Procrastination.  How many times have you used this word when revising for exams? Whether you’re at school, university, college or work, this is likely a word that you have used frequently.  I procrastinate FAR too easily.  It starts with a simple thought or question.  I then lift my phone to Google it and 45 minutes later, I’m watching a YouTube video that is entirely irrelevant to the topics that I’m supposed to be revising!
 
Despite this, when I was sitting exams throughout school and uni, my need to revise consumed my thoughts.  When I was trying to sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that I needed to revise.  When I was eating my lunch, I again, couldn’t stop thinking about revising.  I often found myself cramming on the day before an exam/deadline because of all the procrastination that had gone before. It’s difficult to think of anything more stressful than getting to 11pm the night before a deadline with several thousand words still to go!  Maybe you can relate to this.  Somehow, it’s so easy to become distracted and procrastinate when you’re revising, and yet when you’re not revising, your head can fill up with everything that you need to revise and haven’t.  This can become overwhelming and can lead to you feeling anxious and stressed.
 
What does the Bible say about anxiety and stress? Philippians 4:6-7 says “do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done”.  It’s ok to pray about our exams and ask God to help us to focus and not procrastinate!  In fact, we SHOULD pray about these things!  God wants us to talk to Him constantly.  He wants us to bring our burdens and worries to Him because He cares about every intricate detail of our lives, no matter how significant, or insignificant, we think it is.
 
Over the years, I have come to notice the importance of INTENTIONALLY distracting myself for the benefit of my mental and physical wellbeing.  It doesn’t need to be an extravagant day trip, but even something as simple as a 20-minute walk can have a significant positive impact on how we feel!
 
Am I saying that you should just allow yourself to be distracted at any given moment and scroll through Instagram instead of doing your work?  Of course not!  God has called us to do everything to the best of our ability.  This includes exams!  Colossians 3:23 says, “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people”.  This means that, by working hard for exams and giving of our best, we can serve God.
 
Intentionally distracting yourself helps you to maintain a healthy balance between working hard and looking after your mental wellbeing. Setting aside different times throughout the day to do something else allows you to reset without feeling guilty that you’re not revising.
 
Here are some ways that you can intentionally distract yourself:

• Devotional
• Walk/Run
• Listen to a podcast
• Chat with family/friends
• Grab a tea/coffee
• Go for a drive
• Play an instrument

The list goes on…
 
Having scheduled breaks to distract yourself will make you more focussed and productive while you are working – you will have something to look forward to!
 
For anyone with exams coming up – as important as it is to work hard for your exams, we cannot compromise looking after our spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing.  Don’t be afraid to take a break!  Don’t feel guilty about intentionally distracting yourself! Sometimes it’s exactly what you need to be able to give of your best.
 
Don’t forget to pray - God wants you to bring your worries to Him and rest in the comfort that He will give you all that you need and more!
 
All the best with your exams!  God has a plan for you and it’s PERFECT!
 
 
“Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
You’re faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us”
(Sovereign Over Us – Michael W. Smith)