Procrastination--how do you overcome it?

[JenMR]

I finally made it through my first year of coursework for my MA program and am working through my research proposal. I'm hoping to wrap-up the proposal writing andsubmit my ethics application in the next month and a half so I can begin my research at the end of the summer. But, I'm finding my interest in doing any sort of work right now is seriously waning. I've spent more time than I'd like to admit lurking around on blogs, checking my email, and watching random youtube videos of adorable animals as a way to stave off doing work. I have become highly skilled in the art of procrastination! And I fully realize I'm using this forum to procrastinate right now!

So, how do you stay on task when you find yourself procrastinating? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Jae B.]

I finally made it through my first year of coursework for my MA program and am working through my research proposal. I'm hoping to wrap-up the proposal writing andsubmit my ethics application in the next month and a half so I can begin my research at the end of the summer. But, I'm finding my interest in doing any sort of work right now is seriously waning. I've spent more time than I'd like to admit lurking around on blogs, checking my email, and watching random youtube videos of adorable animals as a way to stave off doing work. I have become highly skilled in the art of procrastination! And I fully realize I'm using this forum to procrastinate right now!

So, how do you stay on task when you find yourself procrastinating? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

So, people don't magically recover from having once been a procrastinator when they enter grad school in their dream field? Uh oh, bad news for me....

But, seriously, I feel energized when I have something new to do. (Which is why I'm not in a field requiring lengthy research, but instead usually very short-term projects. But I've seen people in lengthy research fields struggle the same attention-span issues I have. And I feel for them!) When I do have to conquer a long-winded project, I try to find other new, exciting things to do with my spare time, to make up for the agonizing project.

Sometimes taking a brief break for an outdoor adventure, someplace I haven't been, is all I need to come back home and focus focus focus! Or treating myself to a silly movie. Or trying a new restaurant and bringing some of my work with me -- I can work on almost anything if good food's involved!

I don't save special things as rewards for doing my work, because then I'm sad looking forward to them, still procrastinate, never earn the reward but probably go get it anyway.... So I reward myself in advance and then get to work.

When that doesn't work, I try to find a friend who's interested in my research topic, and talk it over with them. Their energy can be really motivating and inspiring.

If I really still have a hard time, that means I need to tweak my research topic to something that will better sustain my interest. In general, I find it's better to tweak the topic sooner rather than later, because my disinterest will only grow over time. I finished my undergrad thesis last semester, and I actually altered my topic mid-way because, well, I was reading blogs, too, and I am not someone who reads blogs! My thesis turned out great with the revised topic, but I can only think of how great it could have been if I'd changed my topic earlier on, rather than being stubborn and sticking with something that lost its magic within the first month of research.

If you're drifting at this early stage, maybe you need to spice up your topic, too. I think early on should be the most fun part -- until you're almost finished and you're editing it!

Edited May 29, 2010 by Jae B.

[poco_puffs]

I make to-do lists. If something is big and vague a la "Write paper," I break it up into as many small parts as possible. It's all about inertia-- a student at rest tends to stay at rest. A student in motion tends to stay in motion. If I can get started on the smallest and easiest parts of my list, the tiny victory of seeing a few tasks crossed off makes me feel more like finishing the whole thing. It can also help me plan things more effectively, and remember things that might have been forgotten until the very last minute.

Also, I try to limit myself to breaks of 25 minutes or less. That allows for a snack or a cup of coffee, and maybe one short episode of something on Netflix or Hulu. Keep an eye on the clock, and set limits for yourself. "I will start work again at 4" or "I will only watch this one clip." The more you honor your own limits, the easier it will be to believe yourself as a self-disciplining authority figure. (I, for one, can't force myself to get up at a certain time unless I have a concrete reason to get up. I just can't do the "I'm going to be an early bird and wake up at 8 today because it's good for me!")

[JenMR]

Jae B., funny you should mention shifts in research topics. I just did that with my thesis topic a couple of weeks ago. It now works better with much of the literature I've been looking at over the last semester. I'm wondering if it's maybe that I've spent so much time looking at this literature that I'm not sure what to do with it now. I need to look at it differently. It's just a matter of actually doing that! I completely understand that lack of interest in the topic though. If I'm not interested, it's really like pulling teeth when I'm trying to actually get down to it.

I definitely didn't recover from being a procrastinator as an undergrad! I just found new and more interesting ways to do it and then panicked about it later on!

Those are great tips, poco_puffs! I've made a list of things I need to do for my proposal. It's just a matter of abiding by that list now. Limiting my breaks would probably be a really good idea, since I tend to get distracted by whatever I'm looking at and then realize that I over-extended by break by an hour. Honouring limits, I think that's exactly the point I need to work on since I tend to let myself wander off and do whatever I find interesting at that particular moment.

Thank you both!

[fuzzylogician]

You have to know your own study habits. It takes some time, but once you've understood what works best for you, you can tailor your studying to fit that pattern.

Here is what works for me:

- I never work at home, there are just too many temptations there. So, either I go to the office, or to a coffee shop, or I sit in a park or at the riverbank.

- If possible, I disconnect from the internet.

- If I'm in a noisy place and can't concentrate I put on headphones with some work-music: monotonic, wordless, not too loud (jazz, instrumental, classical).

- I work in the afternoons/evenings/nights, when I can concentrate the best.

- I arrange to have snacks, water and coffee at my desk so there's no excuse to get up and go to the kitchen.

- I try to decide on scheduled breaks. It works best for me to have short work-sessions and short breaks. e.g. 15 mins work, 5 mins break.

- If I'm concentrated and on a roll, I don't stop for my scheduled break. If, however, I'm really not being productive, I quit for a longer while and return to work later.

- I break up the work to small bits and set realistic goals, so I'm never faced with a huge ominous task.

- I make up deadlines for each bit for some time before the actual deadline. I keep those deadlines.

- I take the time to make a large to-do list on a whiteboard at my desk every week. I cross off every task I've performed; it's very fulfilling to see crossed-off lines.

- I sometimes work in small groups with like-minded grad students who also need someone to watch that they're not wasting time surfing the internet.

- ...and I embrace my procrastination. It's unavoidable. I'm happy if I can just manage it.

- When the deadline is over: I celebrate my success, and if possible - take some time off.

For larger projects, for me it's all about getting started. That is much easier to do if I break the project down to small parts and start with something easy, just so I have something already written. I always start by writing an intro that details what I plan to do (which always gets completely rewritten by the time I finish the work), and an outline of the sections+subsections I plan to have in my paper. I write down a rough summary of the results I want to report in the paper and move on to the lit review. That way I have a few pages written down before I get to the hard parts. If I'm having a bad day, a realistic goal can even be "write one page today!!," it depends on the work load and deadlines. But if that's my goal for the day then I (try to) do it, no matter how much time I spend on forums and blogs in between.

[Jae B.]

I make to-do lists. If something is big and vague a la "Write paper," I break it up into as many small parts as possible. It's all about inertia-- a student at rest tends to stay at rest. A student in motion tends to stay in motion. If I can get started on the smallest and easiest parts of my list, the tiny victory of seeing a few tasks crossed off makes me feel more like finishing the whole thing. It can also help me plan things more effectively, and remember things that might have been forgotten until the very last minute.

Also, I try to limit myself to breaks of 25 minutes or less. That allows for a snack or a cup of coffee, and maybe one short episode of something on Netflix or Hulu. Keep an eye on the clock, and set limits for yourself. "I will start work again at 4" or "I will only watch this one clip." The more you honor your own limits, the easier it will be to believe yourself as a self-disciplining authority figure. (I, for one, can't force myself to get up at a certain time unless I have a concrete reason to get up. I just can't do the "I'm going to be an early bird and wake up at 8 today because it's good for me!")

Ooh, I like lists, too! Lots of bullet points that evolve into great things -- sometimes! But I don't take breaks, and I eat and drink lots of coffee while I work (on writing anyway). After my thesis project, I actually can't drink coffee for a bit...or shouldn't.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Jae B.

[Jae B.]

- If I'm in a noisy place and can't concentrate I put on headphones with some work-music: monotonic, wordless, not too loud (jazz, instrumental, classical).

The instrumental soundtrack to the animated movie Spirited Away is the only music I can stand while working, and it's been strangely helpful to me.

I always start by writing an intro that details what I plan to do (which always gets completely rewritten by the time I finish the work), and an outline of the sections+subsections I plan to have in my paper.

^… This! I tried that for the first time recently, and it really kept me on track.

[JenMR]

fuzzylogician, that's a fantastic list! I can't work at home either. Generally, in the office I work in, I'm surrounded by friends, which can be a bit distracting at times. At other times, it's been the only thing that's helped me manage an overwhelming workload! Scheduling breaks and staying off the internet are two things that I need to work on. Thanks for your comments!

Jae B., I really love the Spirited Away sound track! Have you ever listened to Olafur Arnalds? He's like Sigur Ros, only more mellow and really great to listen to if you need some background music.

Edited May 30, 2010 by JenMR

[fuzzylogician]

Jae B., I really love the Spirited Away sound track! Have you ever listened to Olafur Arnalds? He's like Sigur Ros, only more mellow and really great to listen to if you need some background music.

Downloaded and will try all of these out, thank you both!

My personal favorite has a somewhat faster beat than the artists you mention - Ulrich Schnauss (in particular, Far Away Trains Passing By).

Edited May 30, 2010 by fuzzylogician

[poco_puffs]

Ooh, I like lists, too! Lots of bullet points that evolve into great things -- sometimes! But I don't take breaks, and I eat and drink lots of coffee while I work (on writing anyway). After my thesis project, I actually can't drink coffee for a bit...or shouldn't.

Yeah, cutting coffee is a tough one. I'm not a huge coffee drinker in general, but that was my study/read beverage. I would leave the house and go to a coffee shop (actually, there's one on the mezzanine of the grocery store near my house, and the background noise is the perfect level). Being the routine person that I am, I started associating productive reading with both that setting and the coffee I was drinking. Cue the worst bout of acid reflux I've had in years, and I haven't had real coffee in a month. A MONTH.

Needless to say, my reading/study habits have gone out the window.

Sidenote, if the coffee-problem is a stomach-problem: I'm trying this acid-reduced Kava-brand coffee, but I'm struggling with the flavor. It's an instant coffee, which is already a mark against it, but there's something really strange and almost muddy about the flavor even. The caffeine helps, but I've had to do some creative doctoring to make it drinkable. Currently, adding pure cocoa, brown sugar and soy milk turns it into a decent mocha, but I really don't recommend it.

[JenMR]

I tried giving up coffee and failed miserably! It's getting to the point where I need at least three cups to start feeling productive (and human).

I never was a coffee drinker until I got into my upper level undergrad courses and now I can't even start my day without it. Although, I can always tell when I've had too much. I get really anxious and, oddly enough, my gag reflex kicks into overdrive. Anxiety and an overactive gag reflex are really not the best combination.

Huh. I tried soy milk with coffee and found that it separates from the coffee after a few minutes. Have you had that problem?

If I'm looking for an alternative to plain old sugar and milk, I add a packet of hot chocolate. It's my poor student's version of a mocha. It gets the job done!

Yeah, cutting coffee is a tough one. I'm not a huge coffee drinker in general, but that was my study/read beverage. I would leave the house and go to a coffee shop (actually, there's one on the mezzanine of the grocery store near my house, and the background noise is the perfect level). Being the routine person that I am, I started associating productive reading with both that setting and the coffee I was drinking. Cue the worst bout of acid reflux I've had in years, and I haven't had real coffee in a month. A MONTH.

Needless to say, my reading/study habits have gone out the window.

Sidenote, if the coffee-problem is a stomach-problem: I'm trying this acid-reduced Kava-brand coffee, but I'm struggling with the flavor. It's an instant coffee, which is already a mark against it, but there's something really strange and almost muddy about the flavor even. The caffeine helps, but I've had to do some creative doctoring to make it drinkable. Currently, adding pure cocoa, brown sugar and soy milk turns it into a decent mocha, but I really don't recommend it.

[poco_puffs]

Huh. I tried soy milk with coffee and found that it separates from the coffee after a few minutes. Have you had that problem?

If I'm looking for an alternative to plain old sugar and milk, I add a packet of hot chocolate. It's my poor student's version of a mocha. It gets the job done!

Yeah, the soy milk does tend to separate. I just keep my spoon in the coffee to keep stirring it. It freaked me out at first, since I thought it was curdling somehow, but at this point I realize that there isn't a whole lot that makes soy milk spoil besides leaving it on the counter. I learned the hot chocolate trick from jury duty, and I'm always thrilled when places have coffee and hot chocolate available! I got my oil changed before I drove to one of my campus visits, they had the coffee/cocoa available, and I drank four or five cups before I hit the road. My brain was jazzzzzzzed up.

[captiv8ed]

Something I have done to limit internet time:

On Firefox, I have leechblock. It automatically blocks access to sites. You can set it to block certain hours of the day, or set it so that you can only have access for a certain number of minutes per hour. Or, for instance, you can allow yourself only 10 minutes an hour between 9 am and 6 pm.

I have set mine to allow only 60 minutes of www.* sites per day, but have allowed .gov and .edu access.

For Internet Explorer, I have installed Temptation Blocker, which I have to set each time, but I can tell it how many hours I want to stay off the internet and then it won't allow me in.

Leechblock is in the add-ons for Firefox. You can customize the picture that shows up when you reach the limit, because the one they have is kind of gross.

Temptation Blocker is a freeware app I found by googling.

[JenMR]

That is ridiculously helpful!! I downloaded Leechblock on my laptop and office computer.

Thanks!

Something I have done to limit internet time:

On Firefox, I have leechblock. It automatically blocks access to sites. You can set it to block certain hours of the day, or set it so that you can only have access for a certain number of minutes per hour. Or, for instance, you can allow yourself only 10 minutes an hour between 9 am and 6 pm.

I have set mine to allow only 60 minutes of www.* sites per day, but have allowed .gov and .edu access.

For Internet Explorer, I have installed Temptation Blocker, which I have to set each time, but I can tell it how many hours I want to stay off the internet and then it won't allow me in.

Leechblock is in the add-ons for Firefox. You can customize the picture that shows up when you reach the limit, because the one they have is kind of gross.

Temptation Blocker is a freeware app I found by googling.

[JenMR]

Ulrich Schnauss is fantastic! I'm listening to him on myspace. Good office music!

Downloaded and will try all of these out, thank you both!

My personal favorite has a somewhat faster beat than the artists you mention - Ulrich Schnauss (in particular, Far Away Trains Passing By).

[Jae B.]

Jae B., I really love the Spirited Away sound track! Have you ever listened to Olafur Arnalds? He's like Sigur Ros, only more mellow and really great to listen to if you need some background music.

My personal favorite has a somewhat faster beat than the artists you mention - Ulrich Schnauss (in particular, Far Away Trains Passing By).

I'm so behind on music...I hadn't heard either artist before. Thanks!

Sidenote, if the coffee-problem is a stomach-problem: I'm trying this acid-reduced Kava-brand coffee, but I'm struggling with the flavor. It's an instant coffee, which is already a mark against it, but there's something really strange and almost muddy about the flavor even. The caffeine helps, but I've had to do some creative doctoring to make it drinkable. Currently, adding pure cocoa, brown sugar and soy milk turns it into a decent mocha, but I really don't recommend it.

I will definitely look into Kava, thanks! I'm also used to doctoring instant coffee....

[captiv8ed]

That is ridiculously helpful!! I downloaded Leechblock on my laptop and office computer.

Thanks!

Yay! I am glad it helped! I love it

[RomulusAugustulus]

To continue the good music for working topic: I wrote several papers while listening to Philip Glass a couple of years back. Its all instrumental. I particularly like the Mishima soundtrack because its so repetitive, but I've also worked to Glassworks. Also, if you guys like Icelandic music, Mum is another good one. Faster music than Sigur Ros, but more instrumental. I like Finally We Are No One or Please Smile My Noise Bleed.

Also, I like a lot of these ideas. Thanks!

Edited May 31, 2010 by acs

[Riotbeard]

I will start off by saying I have still never pulled an all nighter, and I hope this doesn't change in grad school. I also only asked for one extension in all of college( and it was for the last paper due! Luckily the teacher was on the defense pannel for my other paper and was encouraging me to submit another essay to a contest the same week so she understood). For writing lots of material, I always set early deadlines for myself. Write, write early and don't worry if it's crap is my advice. If you have a draft of the essay a week before it's due, you can do wonders even if the base material is riddled with errors. If need be, you can an redo entire sections. So thats my advice, start writing as early as possible. Also if you can see a whole draft, you are more like to notice a gap in your argument or something that could be cut. I hate outlining so the first draft often acts as such.

[Riotbeard]

To continue the good music for working topic: I wrote several papers while listening to Philip Glass a couple of years back. Its all instrumental. I particularly like the Mishima soundtrack because its so repetitive, but I've also worked to Glassworks. Also, if you guys like Icelandic music, Mum is another good one. Faster music than Sigur Ros, but more instrumental. I like Finally We Are No One or Please Smile My Noise Bleed.

Also, I like a lot of these ideas. Thanks!

Kaki King, Four Tet, Godspeed You! Black Emporer, Aphex Twin, Amelie Soundtrack, and then I second the Icelandic stuff not familliar with the others.

[DJLamar]

Sidenote, if the coffee-problem is a stomach-problem: I'm trying this acid-reduced Kava-brand coffee, but I'm struggling with the flavor. It's an instant coffee, which is already a mark against it, but there's something really strange and almost muddy about the flavor even. The caffeine helps, but I've had to do some creative doctoring to make it drinkable. Currently, adding pure cocoa, brown sugar and soy milk turns it into a decent mocha, but I really don't recommend it.

Were you drinking regular filter coffee before or were you doing espresso-based beverages like lattes and cappuccinos? I have a sort of sensitive stomach and have had serious issues (gastritis :\ ) before because of it. However, I drink lots of espresso, cappuccino, and lattes, and those never seem to upset my stomach, while filter coffee does almost every time I drink it. I think the way espresso is brewed gives it a much lower acidity for its volume (and for caffeine content) than filter coffee has. You can get an espresso machine for not too much ($50 or less) and make your own at home to save money.

As for music, I like lots of electronic music (among other things) and a lot of the time I listen to deep house when I'm working. It has lots of rhythm and I kind of dance around a little bit in my chair while I'm working, and it gives me a good rhythm for coding too that helps me keep moving fluidly without stopping too much (so I code faster because of it). I am also a wannabe DJ though (clear from the name, isn't it?) so your results may vary, but try getting one of the San Francisco Sessions mixes to try it out

[poco_puffs]

Were you drinking regular filter coffee before or were you doing espresso-based beverages like lattes and cappuccinos? I have a sort of sensitive stomach and have had serious issues (gastritis :\ ) before because of it. However, I drink lots of espresso, cappuccino, and lattes, and those never seem to upset my stomach, while filter coffee does almost every time I drink it. I think the way espresso is brewed gives it a much lower acidity for its volume (and for caffeine content) than filter coffee has. You can get an espresso machine for not too much ($50 or less) and make your own at home to save money.

I was having problems with both types, unfortunately. I had a smalllll latte the other day, the first in a long while, and it didn't cause any trouble-- probably because I've been so good about avoiding it. I'm making some other diet changes that will probably allow me to indulge once in a while, but I think regular coffee is a thing of the past for me.

[Riotbeard]

I was having problems with both types, unfortunately. I had a smalllll latte the other day, the first in a long while, and it didn't cause any trouble-- probably because I've been so good about avoiding it. I'm making some other diet changes that will probably allow me to indulge once in a while, but I think regular coffee is a thing of the past for me.

Try Jerba (Yur-Ba) Mate (Ma-Tay). It's more heavily caffinated than coffee but it's tea! Also if you drink traditional style, you get to buy a gourd and a metal tea straw (Or you can use standard tea making devices of course.

[editorial]

Were you drinking regular filter coffee before or were you doing espresso-based beverages like lattes and cappuccinos? I have a sort of sensitive stomach and have had serious issues (gastritis :\ ) before because of it. However, I drink lots of espresso, cappuccino, and lattes, and those never seem to upset my stomach, while filter coffee does almost every time I drink it. I think the way espresso is brewed gives it a much lower acidity for its volume (and for caffeine content) than filter coffee has. You can get an espresso machine for not too much ($50 or less) and make your own at home to save money.

Try a French press for espresso drinks - way cheaper than a machine and easy to use! Just put the espresso in the night before and press down the filter.

[Jae B.]

Try a French press for espresso drinks - way cheaper than a machine and easy to use! Just put the espresso in the night before and press down the filter.

I really like French presses, but how do you keep drinks hot? (Not that it matters so much, now that it's summer time....) Mine always come out lukewarm at best. Does the plastic thermal cover, sold extra, really make a big difference?