Procrastination Has Entered The Chat

chat pinging noise

Nov 14, 2024

Salutations!

Have you ever stared at your computer, with that blinking line of text just waiting for you to write the start of an essay or a perfect opening line? Or maybe it’s just waiting for you to keep working on that one chapter that you can’t get yourself to finish, no matter how hard you try?

That happens to me a lot. (Like right now!)

Here I am, trying to type up a post that is relatable and fun, even though I want to go on Canva right now and make a cool Instagram graphic. (That actually sounds way more fun…)

Nope. Nope. Write the post, Addie.

If you’ve ever experienced similar feelings, you’ve definitely battled something I like to call “the procrastination monster”. But what is procrastination? How does it work? And how on earth do you get out of it?

The Procrastination Monster

Imagine a big monster that follows you around everywhere. He’s there when you eat ice cream, when you brush your teeth, when you do your homework. If you actively avoid doing the THING (as I like to call it), the procrastination monster is there.

Procrastination, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as: “to put off [something] intentionally and habitually.” Whether or not you’re a writer, you’ve probably experienced procrastination. But for writers, it’s a big deal, because it means we’re getting in our own way and blocking ourselves from writing in our Works In Progress (WIPs).

For me, procrastination happens later in the day, when I have less energy and don’t want to do work. Sometimes my brain shuts down when I’m procrastinating, and I forget other deadlines — like my math lesson I probably SHOULD be working on right now instead of Canva graphics. 😬

Why Does Procrastination Happen?

Procrastinating is a cycle, and one I often get caught in. For me, it comes from perfectionism, when I’m so worried that whatever I write isn’t going to be good…that I don’t write at all.

(Note: Perfectionism is good for some things, like baking, and I’m glad I have it, but when it comes to writing, it gets in my way.)

If you asked other writers why they procrastinate, my guess is that they would answer similarly. I’m the kind of person who procrastinates until the day before something is due, if I really don’t want to do it. I procrastinated against writing this post, and here I am, up early the morning of my deadline. But here’s what I want you to know:

Perfectionism can only get to you if you let it.

There are other things you could be doing. I get it. But if you procrastinate, that will only add to your fear and worry. And if you add to your fear and worry, you feed your perfectionism, and then the cycle goes around again. Instead of banishing your procrastination monster, you’re making it bigger.

Thankfully, though, there are some options to break free from perfectionism.

Breaking Free (insert High School Musical GIF)

Here are some ideas to break free from perfectionism and get the THING done! I’m probably going to go back and use these too! 😉

#1: Make time

When you’re caught in the spiral of perfectionism, a good thing to do is to set aside a block of time to do the THING. If you can, clear your schedule for an hour or so and try to focus. That brings us to…

#2: Set a Pomodoro timer

In order not to get distracted, I suggest a Pomodoro timer! A Pomodoro timer is a timer that has you work for a chosen number of minutes (like 15 or 25), then have a five minute break. It’s very helpful for when you feel like you should doomscroll on the Internet. You wouldn’t believe how fast the time goes when you focus!

However, if you’re not the type of person who can work by themselves, I’d suggest:

#3: Body doubling

It sounds a bit spooky, I know. But it doesn’t have anything to do with cloning! It’s when you connect with a friend and have them be in the same room as you (physically, on Zoom, wherever!). You can then employ the Pomodoro technique above, but with friends! This is great for extroverts who want to talk and like the company.

If you need to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time, I think you should try:

#4: Task batching

I’ve never actually tried this before, as I do well with mixing my homework up and letting my brain do different things every once in a while. But if your brain needs consistency, grouping all your related tasks together and doing them all at once might be a good idea!

If you can’t concentrate until your biggest project is done, maybe consider…

#5: Eat The Frog

Eat The Frog is where you get your biggest, scariest, most important task first. I do this a lot with my math, and after it’s done, I feel so much lighter. I usually pair this skill with the Pomodoro technique, but if that doesn’t work for you, feel free to adjust.

Tips to Use While Working on the “THING”

So, you’ve waved the procrastination monster goodbye for now and hopefully found a new technique to use for the THING. But watch out, or you might get a headache from all that serious, furious writing on your keyboard.

Here’s some tips to keep your body loose and as sharp as your brain!

Drink water. Teens need to drink at least eight cups of water a day, but it’s really easy to forget. (Believe me, I know…) Drink a cup of water at a certain time every day when you write to keep your body hydrated and your mind fueled.
Eat snacks. Much like water, food is important, especially at a certain time. I eat a snack while I’m writing to give my body energy. Something simple like a cheese stick or apples with peanut butter will do the trick.
Take a break. If you’re writing in front of a computer for hours on end, you’re sure to get a headache…or at least some eye strain. For every 15 or 25 minutes, take a five to ten minute break. (Pomodoro timers help you stay on track and take breaks every so often if you need that little reminder!)
Don’t push yourself. If your body is exhausted and telling you to stop, there’s no reason to keep pushing through to get to your word goal. If you clearly can’t write any more that day, stop. You don’t have to get through a certain amount of words every day if it means sacrificing your physical and mental health.
And, most importantly: have fun! Whatever you’re working on should be enjoyable and exciting for you. (Unless it’s math, and then I completely understand.) If it isn’t enjoyable, work on something else for a while.

Closing Remarks:

I hope this procrastination post was helpful for you! I know procrastination can be scary, but with these tools, I hope you can break through next time and have plenty of time left for fun things.

And now to hear from you! How do you handle procrastination? Do you have a system, or are you able to push through it easily? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Would you like more writing resources? Check out My Writing Compilation Post!

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