Staying on task

[SilkSkull]

I'm writing a psychology paper right now and I can't stay focused, I find I'm this way when I try to write anything. Does anybody have any tips? Any good ways to stay motivated, on task and from procrastinating? Even writing this post is me just avoiding finishing my paper :omg:k:

[purelyconstructive]

I find it helpful to have a clear outline and goals that I am working toward. I also like to use timers.

I hope the writing goes well!

P.S.: Don't get distracted by the links that I have shared.

[wodaro]

I am also perpetually struggling with this. I'll echo purelyconstructive's point on timers, and also say I find meditation to be a genuinely helpful tool for staying on task. sometimes my brain gets too overwhelmed between thinking about plans, chores, projects, deadlines, etc. it gets overwhelming. Taking even three minutes before working to just sit with yourself, close your eyes, do some breathing exercises and basically do a brain reboot can help so much.

[Gans]

Maybe try and work with music? I was getting in a better working attitude through listening to some kind of power music. Maybe some fast-paced techno (of course everybodys taste is different), but recently I discovered that hyperactive Eurobeat music from the anime "Initial D".

https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=wO_epWbJOd4&listen=false

Download it and listen to it in repeat. No distraction from having to restart the music file is needed!
This kind of music however is very exhausting afterwards. Or maybe it was the finished work?
 
Also I gained some workpace through writing my texts in a standard text editor (Notepad on Windows) without formatting first. No language correction dares to distract you from producting words like a machine! The beauty step comes second, make the text look beautiful.

[dotmidi]

A good resource I like to use when I am behind a LOTTA homework is this method called Pomodoro (aka Tomato Timer)!
Basically, what seperates it from a normal timer is you do 25 minute intervals and then take a 5 minute break! After 4 of these "Pomodoro"s you get to take a 15 minute break.
It's really great for my ADHD brain So I highly reccomend it! literaly SAVED my grades
There are several websites for this but this is the one I like to use:
http://www.tomatotimers.com

[SilkSkull]

So I'm definetly going to be taking these tips. I have been using a lot of eurobeat funnily enough and it makes me write ridicullously fast, good for getting out drafts. As for the pomodoro technique, I have never tried it. I think I'm gonna give it a shot tonight with my writing. Thank you all and I'll update when I try out some of this!

[Melooon]

Im am the high priest of procrastination so Im not sure how much advice I can really offer But Iv found that I tend to procrastinate for a reason; sometimes its related to the task Im trying to do, or sometimes its totally unrelated. For example when I was doing my final paper in college, I loved the papers subject, but there was a bunch of personal issues going on in my life that made it totally impossible to focus on my paper, I wasn't able to write until I'd sorted out those other things. Likewise, sometimes I procrastinate because Im worried about the thing Im working on, maybe I don't know how to do it 100% or Im worried its a bad idea.

So its worth taking the time to think about what might be causing you to hold back and if there's anything that can be done if there is. I agree with the others above, meditation can be a great way to get in touch with your thoughts, and after that a bit of basic organisation can really help. (I use todo lists for projects - lots of little tasks like "edit that paragraph" or "remove a link" so they are easy to get into)

[Wobblegong]

I've been keeping ideas/notes on what I'm doing on sticky notes so I can remember what I'm supposed to be doing
I get to throw them away when they're done which feels like accomplishment

for a bigger project I'd consider making a scrum board

I'd rather go stopwatch instead of timer I don't want to interrupt my flow if I get something going. But I do set goals for myself as far as time spent on things