Procrastination. By definition, it is the action of delaying or postponing something. It’s an epidemic that is spreading around the nation; in fact, you might even be procrastinating right now.

Maybe you are trying to pretend that the math test tomorrow doesn’t exist or you just keep putting off cleaning your room to the point of where you can’t even see the floor anymore. Either way, procrastinating is a behavior that has been continuing to increase, especially with the introduction of technology.

The ability to check your phone instantaneously allows for our minds to wander, always wanting to check every little thing on social media before continuing on with the next task.

Now ask yourself, how is it affecting your life and what can you do to fix it?

If you’re a student like I am, it’s likely that the major thing that you are procrastinating on is schoolwork. In a terrible a cycle that is extremely hard to cut off, you are sacrificing your sleep or your grades due to a bad habit you can’t seem to stop and it is a lose-lose solution because of it.

One solution I have found is to fight fire with fire.

If you use your phone as a means to procrastinate, use apps such as Forest to keep you off. The app doesn’t allow you to exit it for a set period of time, limiting the constant back and forth opening and closing of multiple apps or the downward spiral of watching Netflix for hours on end. Apps such as this are very convenient as they are at the tip of your fingertips and are just a click away from making a major difference in your life. These habit-changers are likely the most realistic as they are extremely cheap and almost everyone has access to it.

The next solution is to simply eliminate your phone addiction all in itself. Asking a parent, sibling, or friend to take away your phone and hide it might seem like a rather extreme measure, but it is an effective and long-term solution. Once you realize how little you need your phone and how much work you can accomplish, your sleep and grades could increase dramatically.

If technology isn’t the issue, then you may be the type of person who substitutes work for more work. Cleaning up and organizing your room in exchange for a science project due tomorrow is far healthier than using a phone as a distraction, but it is a habit that is far harder to break because it is your mindset instead of an object that is able to be taken away.

To solve this, going to a library or other study-friendly location may help. Personally, going to the local library and asking my parents to lock me out of my phone is an effective solution as I am forcing myself to only focus on a single task without the distractions.

In conclusion, the most effective solution can be found by first admitting to yourself that you have a problem and are experiencing a consequence. Next, finding what is causing that problem is important, as the solution to a technology addiction is much different than the solution for a workaholic procrastinator. The last step is to identify a solution or a combination of solutions that work with your problem. If you actually set your mind to finding a solution, the desired result will come your way as commitment produces achievement.

If you would like to learn more on procrastination and where it comes from, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU is a great video that really helped me understand the roots of my procrastination. Sometimes understanding the foundation of your problem is the most effective way to fix it, as now you understand why you need to make a change.