Why COVID 19 is causing procrastination

COVID 19 has caused the world to go into complete chaos. At the start of the pandemic there were some skeptics (I was one) some who took COVID 19 as a joke, and some who found the need to use COVID 19 as an excuse. COVID 19 became an excuse for anything. "I need toilet paper because soon I'm not going to be able to go to a store and I will do anything to get it." This mentality caused human beings to hurt one another. "I got laid off from my job, so now I'm on vacation." While both examples are different, they are both harmful. So, why is COVID causing us to be lazy, or procrastinate and how do we stop the cycle?

I will be the first one to admit, that I have always been a procrastinator. During college I waited until the last minute to start an assignment. Yet, I always received good grades. I told myself that I would stop the habit, but the good grades kept coming and I kept procrastinating. I feared that stopping the cycle would cause my grades to slip.

This pandemic has not made it easier to quit procrastinating. I find myself in my group of friends that I am not alone. We share the mindset "I'll just do it tomorrow. I have time." However, we aren't guaranteed tomorrow, especially in times of COVID. So, let's break the mindset.

1) Focusing on what can be today. We cannot change the past and we need to start being present. If we are not present, then we are living in the past and the future will come and go.

2) Just get started. It sounds easy but it can be challenging, especially during the unknown. We feel like we have infinite time because we are stuck at home. Yet, there are things that can be done. Establishing hobbies and getting started can help.

3) Credit yourself for what you did accomplish. It is easy to think that you never did enough. However, even the smallest task needs rewarding. Sometimes getting out of bed and showering seems like a struggle. However, accomplishing little tasks can lead to bigger tasks being accomplished.

4) Don't bite of more than you can chew. There are times when I am so eager to get something done, that I make sloppy mistakes. Why rush when you can break down the task into smaller pieces? I have found the 15-30 minutes intervals is perfect for me.

5) Along with breaking down tasks. give yourself a break. Not just one break, multiple breaks. Give yourself time to rejuvenate your body and your mind. Again, you are not going to the best work when you have crammed (trust me on this one.) I could have written better essays if I started days or weeks before the due date. Sure, I got good grades, but my sleep schedule was nonexistent, and my friendships were faltering. That all could have been avoiding if I did not procrastinate.

6) Apply the "good enough" to your life. In college I was a perfectionist. I wanted my professors to like me and believe that I was a good student and if I did poorly on an exam, I felt like they would think less of me. It was the same when I got my first job. I was so eager to prove that I was the best, that I lost myself and the joy of helping people. I felt that if I called off because I was sick, I was abandoning everyone else when reality going to work sick was harming them. They probably would have preferred me to stay home, but I believed that to become the best, I had to be there all the time. It was not until my job now that I learned to take things "less serious." I am there to do a job and then go home. I do not need to be burdened at home by my work. I show up and do the best I can.

The fact is, COVID is not the one that is causing us to procrastinate, it is an excuse for us not to do things and wait until tomorrow.