Laziness is a common syndrome that most people suffer from. And the truth of the matter is, there is no harm in being lazy, and procrastinating the work that is due. Sometimes it is totally understandable.
People might not be feeling well, ambience might not be adjustable, distractions might creep in or anything could happen which makes us slip into laziness. But, it goes on to be a serious issue, if people are consistent about it.
It has often been seen that people who slip into this frenzy of laziness might find it difficult to come out.
And it is at this point, that this syndrome starts affecting work, daily chores and even hobbies that matter. And if someone is too much into being lazy, covering up pending work, or household chores becomes more and more difficult with every passing day.
And this syndrome especially causes major problems for students. Daily studies pile up and when they start realising how much work or studies they have pending, it becomes too late.
Tips for Students on How to Overcome Laziness
1. Attain Discipline and Stick to It
The first and most essential point is to attain discipline. It is the key to overcoming one’s laziness. It requires nothing but just a matter of stopping certain habits or behaviours in order to reach the desired goals.
As with studying, all one has to do is stop doing things that will affect their focus and begin planning as well as doing things that will help them achieve good outcomes. If electronic gadgets are causing distraction, put them aside while studying.
Making this a habit would eventually lead students to be prepared for the next time they start studying. Also, students need to keep in mind that these short sacrifices today would surely pay off in the long run.
2. Eliminate Distractions
The most significant strategy for avoiding laziness at the time of studies is to eliminate any and every kind of distraction in any way possible. It is tough to get back into a studying mood after scrolling through the news feed of various social media platforms.
So, before the study session begins, take care of certain things like turning off the television and the phone as well. If you are expecting an important call, turn the phone to vibrate or silent mode.
Also, ask your roommates or family members for privacy. Remember that eliminating all types of distractions can help you concentrate and study more successfully.
If someone thinks of appearing for the IB Diploma or IGCSE examinations, they should readily apply this method to start curbing away their laziness.
3. Create a Timetable
Another effective way to drive out laziness from students is by creating a fixed schedule for specific classes and other things to be completed over the week. This will make it easy for them to keep track of work progressions, and ensure that deadlines are maintained and fulfilled.
Also creating a calendar with a list of all pending assignments that need to be completed and their due dates helps manifold. It will then be easier to prioritise them and complete them all on time.
For students, there lies much to do when studying for important examinations. That’s why making a list and keeping it somewhere they can see it all the time is a good idea. Then they will be able to keep track of the projects and assignments that have been finished.
Every International School, rather every other school across the world runs on a specific timetable for even distribution and organised way of teaching students.
A timetable can also be considered as means of discipline, adhering to which a student benefits largely, ahead in their life.
4. Maintain a Stipulated Time for Studying Every Day
Success is achieved by self-discipline and hard work. That is the sole reason why students should establish a daily study schedule.
It’s critical to study at the same fixed time period on a daily basis. This will help in making studying a habit, and be emotionally and psychologically ready for each session of study. This also will help in enhancing one’s productivity and help one avoid procrastinating.
Obviously, plans and schedules can be altered due to unforeseen circumstances, but one should return to their regular pattern as soon as possible.
Moreover, if it is the scenario of IB Diploma, then the student has to maintain a fixed time for studying, as it is a more difficult exam to crack than national boards examinations.
5. Take Breaks
Nobody wants to sit in a library for days on end staring at a stack of books or study the night before the exams and get exhausted the next day. So, students should learn to efficiently manage their time and take small breaks between their study sessions.
After an hour of studying, for example, a 15-minute break does just fine to relax and refresh the brain and nerves. Anything can be done that helps them stay relaxed and give their brain a break, such as reading intriguing news, listening to music, taking a brief walk outside, or getting a cup of coffee.
6. Set Achievable Goals
One issue that may arise when studying is determining where to begin. Students are frequently overwhelmed with larger projects and how to begin and complete them on time. The best thing to do at times like these is to start it off and take it really easy.
Putting too much pressure on oneself from the very first only makes a student lazier. That arouses a sense of wanting to quit even when they haven’t started yet. Start with easier chores to overcome.
Start studying topics on a subject that is easy, for example. You will have the courage to shift to more challenging topics once you have successfully accomplished that topic.
This method is widely followed by every International School across the world. The idea of easy tasks and achievable goals makes students more interested and also makes them invest more time in their studies.
7. Seek Assistance
When someone is facing trouble staying focused, it’s a convenient option to seek assistance. When a student does not understand a lecture or is having trouble remembering a concept, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed.
So, the next time someone finds their performance falling behind in class, seek help from the respective subject teacher. You won’t have to worry about seeming stupid because most teachers have a lot of expertise.
If the teacher is unavailable to assist, one should seek assistance from another student in the class.
8. Self-Rewards After Completing a Goal
Overcoming laziness is a big deal, so students should congratulate themselves accordingly upon achieving it at every step of their accomplishment. They should think of treating themselves with a bit more kindness.
For example, if someone is able to accomplish a difficult task, they might think of rewarding themselves with their favourite sweets or snacks. If it is a large task, one can even reward themselves by going out to see their friends or spending the day reading their favourite book.
During the preparation for exams, this method works wonders as it helps to keep the inspiration to work hard alive.
9. Start With Easy/Medium Tasks
When someone just starts working, they have the most energy and concentration. But if you start with the most difficult subject that demands the most effort and somehow you feel stuck, you won’t be able to finish even the easiest one.
It will be easier if you start with an easy/medium level subject and deal with the remainder of the work later. It is seen that students feel a lot more mentally relaxed and cheerful, and have more confidence in their ability to complete the difficult assignments.
10. Adequate Self-Motivation
Lack of motivation is one of the most common reasons why students are reluctant to study. Finding the right kind of motivation assists in concentrating.
Furthermore, considering the advantages of studying, such as passing an exam and receiving great grades, receiving praise from the teacher, when you receive the ideal score actually seems good enough for a progression in the student’s performance.
Also Read: How to Improve Your Grades?
Visualising oneself once studies are completed and considering the favourable outcomes adds up to a motivating factor.
This happens to be another method that is well-adopted by every International School in the country. Faculties there, teach the students techniques to motivate themselves. This helps the pupils to get mileage in their performance.
11. Preparing Study Material
It’s difficult to study effectively if one doesn’t know what topics or things to study in the first place. So, it becomes one of the major and essential tasks:- to prepare study materials before attending any class.
This way, students always have access to their study resources whenever they face challenges or need a refresher.
Even if someone dislikes writing, it is imperative to write down everything known to them about the subject being studied. Especially if one is preparing for the IB Diploma, writing is a very effective way to sharpen the memory and also helps in recollecting organised thoughts.
Writing allows students to envision what they need to study and saves them from forgetting crucial information. Also, it is proven that people are able to concentrate better if they jot down notes because they do not always think about the topic that they are learning.
12. Finding a Suitable Place
Another major factor to consider while talking about laziness, is the place of one’s work or study. Finding a suitable setting is one thing that can help students combat laziness.
Being in a quiet, distraction-free environment, such as a personal favourite library, your own bedroom, or the verandah can help you calm your mind and concentrate on your studies. So, the comfort zone is primal for students when it comes to overcoming the battle with laziness.
13. Execution of the Plan
No matter what kind or how effective a plan might seem, it won’t ever work until it is put into practice! So, along with planning a schedule, one should always try parallelly to execute it. Ignoring this could lead to major impacts on the overall performance of a student.
If one decides to follow a strict schedule, then start it immediately. If one sees that they can study well if their approach is a bit more lenient, then apply it on an immediate basis. Execution and trial errors are the ultimate keys before a goal is achieved..
14. Remember the After-Effects
A person’s drive to begin learning may stem from thinking about the beneficial outcomes of studying.
If someone tends to possess this kind of drive in their head but lacks the willpower to put it into action since laziness still rules in their life, think of trying it the opposite way around. Instead of focusing on the advantages of learning, consider the costs of not studying.
It’s possible that one may receive a failing grade and be required to repeat the subject. It sounds dreadful. So use this as inspiration to get out of bed, open the notebooks, and begin reading and learning.
15. Try Various Study Techniques
Don’t merely strive to memorise knowledge; instead, make an effort to comprehend it. Read up on the subject and then tell your friends about it or write a quick synopsis. This method is more efficient.
Numerous studies have shown that learning complex material in short bursts is more effective. This method is known as spaced learning.
Breaking the task down into little spans of time and taking brief breaks when each one is completed actually works wonders when it comes to remembering some complex phenomenon.
If boosting up the memory power is what a student needs, they must switch their timing and consider studying a few hours before falling asleep at night.
Once we are asleep, the brain rearranges the thoughts and memories, and a revision of the material is needed the next day to remember it completely.
In case someone is a visual learner, they could easily try mind mapping. In a diagram, they can make this powerful strategy applicable to visually organise crucial information.
Conclusion
We should all strive to overcome the undesirable characteristic of laziness. Learning to manage our time and applying that to study smarter, not harder, is the key to overcoming laziness and being an excellent student.
The simplest method to quit being lazy is to simply start working and attempt to do it effectively. And it should always be kept in mind that it’s one of the most significant things one can do to advance in life and achieve success.
Parents prefer to admit their child to an International School because not only do they have a versatile curriculum structure, but they also try to imbibe various studying methods in the students. This helps them suffice themselves while studying alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I suddenly become so lazy?
Laziness can come from different reasons, like not feeling motivated, not having clear goals or interests, or feeling overwhelmed. It can also be because we’re naturally inclined to conserve energy.
