The Beast that is Procrastination

The art of procrastination. High school students who have mastered this art are beset with stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. These severe afflictions can lead to a loss of relationships with family and friends, and give rise to a life filled with misery. However, there is hope. The three crucial steps outlined below will relieve you of your procrastination troubles, and you will be on your path to a prosperous life.

First, you need to acquire a planner. This planner can either be digital or tangible, but you must make sure you have access to it at all times. Now, fill your planner with the dates of all your extra-curricular activities, tests, and family commitments. If you encounter a conflict of activities, resolve the problem immediately by explaining the situation whom you dedicated your time to. Make sure you don’t double book. Remember, your life will revolve around this planner. It is the sun to your Earth. Cherish it, treasure it, and listen to it.

Thereafter, you need to dispose of all objects that could hinder your concentration. When you start your homework, or begin volleyball practice, or any other activity, make sure all possible interferences are put aside. For example, when doing homework, cut off all communication with the outside world. Do not succumb to the temptation of Instagram or Snapchat. Pour all of your attention into what you’re doing. Devote yourself to your success and give 110%.

Lastly, make sure you set mini goals and reward yourself upon accomplishing them. Often, overly ambitious high school students sit down at their desk, open their biology textbook, and try to read sixty pages continuously. This is not efficient. You will probably give up a quarter of the way through and delay the rest until tomorrow. Instead, set a goal of reading twenty pages and then take a five-minute break. Stretch, walk, or eat in those five minutes. Get your mind off the task at hand and harness those three hundred rejuvenating seconds with pleasure. Not only will these mini-goals provide incentive, but they are also scientifically proven to improve cognitive functions. Don’t exhaust your brain. Allowing yourself to reach a state of enervation is practically committing mental suicide. Thus, plan for short breaks that replenish your brain’s energy.

Through meticulously following these steps, you, a high school student, can absolve yourself of the crime that is procrastination. Only then, can you be well rested every day. Only then, can you reduce your overall stress. Only then, can you genuinely relish the learning environment of high school and excel in all aspects of your life.