Procrastination is not an unfamiliar practice but a common endeavor in most people’s lives. However, do you know how to correctly procrastinate? If you have trouble procrastinating at times and accidentally end up working diligently, then this will be the perfect guide for you!

1. Play on your phone 

This method is one of the most effective methods of procrastination and works everywhere. Pointless ways to play on your phone include, but are not limited to: checking social media, playing mobile games, watching Youtube videos, and looking at memes. 

You can even expand on “checking social media” by researching what your friend, crush, or a famous stranger is doing. It is always nice to follow the life of someone else. Start with the small goal of wasting five minutes and watch time accumulate naturally. 

When doing homework, keep your phone within arm’s reach, and make sure the

phone faces upwards. By this method, when you receive a notification, you will be instantly distracted.

2. Relax on your bed

When you come home from school, do not start your homework immediately. Instead, put your backpack aside where you can’t easily see it. Next, go to your bed and lie down—for better procrastination results, pull the covers over you and use your phone. This will cause you to feel comfortable and tired, and your will to work will decrease, ensuring you instinctive procrastination.

3. Stay confident and calm in times of crisis

In this age where depressed teens exist in multitudes, it is important to be positive and conduct positive self-reflection, however hard it may be. For example, tell yourself that you will be able to finish your homework, even if you start at midnight. Tell yourself that you believe in yourself, and the assignment will not take long. You are capable of anything if you put your heart and mind to it, even finishing a project in one night that was supposed to take a week. Do not freak out. You have the superpower to make miracles happen! Keep calm and procrastinate.

4. Take your time

Take time and appreciate all that life has to offer you. When you are taking a shower, aim to take twice as long. Thirty minutes of showering amounts to approximately 15 kWh of electricity, 450 liters of water, and $1.80. However, all these are insignificant when compared to the amount of time wasted. While eating, savor each bite of your food instead of engulfing it without recognizing the chef’s hard work. When doing homework, take as long as possible on one problem, and triple check each answer before continuing to the next question. This also ensures a possibly more accurate answer.

5. Shorten your attention span

Whenever a random thought crosses your mind, grasp onto it and follow through with that chain of thought. When performed correctly, this wastes time and is a great way to expand your imagination. 

Second, examine your surroundings and focus on looking at random objects. Regular observation of your surroundings can improve your alertness, in addition to helping you procrastinate.

6. Give in to temptation

This is one of the most reliable methods. Whenever you feel like scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest or mindlessly surfing the web, do it. Don’t try to control yourself. Don’t tell yourself that a moment of pleasure is not worth your grades or your future. We all need to live in the moment. The future is far away and therefore irrelevant. Your heart’s desires are more important than your mind’s excuses. 

Though there are slight side effects of procrastination, such as more stress and general lack of sleep; that is fine. You have lived your life to the fullest each day, and who needs sleep anyway?

However, if you ever are tempted to be diligent, remember that you are still taking risks, such as battling your temptations, less possible stress, more sleep each day, and leftover time for activities and hobbies. Although I strongly discourage being diligent, if you have fallen to this temptation, this guide is still applicable. If you desire to be diligent, do the opposite of these instructions.

I hope this guide has helped, one way or the other!