6 steps to help you master college application procrastination

6 steps to help you master college application procrastination

UGHHHH! College application season is finally here, and you can’t put it off much longer. As soon as you sit down and open your application materials, you’re hit with a wave of dread, overwhelm, and misery. Never in your life has TikTok, Netflix, or simply anything else felt more enticing. In fact, cleaning your room or doing that school assignment you’ve been putting off may even seem more appealing right now. Let’s call it what it is though - procrastination.

We’ve all been there! Whether it be around doing your chores, texting that friend back, or working on your college applications, it’s all the same. Here are 6 simple steps to overcome your tendency to procrastinate:

1. Identify what is behind your urge to procrastinate

• Ask yourself, what am I feeling right now (e.g., stress, anxiety, sadness, tension, heaviness, etc)? What is my mind telling me about completing X (e.g., it’s boring, it’s pointless, etc)? What does my mind say about my abilities to complete X (“I can’t do it”, “They’ll see right through me”, etc)?

2. Get to know your anxiety

• What is your anxiety trying to do? Keep you safe? Prevent you from investing your time in something that might not work out? Push you to work harder?

3. Understand how your anxiety may be working against you

• Do you end up pushing yourself to overcome challenges, or do you feel discouraged and abandon the task? Do you feel proud of your efforts, or find yourself sitting with guilt?

4. Acknowledge the difficulty

• College applications are not supposed to be fun or easy. Sometimes, we believe we have to feel a certain way to be successful or bully ourselves into doing something hard when, in fact, this can actually have the opposite effect. Consider speaking to yourself like an encouraging teacher or coach. Ex: “This is challenging, and I can still do it” or “I may not have done my best work lately, but I can commit to myself from now on.”

5. Be clear about your "why"

• What is important to you about X? What opportunities would X open for you? What impact could X have on your future?

6. Challenge the stories your anxiety repeats to you

• What is a time you doubted yourself and still showed up? How have you managed to complete boring tasks in the past? What strengths have helped you overcome anxiety before?

Additional strategies:

• Consider working alongside others (IRL or virtually)
• Curate a playlist that helps you focus
• Limit distractions (e.g., phone, TV, bed)
• Organize your working space
• Set a routine
• Break down large tasks into smaller steps and focus on completing one at a time
• Take regular breaks
• Reward yourself after periods of focused work

If you are interested in exploring individual therapy for additional support, fill out a contact form at www.coremind-therapy.com.