Lord777
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We often spend days and nights on a difficult task, but in the end we find that we procrastinated most of the time and made no progress.
Prepare yourself
Knowing that hard mental work awaits you soon, start preparing for it in advance - visualize and plan how you will overcome the challenge. This will help you come to terms with the upcoming intense stress - long hours of stress will not come as a surprise. The same technique can be used, for example, before a frightening event: when you are about to jump from a bungee, imagine in detail how everything will go, a week before the test.
Complicate
Some tasks, despite their substantial complexity, can be quite boring. Falling asleep while reading? Try taking notes on what you read: the extra activity will increase your concentration.
Do nothing
Avoidance is a healthy response to stressful situations. You've probably noticed how you start scrolling through your Facebook feed instead of finally getting down to putting together a complex presentation. The next time you feel anxious, try not to procrastinate, but simply do nothing. Free your hands and mind, sit quietly. Complete idleness, unlike procrastination, will help you calm down a little - in this state, doing work and studying will turn out much better.
Don't scold yourself
Try not to scold yourself for procrastination, as this will distract you from self-flagellation and waste even more time. But if you have already started and cannot stop, discuss it with someone or write down your thoughts in a journal. By freeing yourself from negative thoughts, you will find the strength to work.
Look at the clock
Feeling tired and looking for some distraction? Look at your watch and try to see if you can work for another 20 minutes. Tired again? Take another look at the clock and try to concentrate for an additional 15 minutes. Of course, you will need a break at some point, but this technique will help extend your productivity intervals. Imagine working out in the gym and gradually trying to increase the amount of weight you lift.
Remember your luck
In order not to panic when dealing with a difficult problem, it is important to remind yourself that you have successfully coped with difficult tasks more than once and, in principle, are able to overcome obstacles. If such examples don't come to mind or seem irrelevant, start small - small successes will help you gain confidence on the way to your final goal.
Don't avoid anxiety and fear
We know that fear and anxiety are bad feelings that should be avoided from a common sense point of view. However, in their effect on the sympathetic nervous system, they are very similar to another feeling - excitement. Yes, challenging tasks make us nervous, but the satisfaction of completing them successfully is unmatched. What does not bother us cannot really make us happy.
Discuss
This is how our brain works: it considers its own theories to be the most convincing. In the process of work, be sure to discuss your thoughts and findings with competent acquaintances - it may be a shame to hear criticism, but the result will be much better. If this is not possible, remember Descartes and independently question each of the stages of the work.
Consider fatigue
Along with the hours worked, fatigue builds up - this should be taken into account when planning the schedule. Let the load be higher in the first weeks than in the following. At the beginning of the MIT Challenge, I studied 60 hours a week, gradually reducing the load to 35. A realistic assessment of my physical capabilities at the start will save you from unexpected disappointment and unnecessary worries.
Work less
We often spend days and nights on a difficult task, but in the end we find that we procrastinated most of the time and did not make any progress. To be more effective, you need to completely change the strategy: the less time you spend on things, the higher the chances of concentrating and not being distracted by nonsense. Make a schedule with as little time as possible, for example, just hours before lunch. Take the rest of your day to do other things. Do not forget to take breaks: trying to do everything at once is a rather stupid idea, break each task into several parts. Of course, in order to effect such a change in behavior, you will need to drown out feelings of guilt for being idle and think very rationally. The main thing is to remember that nervous correspondence on social networks has not yet helped anyone finish the project on time.
Prepare yourself
Knowing that hard mental work awaits you soon, start preparing for it in advance - visualize and plan how you will overcome the challenge. This will help you come to terms with the upcoming intense stress - long hours of stress will not come as a surprise. The same technique can be used, for example, before a frightening event: when you are about to jump from a bungee, imagine in detail how everything will go, a week before the test.
Complicate
Some tasks, despite their substantial complexity, can be quite boring. Falling asleep while reading? Try taking notes on what you read: the extra activity will increase your concentration.
Do nothing
Avoidance is a healthy response to stressful situations. You've probably noticed how you start scrolling through your Facebook feed instead of finally getting down to putting together a complex presentation. The next time you feel anxious, try not to procrastinate, but simply do nothing. Free your hands and mind, sit quietly. Complete idleness, unlike procrastination, will help you calm down a little - in this state, doing work and studying will turn out much better.
Don't scold yourself
Try not to scold yourself for procrastination, as this will distract you from self-flagellation and waste even more time. But if you have already started and cannot stop, discuss it with someone or write down your thoughts in a journal. By freeing yourself from negative thoughts, you will find the strength to work.
Look at the clock
Feeling tired and looking for some distraction? Look at your watch and try to see if you can work for another 20 minutes. Tired again? Take another look at the clock and try to concentrate for an additional 15 minutes. Of course, you will need a break at some point, but this technique will help extend your productivity intervals. Imagine working out in the gym and gradually trying to increase the amount of weight you lift.
Remember your luck
In order not to panic when dealing with a difficult problem, it is important to remind yourself that you have successfully coped with difficult tasks more than once and, in principle, are able to overcome obstacles. If such examples don't come to mind or seem irrelevant, start small - small successes will help you gain confidence on the way to your final goal.
Don't avoid anxiety and fear
We know that fear and anxiety are bad feelings that should be avoided from a common sense point of view. However, in their effect on the sympathetic nervous system, they are very similar to another feeling - excitement. Yes, challenging tasks make us nervous, but the satisfaction of completing them successfully is unmatched. What does not bother us cannot really make us happy.
Discuss
This is how our brain works: it considers its own theories to be the most convincing. In the process of work, be sure to discuss your thoughts and findings with competent acquaintances - it may be a shame to hear criticism, but the result will be much better. If this is not possible, remember Descartes and independently question each of the stages of the work.
Consider fatigue
Along with the hours worked, fatigue builds up - this should be taken into account when planning the schedule. Let the load be higher in the first weeks than in the following. At the beginning of the MIT Challenge, I studied 60 hours a week, gradually reducing the load to 35. A realistic assessment of my physical capabilities at the start will save you from unexpected disappointment and unnecessary worries.
Work less
We often spend days and nights on a difficult task, but in the end we find that we procrastinated most of the time and did not make any progress. To be more effective, you need to completely change the strategy: the less time you spend on things, the higher the chances of concentrating and not being distracted by nonsense. Make a schedule with as little time as possible, for example, just hours before lunch. Take the rest of your day to do other things. Do not forget to take breaks: trying to do everything at once is a rather stupid idea, break each task into several parts. Of course, in order to effect such a change in behavior, you will need to drown out feelings of guilt for being idle and think very rationally. The main thing is to remember that nervous correspondence on social networks has not yet helped anyone finish the project on time.
