for when you finish certain parts of your work or studying. This shift in mindset makes a big difference in motivation.
Set clear goals to reach these rewards such as, “After I study and memorize two units for an anatomy exam, I can watch an episode of my favorite TV show.” This will keep distractions away and turn them into motivators.
Limit time on apps
Many parents use this hack for their children's technology, but it also works to keep people on track. You can set a time limit for the number of minutes spent on apps, it will help you not overuse them.
You can set up time limits on your smartphone through the settings or use an app to limit your access.
How to set up on Apple IOS:
- Settings
- Screen Time
- App limits
- Choose app you want to limit
- Set your time
How to set up on Android:
- Tap the hourglass icon or the app name to bring up the timer menu
- Set your time limit
- Tap “done”
Forgive yourself
Self-compassion goes a long way. Most people procrastinate, but it is important to forgive yourself, acknowledge the problem, and fix it. Saying things like “I should have started earlier” and “I always do this” can increase stress and make it harder to move forward. Having compassion for yourself allows you to re-focus and break bad habits. Improvement is made when you choose encouragement rather than shame.
Bite the bullet
One way you can stay motivated is by finishing the most difficult tasks first, also known as “biting the bullet”. Accomplishing the most dreaded task on your to-do list removes mental weight, making everything else feel easier. When a hard task is hanging over your head, it drains your energy and focus. After you get that first big task out of the way, you may feel more motivated to finish the rest of the day's work.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Related:
