How to procrastinate productively

Getting stuff done whilst not actually getting stuff done


Exams are a week away, and you’ve just caught yourself day dreaming – you know that procrastination is looming. You want to do something, anything but the thing you have to do – revise for the exams you pay £9,000 a year for. If you’re going to procrastinate, you might as well be productive about it, and here’s how:

Make a revison playlist

Revision playlists are a must. Whether you prefer classical or acoustic songs, if you make a focused playlist it’s perfect for when you eventually start your work. Finding the right balance of songs is important, if they’re too happy you’re dancing around Bedford, too sad and you’re calling your best friend in tears.

Clean the entire house

The classic technique. Look around, your room is a mess. A mess is not a good place to revise, right? Happy room = happy mind. You have to clean up or you will never work. Plus, tidying up can take hours if you do it right! Clean the floor, the bed, organise your desk, re-organise your wardrobe.

It’s better than before, trust me.

Costume change

From clearing out your wardrobe, a bad fashion show for your house can then begin. Try on old clothes that deserve to be burned, pour a glass of wine (or three) and have a giggle.

Go shopping

If done right, a trip to Kingston, London or Staines will require the whole day! Perfect. You can procrastinate in style. Your wallet will not thank you, but your newly tidied wardrobe will need new clothes. A shopping trip is usually followed by food, so you get to enjoy a delicious meal, a day out and new clothes all in preparation for your revision later. If you’re not hungry and have replenished your wardrobe, you won’t spend hours on ASOS or looking through the fridge!

I look like a wrapped present. 15 year old me – why?

Go for a stroll

It may sound boring, but if the weather isn’t too bad it can actually be incredibly therapeutic. Walking is healthy for the body and the mind and will clear your head in times of stress. Also, you can listen to the playlist you carefully made earlier and test it out! There is nothing wrong with exploring Virginia Water or Englefield Green. Procrastinate the healthy way.

 Learn to cook (or try to, anyway)

I can’t cook. Ever. Never. I’m just a bad cook, but there’s no harm in trying! Use the time to learn a new life skill. Food is important, so learning to cook is a life necessity and can’t possibly be time wasting. Preparing the meal kills time,  and the best part, eating it, doesn’t take that long but is enough time to avoid that essay.

If you cook then you gotta clean, right? That means washing up dishes. Actually, that can wait. No one does the dishes, even when in desperate times. They are the last resort and you’re not that low, yet. 

Finally, accept fate. Accept defeat. Just do your work, you will probably still cry when you open that exam paper next week and everything looks like gibberish, but at least you tried to revise. Your future self will thank you.