Procrastination is something most of us know all too well. We open our phones for “just five minutes,” and suddenly it’s an hour later, no work has been done, and TikTok is reminding us that we’ve been scrolling for way too long.
The assignment we promised we’d start today quietly gets pushed to tomorrow, which feels fine. However, tomorrow turns out to be the due date. Then we’re pulling another all-nighter, swearing it’s the last time.
Doomscrolling has a way of making procrastination feel effortless. It’s easy to get lost in, especially when deadlines, exams, and endless to-do lists start creeping in. Burnout, stress, and overwhelm can take over before we even begin. This makes it tempting to avoid what needs to get done altogether. What starts as a short break quickly becomes an escape. Procrastination is something we have all experienced at one time or another, and I’m sure it’s something we want to limit as we approach the new semester.
New Semester, New Habits
As we settle into the depths of a new semester, that first exam, essay, or midterm is already approaching. Every semester, we tell ourselves this will be the one. We think this will be the semester we stay on top of everything and finally feel productive. However, the pressure to get a million things done while still keeping up with life can feel suffocating. Productivity quickly becomes another source of stress rather than something that helps us.
According to a survey done by the NYSSCPA, Gen Z spends more time on their phones and social media than any other generation. Alongside wanting to be more productive, there’s also a growing desire to reduce overall screen time. That balance can be tricky. This is especially true when so much of our work already happens on a screen.
But what if productivity didn’t have to mean extreme routines or cutting out everything you enjoy? These aren’t about waking up at 5 a.m. or locking yourself in your room until an essay is finished (unless that works for you, then, by all means). Instead, these are simple, realistic habits you can incorporate into your daily life. These habits will make getting things done feel more natural. They will also make it all feel far less overwhelming.
Here are five small, low-pressure habits that can help boost productivity, ease procrastination, and make getting through the day, and the semester, feel a little easier.
1. Turn on Do Not Disturb
This might seem simple and obvious, but many people choose to ignore what a great tool the do not disturb button really is. Turning your phone on Do Not Disturb does not mean you will be unreachable for hours. Instead, it is just giving yourself a designated time with no distractions.
Notifications are one of the easiest ways we get distracted. We respond to one text, and the next thing we know we’re in three different conversations all pulling us away from the task at hand. This temporary silence will create a small window of uninterrupted studying time. As a result, this is a very low-effort simple thing to do, and it will create huge differences in the way you study.
A fun way to work with this is through focus apps. These apps let you set a timer and automatically put your phone on do not disturb. Many of them even gamify the productivity with visuals. One of my personal favorites uses virtual plants that grow the longer you stay focused, called Flora. This app, and many others, turns study time into something that actually feels rewarding.
2. The Pomodoro Study Method
It might seem like the best choice to sit and study for hours and cram everything in. In reality this just leads to faster burnout and eventually, when we aren’t even done, we reward ourselves with a break that inevitably turns into doomscrolling. Alternatively, I suggest the Pomodoro method.
The Pomodoro method consists of working for 25 minutes, then taking a five-minute break and repeating, typically four times before taking a longer break. The breaks can be things such as stepping outside for a fresh breath of air, getting a quick snack, stretching, or anything that is fast and will give your mind a quick break without fully disconnecting from the task at hand.
This is one of my favorite tricks while studying. I set a 25-minute timer and study for those 25 minutes, no distractions. Then I set another timer for five minutes, and I give myself the time to relax and breathe before returning to work. This helps a lot. I find I am able to get more done in 25 minutes with this method than with 45 minutes full of distractions.
3. Try the “Five-Minute Rule”
The five-minute rule is simple. If a task takes less than five minutes to complete, do it right away. Taking care of these small tasks immediately can save you from unnecessary stress later on. Additionally, five minutes is a manageable amount of time. You can do almost anything for five minutes, so getting it out of the way often feels easier than letting it linger on your to-do list.
This habit is an easy way to clear tasks without overthinking or expending much mental energy. When small responsibilities pile up, they can quickly start to feel overwhelming. Knocking them out right away helps your to-do list feel more manageable and gives you an early sense of accomplishment. This makes the rest of your day feel more productive.
4. Tackle One Big Task Early in the Day
Oftentimes it’s easy to save the hardest or most intimidating assignment for last, but as the day goes on, that task often starts to feel even more overwhelming. Tackling one larger task earlier in the day, when your energy and focus are higher, can make it feel far less daunting. Making progress early can also lighten the rest of your day. This reduces the mental weight that comes from constantly putting something off.
This doesn’t mean completing everything as soon as you wake up. Instead, it’s about using your freshest brainpower to make meaningful progress, even if it’s just a small portion of the task. Getting a head start often helps reduce procrastination later. Plus, it creates a sense of momentum that carries through the rest of your to-do list.
5. Changing Your Study Environment
Our rooms and apartments, the spaces we’re most comfortable in, often come with the most distractions, making it easier to procrastinate without even realizing it. Switching locations, even something as simple as moving from your bedroom to the kitchen, can help reset your focus. Additionally, studying at a library or coffee shop introduces new energy and naturally limits distractions. This makes it easier to stay on task. A change of scenery can signal to your brain that it’s time to work.
A really fun way that people like to do this is with “study crawls.” The idea is it’s like a bar crawl, but instead of drinking, you study. Going to different locations, libraries, coffee shops, really any public space to study and making a whole day out of it.
Stepping Away From the Scroll
Being productive doesn’t have to mean rigid routines, extremely early mornings, or cutting out everything you enjoy. It’s about finding small ways to make big tasks and looming due dates feel less overwhelming.
A major factor in this is doomscrolling. Learning how to limit it, even if only for 30 minutes at a time, can help. Stepping away from the scroll and adding more intention to your day can ease pressure and make a real difference, especially as exams and deadlines approach.
The next time you’re preparing for a big test or essay, try out one of these habits and see how much more manageable the process feels.
