Leonardo da Vinchi and Bill Gates! What could these two outstanding people have in common, except that they both have great abilities? Both of these extremely talented people faced the same problem – procrastination!
Leonardo da Vinchi wrote in his diary: “I wasted my time.” Bill Gates skipped classes at university, did his tasks the night before.
However, they managed to learn to control procrastination, and they were able to realize their talents.
This article is devoted to the issue of procrastination among teenagers. The main aim of it to see if it is a problem that needs to be solved or a natural adaptation mechanism in adolescence.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is the tendency to put off even important and urgent tasks, which leads to stress, guilt and decreased productivity. This is one of the main barriers to achieving goals.
Working on this article, the survey was conducted on the topic. The data showed that procrastination is a common phenomenon. 33 young people aged 13-19 years old were surveyed. The test contained 15 questions on the topic. The survey confirmed that teenagers of school age are more prone to procrastination. Besides, 78% of the respondents regularly put off important tasks, experiencing stress. Therefore, it is important to talk to students about this problem and show them ways to overcome or reduce procrastination.
Here are some examples of procrastination:
- Inability to start a project (lack of motivation or fear of failure).
- Endless reading of news or watching videos (replacing productive activities with something more pleasant).
- Information overload (working with information without starting a task).
A procrastinator can be identified by the following signs:
- Postponing tasks until the last moment.
- Avoidance of new experiences.
- Physical discomfort when performing unpleasant tasks.
- Waiting for the 'right mood'.
These teenagers tend to put off completing tasks because they are unpleasant, new, or, for example, they make big plans, but never perform them. Besides, a teenager may not start a project because they are afraid of getting a "4" instead of a "5" This is a classic example of procrastination caused by perfectionism.
The reasons for procrastination can be different:
- Low self — esteem - fear of failure.
- Perfectionism - fear of a possible error.
- Self — restraint - unwillingness to become successful.
- Disobedience - non-agreement with a task.
- Tiredness - no resources to complete the task.
However, we shouldn’t confuse procrastination with laziness. These are completely different phenomena. A lazy teenager lies on the couch and doesn't worry. A procrastinator cleans his room instead of doing his homework, feeling guilty. This is the key difference!
On the other hand, procrastination can be a signal: “Stop! I’m overloaded!” and here we can see that procrastination is a sign of adaptive mechanisms to protect a person from burnout. Procrastination can also be a great tool for generating ideas, making the right decision, or setting priorities. Besides, low motivation can lead to procrastination in the case when a person doesn’t agree with the task or can’t understand its value. So, here we are dealing with procrastination, which is a sign of a healthy psyche.
There are certain tools that can be useful in dealing with procrastination.
First of all, it is important that teenagers are aware of this problem and don’t blame themselves for postponing tasks. In most cases, it is not laziness, but procrastination. Therefore, it is significant to raise awareness about procrastination. One of the ways to do it is to place special motivational posters in schools or other educational organisations. Here are some of the examples:
Secondly, it is a good idea to distribute booklets to students with the information about procrastination:
Finally, in the digital age, it is important to draw young people’s attention to this problem through modern technologies such as smartphones and their applications.
By scanning the QR code, you will be able to install the special mobile application. This application is the beta-version. It can be improved in the future.
The mobile application is made for mobiles that runs on Android OS (operating system).
Here are some function that can be found in the application:
Test – it will help to see if a person has procrastination;
Music - there we downloaded the music track that was created by Marconi Union together with The British Academy of Sound Therapy. It was proved that listening to this music allows a person to decrease a level of stress by 65%.
Breathing Exercises – there is used the technique of Square Breathing. This is an effective way to shift energy.
The method “Pomodoro” – it is aimed to help concentrate when working and completing tasks. The main idea of this technique is that a person works for 25 minutes, then takes a 5-minute break. After 4 periods of such work, there is a longer break of 30 minutes. So, this technique will teach a person to concentrate on a task without being distracted.
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that procrastination is a complex phenomenon that requires attention from all people who surround a teenager. It is important to promote self-awareness, to develop self-regulation skills, and foster a supportive environment.