Ever feel like your kid is a professional procrastinator? Well, let’s dive in! Procrastination isn’t just laziness. It’s often a sneaky side effect of stress or some unfairly harsh self-criticism. Sometimes, it’s harmless, but other times, it spirals into a nasty cycle of regret and low productivity. When it becomes a habit, it can seriously mess with our well-being.
Why does your student procrastinate?
Procrastination cranks up our stress levels, no matter the reason. Here are some usual suspects:
- Fear of Failure:
- Dodging tasks to avoid the anxiety of potential flop.
- Lack of Motivation:
- When a task feels as exciting as watching paint dry.
- Poor Time Management:
- Struggling to juggle priorities and efficiently allocate time.
- Perfectionism:
- Setting sky-high standards and avoiding tasks to dodge imperfections
- Lack of Self-Discipline and Focus:
- Difficulty staying focused on the task at hand and/or being distracted by the phone, interruptions, etc.
Kids and teens are particularly prone to procrastination. They might fear failure, compare themselves to others, or simply not know where to start. Distractions and a tough time understanding project directions also play a role. Some are so hard on themselves that they’re scared to take risks.
Consequences of Procrastination
Putting things off can lead to a host of issues: stress, anxiety, declining performance, health problems, and even strained relationships.
Tackling Procrastination with Expert Help
Enter the executive function experts! Focus First coaches help students develop strategies to handle school, home, and life tasks. They specialize in modeling our STRIVE Principles:
- S: Strategic Planning
- Chunking and breaking tasks into manageable pieces.
- T: Task Organization
- Creating systems to keep things accessible.
- R: Regulate Emotion
- Managing stress and self-control
- I: Initiative
- Take charge and beat procrastination
- V: Value
- Value your time and become more balanced
- E: Evaluate your Goals
- Review your goals and understand personal strengths and needs.
Focus First Academic Coaching is trained to help students master life management skills, set and achieve realistic goals by creating schedules that work. So, next time procrastination strikes, remember we can help break the habit and start task initiation