Everyone at university procrastinates and it can be tough to know how to break out of it. When choosing between the coursework that you’ve been putting off for a week or just scrolling social for a little longer, it can be hard to do the ‘right thing’.

But what if there was a way to procrastinate while still doing something extremely useful? Welcome to productive procrastination. Productive procrastination is the idea of accomplishing small, manageable tasks while still pushing out the Big Stuff until you’ve got the mental energy.

We’ve put together some tips on productively procrastinating the next time you’re feeling low on motivation.   

Organise your study space  

Here is the simplest and most effective way to procrastinate yet remain productive – organise your study space. Make the room you study in or your desk a place that you might actually want to spend time in.

Does your desk have to face that way? How could you make it cozier? Could you clear away some stuff? Would a candle or a nice lamp create a better vibe? What about a plant?

What other ways could you make your study space an enjoyable place to be?  

Make prioritisation fun*   

Another great way of both procrastinating and staying busy is by making lists!  

Write out a list of all the tasks you need to do. It doesn’t matter about the order, just write them down as they come to you.   

Next, rank all those tasks in order of importance.   

Some good questions to decide this ranking are, Which tasks won’t take much time? Could you do this task today? Which ones will take more time and more brain space?   

Now that you have a list of important tasks, you’re going to break those tasks down into manageable chunks. These can be as simple as “Buy notebook” just so long as it doesn’t overwhelm you. Make enough steps (even a 100!) so that (eventually!) the task gets completed.   

Don’t underestimate the feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing a simple goal like ‘stack my books properly’.

Small steps like those will still help you reach your goal!   

*We might have different ideas of fun.   

Time limits are your friend  

Sometimes the worst thing about a big task is knowing it’s going to take forever.   

That’s why time limits can be incredibly useful. Instead of attempting to focus on a task for hours, set a timer for twenty minutes and see how much you can get done.

Try ten minutes if twenty minutes sounds too long! Whatever you can manage.   

During this time, focus solely on the task. If you think of something you need to do or look up online (even though you definitely don’t) make a quick note of it and come back to the task.   

When the timer goes off, reward yourself with a little break. Look up all those things that were distracting you. Go for a quick walk. Do something fun for ten or twenty minutes. Then, if you can manage, come back for another short burst of focus.

This is called the Pomodoro Technique and there are lots of sites to help you. Try this one! 

Be flexible!  

Sometimes you can start working on a task only to realise it’s going to take a LOT more attention/time/creativity than you first imagined.  

You might feel uninspired to do such a big task. Don’t worry! Adjust your plans and focus on something more manageable. Maybe you can’t organise your study notes today, but could you make your lunch for tomorrow instead?   

Just keep moving forward with small, manageable tasks.   

Kindness is key  

Remember procrastination is totally natural and beating yourself up about it won’t help anyone.   

Be kind to yourself.   

Some days you’ll feel inspired and motivated and many other days will be a slog. Take small steps, make lists, celebrate tiny victories, and focus on what you can to move closer to your goals.  

Hope these productive procrastination tips help you. If you’re looking for more tips on student life then check out our other blogs. Here’s one on the 5 tips to slow down a racing mind and another about the Top five free things to do in Dublin.