It’s Not All In Your Head – Talking About Studying, Perfectionism And Procrastination

1. It’s Not All In Your Head – Talking About Studying, Perfectionism And Procrastination These past 2 years of Covid have been such a challenge for young people. They have had to get used to a very different way of learning, whether they are at school, college or university. Their lesson routines have got completely disrupted, initially having to stop attending school, but learning online; then going back into school but with masks and “bubbles” and social distancing, back to online learning now and again, as many teachers and pupils went down with Covid and had to isolate. The exam systems experienced major overhauls in record time so that pupils and students could be safely tested, and all this whilst being told they could not meet up with friends, or do their usual sports or clubs. University students were also hit hard, particularly if they were just starting degrees in new places, away from home but not able to socialize, or the opposite – staying at home to study when they should have been having amazing experiences learning to be independent. No wonder young people are suffering from so much anxiety and confusion about the future at the moment! One of the big difficulties I find young people I see in my clinic are struggling with is procrastination. They feel a lot of pressure to knuckle down, study and do well, as they are also aware of the competition for jobs once they leave, but many say they cannot make themselves work, and this leads to intense anxiety, low mood and insomnia. It can be very hard to motivate yourself if you are worried about getting things right, or wondering what will be possible in the future. Procrastination often happens because people worry too much about getting things wrong. Feeling frightened about doing it incorrectly is what stops people starting! Here are 7 tips to try if you find you are going round in circles with revision or studying: Set yourself a realistic routine the night before, about what you want to study. Try to be very specific about a topic you want to revise and break it into 3-5 areas which can be covered in about thirty minutes each. Research shows that optimum concentration span is about 20 minutes. Agree a time with yourself that you are going to start studying. Think about when you are most awake and calm, so this will vary from one person to the next. If you are a night owl it may be in the evening, if you are a lark, maybe in the morning or early afternoon. Have your desk set up beforehand if you can, so you don’t waste time looking for things when you are supposed to be starting! Give yourself enough time to make sure you have eaten, are comfortable, and that people know you are going to be studying and won’t interrupt you. Start at your agreed time and try to write notes as you read – research shows that the mechanical act of writing helps to cement the information in our brains, so this is useful. If you worry about what to write or type, just start with headings and bullet points – put something down, it does not matter if it is right or wrong – you can alter it later. This is about getting started!     

2. After 30 minutes get up and have a wander, make a drink, go to the loo, get a bit of air. Doing something different, even if it just for a few minutes as this helps with circulation and mental processing. After 5 minutes try to do the next area of your topic. After 2 hours have a longer break and reward yourself with something nice. Ploughing on all day without a break when studying is hard to sustain and not constructive. It can really help to tell someone what you have been learning about, to consolidate it in your mind, so going for a walk and a chat with a friend or family member is great.   At the end of your study day tick it off your list and chill out. It’s important to have time for yourself outside work, and also to do some nice stuff at the weekend (even if it has to be short), so that studying does not become thankless – make sure you reward yourself! Good luck.