Find enjoyment in your studies

The more you enjoy a task, the less likely you are to procrastinate. But what if you don’t find the subject matter interesting straight away? In that case, there are things you can do about it.

Is the course material not immediately engaging? Take action to make it more interesting:

• Find something to spark your interest: remind yourself why you chose the course, or take a closer look at your choice of study if the course isn’t right for you.
• Make the task more enjoyable: e.g. with a quiz.
• Find the purpose: recognise the relevance of a subject to your goals.
• Do you have to study, or do you want to?: Replace ‘have to’ with ‘want to’ to overcome inner resistance.
• Pair the unpleasant with the pleasant: Use ‘temptation bundling’ by combining a difficult study task with something you enjoy doing (such as a special coffee or some nice music).

→ Discover all the tips and strategies in the section ‘Find pleasure and interest in studying' (e-module)

Train your brain to make positive associations with studying by creating a list of rewards, linking tasks to rewards in advance, and celebrating small successes straight away.

See how you can use rewards to tackle procrastination (video, 1’)

→ Take a look at the section ‘Treat breaks and reward yourself’ (e-module on website)

Do you find it difficult to get started on your own? If so, find some people to tackle those tasks with you that you keep putting off.

→ Discover the benefits of connecting with others (e-module on website)

If you’re going to procrastinate anyway, do it wisely. Instead of scrolling on your phone, tackle a small study-related task, such as organising your notes or tidying your desk. This will clear your head and make it easier to get started afterwards.

- Smarter procrastination in 4 steps (infographic)
- Discover how taking on a different task can actually help you move forward (video, 2’)
- How procrastination can actually be helpful and useful (website)