“Procrastination is the cause and solution to all things!” I created this saying to express how to deal with the common stressors in life. Yet it is so very true. Why am I stressed today? I put off doing the important things yesterday? How do I get out of stressing today? Hm…I’ll do it tomorrow. I find myself frequently faced with this sort of challenge until I am backed against a deadline. Then, watch out…productiveness occurs! Successful virtual learners break this cycle to increase productivity.

As a teacher, I see two types of students. The first likes to get all of his or her work immediately completed and turned. For instance, I teach a class that has once a week assignments. A vast majority of students turn the assignment in a day or two. 

However, the other group needs almost daily reminders about upcoming and late assignments. The focus of this post belongs to the PROCRASTINATORS. The following tips could help break the procrastination cycle.

The Why

Think about the last time procrastination reared its ugly head. Some of the most likely culprits include disliking the task, not feeling confident with how to do the task, a desire to do something different or need to relax. Track your thought patterns for one week. Finding the “why” helps to determine your next steps. Revisit this after tracking your thoughts for a week to better approach your virtual learning tasks.

Disliking the task

As a teacher I dislike grading papers. I enjoy reading the responses that my students give me, but I don’t like assigning grades. I realize that many students attach a high level of self-worth to grades, creating high levels of anxiety and stress. I do not like to feel like I am responsible for this stress. Yet, I also realize that by not grading papers in a timely manner, I also contribute to stress that students feel. So, I generally force myself to grade papers at least once a week. I do it all at once, like ripping off a band-aid. The frequency of this action depends on the nature of the task.

I suggest for this type of procrastination to pick a time once a day or so to do the undesired tasks at once.

Lack of Confidence

As a special education teacher, I find this procrastination point to be the most poignant. I know students that spend a large amount of time researching things like “fully explain your logic.” What exactly does this mean? What does it mean for this teacher? What level of explaining do I need to do? 

Then students plunge into the rabbit hole. They complete a Google search for the topic. Then, spend the next hour reading through other responses deciding which one is like theirs. Or, the unthinkable happens…something distracts them. When distraction is just a click away, this happens very frequently. Finally, something jolts them back to the task at hand and they are no closer to “fully explaining your logic.”

My suggestion to support this procrastination tactic is to use a technique called three then me. Ask the student to reach out to three supports and then contact the teacher. Start with a friend or two in the class. Phone/text/email someone in the class and ask, “How did you answer?” If this does not help, ask a trusted adult. Finally, ask the teacher. This process accomplishes a couple of things. Not only does this offer a way to understand the problem, it helps to build and continue relationships with peers.

Doing Something Different

This is a hard one. I could go high-handed and say “It’s called work, not happy play time.” But in a virtual setting many students struggle with this procrastination idea. Students find so many distractors; some are even positive. Perhaps a sibling needs help on his or her work. Maybe grandma wants to spend some time. The grass needs to be mowed. Netflix has a new show. I will check to see what my friends posted on Instagram. Many more exist.

A schedule offers the best solution. Decide the night before to dedicate at least 5 hours of the next day to doing school work. I would suggest doing it first, but realistically any 5 hours would be a great start. 

Think about getting up an hour sooner than you normally do. Schedule your time and go through the resources here. What needs to be done by the end of today? What do I need to finish from the day before? Then schedule it out. Most high school students can focus for 20-30 minutes at a time. Then take a break. I like to set a 20 minute timer and tell myself that I cannot get distracted until it goes off. Then, I set a break timer for 10 minutes of doing something else, preferably to get up and move. Then, set another 20 minute work timer, adjusting for age and ability. 

Need to Relax

The need to relax frequently overlaps with the previous topic. I find myself using distractions like social media to “relax.” However, the motivation to offer yourself a time to relax is slightly different. I believe that this goes back to the need to relieve stress and to feel free of the burdens of school and life. 

The difference lies in how to approach this. When I worked in my doctoral program, a friend of mine in the classes suggested to “Eat a Frog.” A search of this topic brings up millions of hits on how to avoid procrastination. The idea is to do the thing you don’t want to do first. As I am writing this blog I have been distracted by music, social media, the desire to have another cup of tea, the thought of laundry and other cleaning, and my pets. Yet, even with minor setbacks, I am writing this. I know that my sleeping husband and children will wake soon and my writing focus will be shot for the day. Experience tells me this is the only time I will choose to work today.

So, I am eating my frog. I am writing this blog. Much the same with virtual learning. Pick out the task that you would really prefer to avoid and do it first. This gives you a sense of accomplishment and the other items will be less tedious, perhaps even enjoyable. Without that undesired task looming overhead, productivity will increase, anxiety will decrease, and the five hours of time scheduled for school work may be more than you need.

Procrastination is the cause and solution to all things, but you are stronger than the desire to avoid work. And if you need support or someone to help motivate you to keep going, reach out to be added to my email list and receive information on services I offer to support virtual learning.