Dilly Dally

Dilly dally POSITIVE PROCRASTINATION

POSITIVE PROCRASTINATION

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eep k o t s ip t top an e l c it h s r you

“Why do I procrastinate?”

Here’s why...

How do you procrastinate?

ION (noun)

PROCR ASTINAT “the action of delaying

ing.”

or postponing someth

Let’s face it, when we are faced with a task that is boring or hard to do, most of us procrastinate. Some of us have turned it into an art form.

Here at Dilly Dally, we believe that if you’re going to procrastinate, you should benefit from it. We have catered to every type of procrastinator. So whether you choose to dawdle by cooking, cleaning, reading or watching TV we got you covered.

We also offer some top tips to combat bad habits from top expert, Dr Tim Pychyl.

“I spend a lot of hours on pointless articles, but at the same time messing.”

Munro, 19

“I spend lots of time day dreaming when I should be working.”

Joanna,22

You’re procrastinating right now, aren’t you? Do something with that time. Discover the power of positive procrastination with Dilly Dally.

“I usually cook and clean but like to exercise too.”

Garmon, 18 Marian McHugh

Megan Davies

Procrasti-eater

Procrasti-cleaner Elliot Hayes

Procrasti-reader

Maria Aguado

Procrasti-binger

PROCRASTI-CLEAN

Tidy your shit Why do I HATE cleaning, but LOVE it when I have a deadline?

Icleaning hate cleaning my bedroom , I hate the kitchen and I hate cleaning my

desk. Weirdly though, I absolutely adore cleaning hours before a big deadline. If this is your preferred way to procrastinate, let us help you with some tips to get your electronic gadgets cleaned. So you can carry on with your work and meet that important deadline.

Remotes/Mice

When it comes to mice, remotes and keyboards, the best thing they need is a can of compressed air. Compressed air can do wonders for removing all the dust and dirt. Using air, you can also reach all those small corners and areas.

Earphones

To clean and improve the sound from your earphones, put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in a cup. Dip an ear bud into the cup and onto the headphone.

Wait 2-3 minutes and clean off with other side of the ear bud.

Screens

To clean the screen on your phone, tablets and even your televsion, take a microfiber cloth and wipe gently in a circular motion to get rid of dust and spots. Then apply a mixture of light water and vinegar if necessary.

Keyboards

To clean your keyboard, pour some white vinegar on a microfiber cloth and scrub the keyboard thoroughly. Use a cotton swab soaked in vinegar to clean areas that need more attention. Make sure your device is switched off.

Besides the gross factor, the dirt, dust, and other contaminants will clog the electronic equipment such as computers and affect their performance.

The dirt may lead to overheating and equipment malfunction. Also, the germs are a health hazard and will also affect people allergic to dust if they breathe in the dust from the equipment.

s ur ho 96 8 , 12 r fo s an e cl an om w e ag er av he T in her lifetime versus 6,448 hours for men 3

PROCRASTI-READ

P

rocrastination can become an art if you’re good at it. Every excuse imaginable is exhausted to avoid doing that thing you don’t want to do. Then we kick ourselves for putting it off, then try to go do it, and then procrastinate again. It becomes like the film Inception (but with procrastination).

Embrace this topsy-turvy side of ourselves and stop apologising for it.

There are many things we do instead of what actually needs to be done to repair our crappy moods. Some of you may watch Netflix or get lost in the depths of YouTube. Others may read books or listen to music. You may cook or clean your apartments top to bottom. Whichever way you delay-it’s okay, if you know how to do it properly.

Delay of life

Tim Pychyl, Associate Professor of Psychology at Carleton University, has extensively studied procrastination. His research findings describe six types of delay, of which procrastination is one. Tim calls procrastination the “self-defeating form of delay.” Which is kind of pointing out the obvious.

We all know that last-minute panic when we realise we need to do that deadline work, cursing all that wasted time Facebook stalking your ex.

‘Purposeful’ delay is deliberately avoiding doing something we know we ought to be doing - like that 2000word essay due in two hours that you haven’t actually started yet, but yet have the time to watch badly dubbed ads on Youtube.

‘Inevitable’ delay happens when things that can’t be helped happen in your life, like stepping on a piece of LEGO, or stubbing your baby toe.

These things will inevitably distract you from the task at hand for a short while. But anybody who has done the above will know they need at least a day to recover from such trauma.

According to Tim’s studies, 50% of students procrastinate all of the time. From our experience, this carries into later life too with

HOW TO BE THE If you’re like us, “I’ll do it in a min” with the experts about how to work deadlines and starting diets. Tim’s and his colleagues’ research says that the best way to snap out of this cycle is to “forgive yourself.”

We feel guilty and stressed when avoiding a task that urgently needs doing. But will we procrastinate again in the future? YEP. Just like when you feel guilty for eating a family sized bar of chocolate, yet you are now about to open a family sized pack of Monster Munch as a delay tactic.

“If we don’t forgive ourselves, we’ll continue to want to avoid the task,” says Tim. His study

“Instead of focussing on feelings, focus on action.”

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Supreme genius of the Italian Renaissance, maybe... but a total daydreamer. It took Leonardo Da Vinci 16 years to complete his most famous work, the Mona Lisa!

A fi ct io na l ch arac te r prof es si on al proc ra st bu t a no ne th el es s. “To be or in at or Ha m le t as ks bu t th e no t to be ,” al q ue st io n w as , are yo u go in g re to Cl au di us or no t? In st ki ll Un cl e di lly da lli es fo r m os t ea d Ha m le t of th e pl ay , th en st abs an ot he r ch arac te r to de at h in stea d.

BEST DILLY DALLIER really means several days, We talk waste that time more efficiently. say that the best way to forgive yourself is to accept responsibility for your procrastination and forgive yourself for the guilt and regret. In short, don’t torture yourself for procrastinating, because this frustration can lead to giving up.

Studies have found that avoiding the a task can lead to negative thoughts causing more stress, which can, in some circumstances, have an impact on your health.

So besides forgiving ourselves, how else can we lessen the negatives of procrastination?

Practicing mindfulness will help us be aware of being in the moment in a positive way. It also helps relieve the stress that we incur from our task delay.

Why do we do it?

There are multiple reasons why we procrastinate. Task aversiveness, fear of failure and self-handicapping are some forms. Do you relate to any of these? Maybe “temporal discounting” is your reason. This is a fancy

phrase to describe the most common type of procrastination: being unrealistic about the amount of time we need to do a task well.

We know the negative effects of procrastination. Those feelings of shame and guilt, delaying more significant things (like seeking healthcare) and leaving things too late.

We’ve all been there, kicking ourselves time and time again for never learning our lesson. We are all guilty of this. Stop giving yourself a hard time.

Starting today, let’s be productive with it.

If you’re going to procrastinate, at least do it positively in order to learn something and avoid feeling guilty. We believe that you can be creative when you dilly dally and it can, in fact, be intellectually stimulating. Recognise that procrastination isn’t a time-management issue, it’s a temporary mood-repair strategy.

When you’re looking for things to do besides what needs to be done, sit back and ask yourself, “What could I be doing to make the most of this wasted time?”

Tim stresses that we shouldn’t sit back and break big tasks into a series of smaller tasks. He believes this to be counterproductive and adds that people see breaking down the big task as doing some work in itself, which means they are actually just putting off getting started even longer. “Instead of focussing on feelings, focus on action,” he insists.

So don’t give yourself a hard time for watching that documentary and learning something new, instead of doing that report.

Accept who you are, in all of your procrastinating glory. Be mindful of what you are doing with your time-wasting so next time your procrastination will be a help rather than a hindrance.

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PROCRASTI-BINGE

Watch this We’re all guilty of a Netflix session when procrastinating. Here are our picks for thought-provoking shows. File these under ‘humanity is fucked.’

The h abo uma n ut 80 brai %w ni ate s r.

Blackfish

Blackfish will leave you blubbering. This documentary exposed SeaWorld’s treatment of its killer whales, caused its stock to dive and visitor numbers to plunge, eventually forcing them to change their animal care policy.

Making a Murderer

The show that was on everyone’s lips earlier this year. A documentary that follows Steven Avery’s false conviction for rape, and his later conviction for a different rape and murder. In 10 episodes, you will question the mechanics of the US legal system, wonder about police corruption, and sob over a missed WWE Royal Rumble.

Orphan Black

This show follows Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), a street conwoman who runs into her double and discovers she is one of many clones. You could watch this show simply for Maslany’s acting ability. She plays half the cast of characters and manages to imbue each of them with their own personality, leading to her Best Actress win at this year’s Emmy Awards.

Black Mirror The show that predicted ‘Pig-gate’ has a knack

for exploring the underbelly of society and technological advances. From apps that have realworld ramifications, to your memories living on in a cloud after death, Black Mirror uses modern science and technology to scare the bejaysus out of us and question everything we hold dear as a people and as a society.

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PROCRASTI-EAT

Food for thought

Do you cook and eat to delay the inevitable? We can help your waistline while you waste your time.

PIZZA MY HEART

YUMMUS AND CHIPS

1 Wholewheat tortilla Chickpeas (375g) Passata (5tbsp) Tahini (2tbsp), Mozzarella (25g) 2) Garlic cloves (x-3 Red pepper, chopped juice (2 n mo Le 1/4 chopped red onion tbsp) 1 Mushroom (2-3 tbsp) er at W Lean ham chopped (1slice) Easy to whip up and If the background to this page didn’t already tempt you, allow us to try again: Heat oven to 180C, put the tortilla on a baking tray and pop in for 3-5 mins. Take the wrap out and, using a knife, spread the passata over the top.

Sprinkle the cheese and toppings over it. Return the pizza to the oven for another 5 mins.

Remove pizza, let cool for a minute and then chow down.

DID YOU KNOW?

even easier to nibble, these chips and hummus are a winner.

Blitz the lot in a food processor or hand blender till the hummus has a smooth texture then pour into a bowl.

Cut a pitta into strips and apply some olive oil and salt.

Pop them into a preheated (220C) oven for 10-12 mins.

Remove from oven and serve with the hummus. If you’re gluten intolerant, chop up some carrots for a deliciously healthy alternative.

S E I R R E B E R AB NANAS A

Fakero Rocher We have to issue a warning with this recipe: these Ferrero Rocher copycats are so addictive that you’ll be making them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Put Nutella (4 tbsp) in a microwave-safe bowl and pop it in (20 secs). Add Ryvita (x5) and the Nutella in a food processor until everything is crumbled and mushed together. Scoop out a Ferrero Rocher-sized blob and roll it into a ball and pop into a small paper case. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place on a baking tray and shove in the fridge to chill. Eat at your leisure (our Ferrero Rocher didn’t even make it as far as the fridge before being gobbled).

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“Never putwhat off tomorrow you do the day aftercantomorrow.”

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-Mark Twain

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Images courtesy of Adobe, Pixabay abd MomentCam