Like many other students, I suffer from a chronic case of procrastination. As I have grown, so has this despicable habit, culminating in the condition we all know and hate: senioritis.
All this procrastination has lead to a high amount of stress as well as some late night breakdowns. Try as I may, I can’t seem to ever completely kick the habit. Just one more episode, one more youtube videos, one more hour with friends. My efforts to crunch my crunch time have come in many shapes and forms. I’ve had plenty of practice handling the rush of adrenaline and emotion when the clock hits 11:30. There’s something to be said for the thrill of an imminent deadline.
Within my own person experience, I’ve come across some good and bad methods of procrastination. So to save you some time in deciding what exactly to try the next time you put off your english paper, here are the seven best ways to waste time.
- Watch something funny
One of the most common forms of procrastination is the time spent watching funny clips and videos. My personal favorite has to be John Mulaney; his standup comedy is a riot, and not so complicated that I have to use my full brain power to understand it. The dangers with this option is clearly the time hole that I tend to fall into once I can’t stop watching one video after another. One way I found to combat this phenomenon is to use a timer, specifically the Pomodoro technique.The Pomodoro is a common study tool for many students and it’s extremely easy to implement; you have around 20-25 min reserved for productivity and then a 5 min break when funny videos can be watched. What’s great about this is that my procrastination panic activates well before the deadline when I know I have a 20 min timer for my productivity. The intermittent breaks of 5 min comedic sections allows me to still enjoy John Mulaney while saving hours of time mindlessly browsing other sites. - Get creative- painting, dancing, singing, playing an instrument
This one is a personal favorite of mine, and what I used when brainstorming (procrastinating) for this blog post. My personal favorite thing to do is painting, but any art form where you can express yourself and produce something beautiful is perfect. I’ve found that this not only gets those creative juices flowing (great for breaking up writer’s block) but also leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. After participating in the activity of your choice, you would have taken some time out for yourself and explored and expanded what you could personally do. Go you! - Hangout with friends
Go out to eat, window shop, or go sledding. Anything goes in this category, but spending some quality time with friends can help to build those relationships as well as get your mind off of the schoolwork. Chances are those friends are stressing about something too, and it can be great to vent and bond with them while you both mentally count down to the upcoming deadline. - Exercise- muscles and brain working, helps you sleep better
What better way to waste time than to improve yourself physically?
Exercise is perhaps the thing to do when you don’t want to do real work. According to this article by the New York Times,even a little bit of exercise can make drastic improvements in our happiness by releasing serotonin. Once we’re happy it’s easier to overcome the mental barrier that forced you to procrastinate in the first place. After several instances where you choose exercise as a form of procrastination, the magical thing is, it becomes a habit in and of itself. Since procrastination is a far harder habit to break, it may be better to replace it with another habit that improves your body incrementally. Some short types of exercise that I suggest are HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training) and yoga. Yoga even allows me to find an inner peace amidst the chaotic flurry of deadlines that faces me during a school night. - Make dinner
I personally like to snack while I procrastinate, so this method is a perfect fix for that. This builds a much needed skill in life, as well as helps out Mom or Dad, who would probably be happy to not have to fix something up for once. It’s a great way to show your loved ones that you care and to them a favor at the same time. I hope to spend more time on this category as my current skills in the kitchen are limited to a few basic dishes and I’m sure my family would appreciate some variety. - Take a nap
This one is a fantastic time killer, and actually very beneficial for a person’s health. Personally, I probably average about five or six hours of sleep a night, so a nice nap is always appreciated. This helps me catch up on sleep, and helps my brain keep up with all the events of the day. According to what I learned in Psych, the brain decompresses while you are asleep. This essentially means that it’s storing and processing information while you rest. This is why you will remember what you studied better if you study it right before you fall asleep. Your unconscious brain is also still thinking while you are asleep. That’s why Sometimes you’ll wake up the next day with a new idea or solution you were thinking about the previous day. So if you’re looking for inspiration, take a nap. - Try something new- crossword, puzzles, baking, writing, smoothie making
Lastly, I would love to change what otherwise would’ve been wasted time into time expanding my skills. That tasty looking cookie I’ve been meaning to bake, those puzzles that have been sitting in the back of the game cabinet, or that crossword app I’ve been seeing, whatever it is, it’s nice to stop dragging my feet and just give it a shot. So much of our time is spent either stressing or de stressing from things that we are used to doing; we’ve lost our childhood curiosity driving us to try new things. This is the time that I find the most meaningful to me because I’m actively developing future hobbies that may transition from wasted time into free time.
(If baking is new to you, I would recommend starting with some good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies)
So whatever you choose as your prefered method of procrastination, I hope you’ll keep my advice in mind. There are ways to go about procrastinating that can actually be beneficial to your health and happiness. So next time you have a deadline coming up, keep in mind how you choose to waste your time.
Haha this was so unique and I loved reading it! I definitely waste most of my time on numbers 1, 3, and 4; The painting and baking ideas were definitely helpful though! I probably should learn how to bake considering I tried to make just chocolate chip cookies the other day and they still ended up wrong (2 cups of baking powder, not teaspoons). I have realized though that after working out my mind is definitely more clear than when I’m solely doing work. I’venever really tried yoga before work because I always feel like I’ll just fall asleep, but maybe that’s a good idea so that I can be more focused after. Thanks for the tips!
I definitely agree, working out really helps clear my head when I’m stressed or stuck on a problem. Keep working on those chocolate chip cookies, thanks for commenting!
Hey Abi! I completely resonate with literally your entire blog! I found it so relatable how, especially with senioritis now, I spend so much of my day wasted away doing pointless but fun stuff (like our arm workouts we did right after you finished this blog). And, I just wanted to add a number eight to your list: just do nothing! Sometimes, it’s really nice to just chill and zone out for a bit! Just don’t zone out too long or you might just fall asleep.
I agree! I think giving yourself quiet time is a great way to just spend time with yourself and reflect on life. Thanks for the input, and thanks for commenting!
I love that you mentioned the Pomodoro technique–I spent a few months trying to hone it last year, but seem to have abandoned it completely. It’s not too bad for me, though, since I generally still get all my work done in time. Also, recommendation: I know John Mulaney is a classic for all lovers of comedy, but my personal favorite Netflix specials are by Bo Burnham–maybe give him a watch sometimes (just don’t blame me if you think he’s crazy, he’s definitely not for everyone).
I’m glad you still keep up with your work, even if the Pomodoro technique hasn’t worked out for you. I’ll definitely check out that new comedian, John Mulaney’s great but I’ve listened to him a couple of times so it’s starting to get old. Thanks for the advise!
Abi, this is both a funny and NECESSARY blog for me because senioritis has kicked in and I need productive ways to manage my procrastination. I have never heard of the Pomodoro Technique, but I will definitely give it a try this week! I think breaking up my work and giving myself little rewards for my progress would help speed the process along, instead of one long hour break of watching Netflix. I am so happy you enjoy painting and it helps bring out your creativity. For me, I get very impatient with myself when I attempt to paint, but I love singing and having mini dance parties in my room!
This might sound nerdy, but I like to organize when I need to waste time. I have a whiteboard calendar in my room where I can update my to-do list, and I always am more relaxed once my clothes leave the pile on my chair and entire my closet. Cleaning would probably be my number 8 lol
That’s amazing that you’re motivated enough to make cleaning your number eight. Personally, I can’t bring myself to use that method although I’ve heard from several people that a decluttered space leads to a decluttered mind. I’m glad you use singing creatively, I remember choir with you was always fun. Thanks for commenting!
Hey Abi, your blog post really spoke to me as I am a VERY lazy person and I have a bad habit of procrastination. I spend A LOT of time on my phone, browsing social media and watching movies or Tv shows. I think that I would really like to do is to learn new things while I’m procrastinating. There are a lot of things like learning how to play the guitar, among other things that would make more creative and artistic. I also appreciate that you included exercise as one of your tips. Exercise is something that I haven’t really been doing much of these days so I hope to hit the gym more often. Overall, this was a fun post to read!
Thanks for the comment! I think it’s great that you’re willing to learn and try new things, especially things that will help you get in touch with your creative side. I actually used to play guitar but it’s been a while since I’ve picked up the pick. I hope you have success in learning some new things!
Hi Abi! This was such a fun post! I really liked how all of these suggestions to waste time were actually ways to be productive in some other area of your life. Personally, I could never just exercise to waste time but I’m sure others will and that’s honestly a great way to kill some time. One of my favorite suggestions on here is engaging in creative fields like painting or dancing. It’s a great way to get your brain moving and to have fun without really noticing the time pass by. Trying something new also seems like a fun way to waste time. There are so many hobbies and interests I’ve wanted to get more into but never felt the motivation to. Whenever I have some time on my hands, I’ll be sure to put these suggestions in action.
I definitely agree, exercise is hard, but creative things help time fly. I’m glad that you’ll consider using some of my advice in your free time. Thanks for the comment!